I have discussed in this blog before about how we try to have the same function on all our chips, within a similar range. Take our current Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processors ― if you buy one, regardless of the price, the function is the same. Whether its 2P, 4P or 8P, whether its high performing or lower powered, it’s the same function.

While it is clear how this is useful for servers, in that it allows you to backup and recover onto a different machine without having to know which processor is in it, the question that remains is: what does this mean for clients?

Well, for those of you who are looking at Windows 7 and are still partial to Windows XP Mode – it’s a very real question. Given that XP Mode runs in a virtualized environment – the question is will it run on your machine? On your current machine you should talk to your supplier to see whether it’s supported.

And what about the machine you are about to buy (or just bought)? I can’t talk to our competitor’s chips but I can talk about AMD’s. All client CPUs we are currently shipping, with the exception of the AMD Sempron™ processor, include AMD-Virtualization™ technology and so should support Windows XP mode.

So my advice is to pick up the phone or walk into the store and demand a laptop with AMD Turion™ or a desktop with AMD Athlon™ or AMD Phenom™ processors.

You know it’s the wise thing to do!

Nigel Dessau is senior vice president and chief marketing officer at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such links sites and no endorsement is implied.