Intel is already planning to update PCIe The shift to PCIe is marching on?as there are real benefits to PCIe - even though so far it is mostly being used for video cards. You'd think that people would wait for even greater availability of PCIe add-on cards before making changes.
Intel is extending the PCIe architecture, calling the result PCIe II - which is expected to be available in 2007-2008. The proposed changes are:
- Better performance at 5GHz PHY
- virtualization
- trusted platform
- additional form factors
Now I can see how improving the signaling characteristics is worthwhile. I am not sure how they will add virtualization features - those are normally part of the OS. Additional form factors are a good idea, with low profile and HTPC systems becoming more popular.
The "Gotcha" is the "trusted platform" bit. I can see people using this to not allow drivers to work with a card if the driver is not cryptographically signed, and closed source.
Could this be an attempt to lock Linux out? Frankly I doubt it, Intel has been pretty good to Linux folks.
Could this be yet another nail in the open platform concept? I mean lets face it, there will already be a huge outcry over the "protected media platform" smelly brown stuff that will be used to force us to buy HDCP compliant monitors - as there well should be! Why should we have to buy new monitors to watch HD programming?
I guess we will find out.
Dual PCIe 16x goodness (2005-07-23)