Digital Equipment unveils the Alpha 21264, a 64‑bit processor destined for Windows NT. It promises clock speeds above 700 MHz this year, reaching 1 GHz later, cementing Alpha's speed‑demon reputation. The chip is available today and will run NT, the only non‑x86 architecture Microsoft is still developing for the OS.

Intel's 64‑bit Merced (IA‑64) is slated for mid‑2000, but by then the 21264 will already be running at 1 GHz, outpacing Merced in benchmarks. Alpha's extra floating‑point performance gives it an edge over Intel x86, though systems cost more. Digital says 21264 systems will hit the market in late 1998, giving users immediate 64‑bit power.

RISC is in retreat: Power PC, MIPS, and SPARC are losing ground. IBM/Motorola split the Power PC partnership; Apple owns the majority; Silicon Graphics is abandoning MIPS for x86; Sun and HP are moving Solaris and HP‑UX to IA‑64. The Alpha remains the fastest RISC chip for NT.

Digital sold its Hudson, Massachusetts foundry to Intel but will continue designing, outsourcing to Samsung and Mitsubishi. Compaq's acquisition adds uncertainty, yet senior product manager David Jessel assures continued investment, planning to replace MIPS in its Tandem servers with the 21264. If Alpha survives these shifts, it could challenge IA‑64 over the next decade.