PROCESSORS

Intel Corporation today announced the availability of two software products that help developers efficiently create more reliable, high-performing applications that speed up a computer's responsiveness. The Intel C++ Compiler and Fortran Professional Editions bring together a unique combination of highly optimizing compilers, performance libraries and the Intel Threading Building Blocks. The products feature new automatic support for accelerating program performance on Intel's latest multi-core processors. Applications containing 3-D graphics or video are automatically accelerated through the use of vectors via Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE), including the latest SSE 4 instructions. Application performance is also accelerated by multi-core processors through the use of multiple threads. Combining the use of vectors and threads and integrating them with a technology known as loop transformation generates greater performance on multi-core processors without requiring developers to rewrite their code. "Combining these capabilities in a cooperative and coordinated manner brings our customers added performance benefits and compiler reliability, which in turn gives greater PC responsiveness for gamers and everyday PC users," said Kevin J. Smith, director of the Intel Compiler Products. "This project has undergone extensive validation and application testing with Intel customers and we're excited about the results our customers are seeing in their applications." The combined capabilities also provide benefits that extend beyond multi-core optimizations by assisting developers in locating vulnerabilities that would otherwise go undetected, such as uninitialized variables and possible buffer overruns. The Intel C++ Professional Edition for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X combines the Intel compiler with the Intel Math Kernel Library, the Intel Integrated Performance Primitives and the Intel Threading Building Blocks. The Intel Fortran Compiler Professional Edition for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X combines the Intel compiler with the Intel Math Kernel Library. For the first time, the Intel Visual Fortran Compiler 10.0 now includes Microsoft Visual Studio, which provides the visual development environment to create, edit, build and debug Fortran applications. The new products are all available today with suggested prices ranging from $599 to $1,599. Upgrades to the Professional Editions from the prior version of Intel compilers or libraries are available for limited time through resellers worldwide. Intel also announced a new package for students that include all of these products as well as Intel VTune Performance Analyzer, Intel Thread Checker and Intel Thread Profiler in one discounted package for students who qualify. Intel Software provides resources, technologies, products and services developers need to create innovative products and industry-leading software solutions with enhanced business value and are designed to run best on Intel platforms. For more information, visit its Web site.