Via is going to release 64-bit chips that “provide double the performance of the company’s current chips but consume the same amount of power,” according to CNET. The dual-core chips will run at 2GHz and are being marketed under the “Isaiah” moniker.
The “double performance” thing is kind of a misnomer because, as we’ve learned from AMD and Intel, you can make a 64-bit chip but it doesn’t mean much unless you use a 64-bit operating system with software specially designed to take advantage of the 64-bit processor. And since Via’s really made a name for itself in low-power, small form-factor computers, it’s not certain how much value these new chips will be able to provide. Via’s obviously making them for a reason, though, so perhaps they’ll end up in wee little servers or teeny tiny Linux-based UMPC’s running 64-bit software.
