First Katmai-Optimized Products On The Way Next Month

TAIPEI -- Software vendors next month will take the wraps off the first applications optimized for the Katmai New Instructions featured in Intel's forthcoming Pentium III processors, a senior Intel executive said here on Wednesday.

The software introduction will take place at a Feb. 17 conference held in Santa Clara, California, prior to the official launch of Pentium III, said John Davies, Intel's vice president and general manager of the chip giant's Asia-Pacific operations.

The Katmai-optimized applications are designed to take advantage of the 70 new instructions featured in the Pentium III processors for speeding up 3-D graphics, audio, video and other functions.

"It is a fabulous product," said Davies, referring to the Pentium III, formerly code-named Katmai. "And you will see more new applications than ever for a new processor generation."

Crucial to creating user demand for the Pentium III, the new applications are the result of the biggest software push Intel has ever orchestrated for a new processor generation. As of last October, Intel had already shipped around 500 Katmai systems to hundreds of software vendors.

The first versions of the Pentium III chips will run at 450 MHz and 500 MHz when they start shipping in late February and early March, but Intel is expected to crank up the clock-speed to 600 MHz and above by the end of the year.

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