Sun gets behind Athlon 64 with Linux OS
Sun Microsystems' flirtation with AMD continues with the Java Desktop System set to make its way onto the Athlon 64 processor.
When Sun releases the Linux-based Java Desktop software later this year, it will run on AMD's Ahtlon 64 processor but only in 32-bit mode. Sun plans to rectify this situation "over time" and create a 64-bit version of the Java Desktop for AMD's AMD64-based desktop chip.
"We want to make sure people understand that there is an alternative out there," said Sun's CTO of software John Fowler.
Sun touts the Java Desktop as a safer, simpler more stable alternative to Microsoft's Windows operating system. It sells the Java Desktop for $100 or for $50 per employee if purchased in tandem with Sun's Java Enterprise System.
Rather ironically, Sun champions AMD's chip as a winner because of its strength handling graphics intensive software such as gaming or video apps. With a 64-bit chip, AMD gives users the potential to tap into larger amounts of memory and have high-end, server class desktops. The high-end desktop, however, is exactly the market Sun is not targeting with the Java Desktop.
