What's the world's oldest port? [*]

In the computer world, Microsoft's version of Windows for Intel's IA-64 architecture might qualify.

"Microsoft and Intel Corp. began collaborating on 64-bit computing in 1996," it says on the press release. Redmond does have version of Windows for Itanic, which you can find here.

It's called 'Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition', which a friendly source tags as "uncharacteristically descriptive."

Analysts who watch the progress of IA-64 tell us that "almost none" of the few Itaniums that are out in the field run Windows. The vast majority of serious deployments are in HPC (high performance computing), where Linux is favored.

Intel refuses to say how many systems are out there, but there are believed to be around 6,000 Itanics still floating. This number includes a smattering of systems based on the first Itanium chip. Microsoft's early success owed much to recognition of the value of volume sales. Does this constitute volume sales?®

Bootnote: I would have thought this would be Alexandria, but both Acre and Jaffa lay claim to the title.