Intel Introduces New Compilers

Intel Corp. has introduced several new compilers designed for systems based on the company's Itanium 2, Xeon, Pentium 4, Personal Internet Client and Pentium M processors. The new products include Intel C++ and Fortran Compilers for Windows and Linux in addition to Intel C++ Compilers for Windows CE .NET. An enhanced version of the Visual Fortran Compiler for Windows compiler will be available early in 2004, which will include the IMSL Fortran 5.0 Library.

The compilers help boost application performance and offer a single package of tools for building applications that run on servers, desktops and mobile systems. The compilers translate a programming language into the machine language understood by the processor. A more efficient compiler results in better application performance. The compilers are designed to deliver improved application performance by taking advantage of the power in Intel processors. They are compatible with popular development environments so developers can preserve the way they develop software. Each compiler also includes one year of upgrades and support provided directly from Intel.

The compilers support the forthcoming Intel processor code-named Prescott, which includes new instructions that will improve graphical and video performance as well as other compute-intensive application characteristics. They also support Intel's new Mobile MMX technology, which similarly provides performance capabilities for graphical, audio and video performance on mobile phones and PDAs. The new compilers additionally support Intel's Hyper-Threading technology and OpenMP 2.0, an industry specification for using high-level directives to thread applications.

New in the compilers are the Intel Code Coverage and Intel Test Prioritization Tools. According to the company, when used together, those tools can speed application development and raise quality by improving pre-release software testing.

Prices of the new compilers range from $399 to $1,499.