Comments on: Sun makes Niagara an open-source chip

Release of the chip's underlying design is intended to increase the relevance of the UltraSparc T1 processor line.

Open-Source Hardware

Open Hardware
Open Circuit

~sounds better

Waning?

I don't understand why reporters have to also play the role of pundits. These snippets really irk me: "In a bid to increase the relevance of its processor line..." and "...to restore waning enthusiasm..." Last I heard, ultraSPARC systems accounted for several billion $$ a quarter in sales with hefty margins and Q/Q, Y/Y revenue growth. What's "waning" or irrelevant about that? I guess this reporter couldn't see beyond the cheap Wintel clone sitting on his desk. Stick to reporting and leave the punditry to the analysts.

[FutureGuy]

Open Source pixie dust???

Sun is a doomed company. Its market share is dwindling, its profits are virtually non existent and its share price is less then a cup of Java. It still doesn?t get it open source and free software, don?t make money. Soon most of those, unfortunately very smart, engineers who designed its software and hardware soon would be tossing burgers and MacDonald?s. Shame of their management, Scott McNealy should hang himself using a PC mouse cord.

[Blito]

Check out their audiocasts: It's just a contract simplification

Using an OSI certified contract to simplify the software behind their chips doesn't make them lose money. Hardware still costs money. The only reason that Open Source software is 'free,' which is proper for a fre society and not a dictatorship because I own what I purchase, is the Internet happens to not need paper money and I hope hardware will follow.

[DavidHalko]

SPARC Still Open, Still Growing...

Industry analysts continues to spell SPARC incorrectly but wish to be taken seriously.

Vendors have been taking SPARC specification and generating new CPU's for a decade. Industry analysts are continuing to not be very credible when they claim something which happened for a decade is unlikely when SUN is making it easier.

Every other vendor uses proprietary processors and no one can pick up a proprietary spec and build one without being sued (Intel suing AMD in the past is a fine example.)

Openness is why people like SUN.