Business
New x86 vendor to take on Intel
A new name will join Intel and co. in the x86 CPU market next year.
International Meta Systems (IMS) will release a chip that competes with Intel's forthcoming P55C MMX-enhanced Pentium, joining the likes of AMD, Cyrix and IBM in doing battle with the chip Goliath.
Scheduled for release in the third quarter of 1997, the Meta 6000 processor will run up to 30 per cent faster than the P55C, according to IMS projections. Fastest chips in the line will run like a 300 MHz Pentium, according to reports. The company is also working on a device to compete with Intel's next-generation P7 but also include a Java processor.
The company has no fabrication facilities itself and will rely on partnerships to produce chips.