AMD to launch Code-named Barcelona Processor this week

This week, AMD is going to celebrate the launch of company's first major upgrade to its microprocessor technology in more than four years.
Code-named Barcelona, the much-awaited and delayed quad-core computer processor is designed to be the calculating engine of corporate server networks -- a high-profitable area in the microprocessor segment where AMD's much-bigger rival Intel Corp. has stepped up its game the past year.
Barcelona, which began shipping recently, is named after a stop on the Formula One race circuit. Like a race car, AMD, a Ferrari sponsor, needs Barcelona to hit on all cylinders. There's a lot riding on it.
Barcelona is a significant step in AMD's bid to improve its microprocessor roadmap, which analysts earlier this year chided for lacking direction. Beyond Barcelona, AMD plans to roll out new quad-core technology for desktops and laptops as well as other chips for portable electronics.
AMD is playing catch up with Intel, which released its quad-core server processor in November 2006 and has sold nearly 2 million such chips to date. Demand is growing, with 1 million of those quad-core server chips sold since the end of June, according to a person close to Intel.
The company has also launched AMD Quad-Core Opteron and it is the first from AMD to feature four computing engines on a single chip instead of just one or two.
Related link: http://www.amd.com