Intel invites Linux developers to help spend $200 million

Only 10 per cent of Intel's IA-64 funding cash is taken so far, chairman Andy Grove told delegates at Linux World yesterday. That means it has at least a staggering $200 million left, a full three months after it started the IA-64 fund. (Story: Intel in desperate cash bid to push Merced) It also means there's lots of money available for Linux programmers to try their hand at building parallel applications for the up-and-coming 64-bit Merced chip, he said. Grove said the world can expect to see Merced silicon in the next few weeks. Intel demonstrated the Linux OS running on a Merced simulator. His right hand man, senior VP Sean Maloney, told the audience that Intel will move to further support the Linux OS, including providing testing at some of its IA-64 facilities. An Intel representative reacted vigorously to any suggestion the IA-64 fund was not successful. He said: "You don't just throw $250 million around, you evaluate the huge range of potential candidates for investment - because of the broad nature of potential uses on the iA64 architecture. All of this takes time - the first investments have been made and more will follow." He added: "Contrary to a serious lack of interest" the Intel 64 fund has been welcomed by the both the developer and corporate user communities" He said that on June 22nd, the Intel 64 Fund made investments in its first five companies and the group of corporate users now includes the Boeing Company and Enron who have joined the Intel 64 Fund as investors. The fund, he added, was one of several Intel and industry programs intended to enable broad adoption of the IA-64 platform, starting with the Merced processor. ®