Intel's Pentium 4 will only be capable of running in single processor configurations, thunders eWeek's Ken 'Scoop' Popovich.

Well gosh and goldarn it. Those ZzzzzzzzzzzDNet folk are catching up fast. The Reg only ran the story in mid-September.

Now listen up, Popovich. P4 at 0.18 micron (Willamette) will never be SMP capable. The 0.13 micron Tualatin will be able to work in dual processor configurations. Foster, the server variant of P4 will use ServerWorks to function in 4 and 8way servers.

Pentium 4 is aimed at high end desktops and entry level servers. Note the use of the word 'entry'. Whoever said that a workstation had to have more than one processor?

Rather amusingly, Scoop also quotes a couple of US analysts who shall remain nameless saying this gives a clear window of opportunity to AMD to fill the void with SMP workstations. Erm, yes, up to a point Lord Popper. AMD doesn't actually have any high-end SMP chipsets yet.

Popeyevitch then quotes 'an executive whose company is looking at introducing a Pentium 4 workstation' admitting that promoting the single-chip solution could result in some awkward moments.

"It's possible that some of our sales force overstated the benefits of dual-capable CPU systems, unfortunately, by being overly critical of single CPU-capable systems," said the executive, who, remarkably, asked not to be named.

ZDNet UK supremo Richard Barry was unavailable for comment because we couldn't be bothered to phone him. ®