The LA Times is reporting that Google is slowly switching to AMD-based processor solutions for their 200,000+ (!) servers. This is a most interesting report, especially since Intel has owned the vast majority of processor market share for so long. Could AMD be the David to Intel's Goliath?
On a completely unrelated note, I've about decided to put off upgrading my personal computer. Not only does convoluted hardware make it hard to find what to buy, but things change so quickly (especially as far as prices are concerned). Instead of upgrading little bits now, I'm planning on building a completely new rig from scratch later this year (with any luck). Although I don't have any details in place, I do have these general milestones I want to hit:
- AMD dual-core processor (most likely)
- No less than 2 GB of memory
- PCI-Express based graphics card (an NVIDIA based solution, no doubt)
- Seagate SATA hard drives (SCSI seems a little too expensive)
- Perhaps a beefier power supply (~500 W)
Waiting a while will allow me to (a) save some money up and (b) allow prices on today's hot hardware to fall. I generally like buying stuff one generation back from the bleeding edge. You seem to get the most bang for your buck that way.
