Sun Micro to Unveil Updated Processor

Sun Microsystems Inc. today will unveil a new generation of its Sparc processor chip, which it said can run up to three times faster than Intel Corp.’s top Pentium II processor. The third generation of Sun’s Sparc family--the brains for Sun’s workstation computers and servers--will run at 600 megahertz, while the fastest Intel Pentium II chip currently runs at 300 megahertz. Sun said that with the UltraSparc-III microprocessor, it will build servers for networked computers and Internet applications. The servers, Sun said, will support more users, run faster and store huge amounts of data. The new chip’s release comes as Santa Clara-based Intel--whose microprocessors are the brains of about 85% of the world’s computers--and Hewlett-Packard Co. are set to disclose the first details of Merced--their joint effort to develop a next-generation, 64-bit chip--next week.