So which among the two processors is the fastest? Are these available upon introduction? Which is more cost-effective and of better value? Who is the real winner of the gigahertz war? More fittingly, do we need gigahertz PCs?

I can answer the first four questions to the best of my finite technical and market know-how, with honest accuracy and without prejudice, but doing so would make you readers either love me or hate me. So, this inhibition of mine leaves me with only the last question to share my opinion with: do we need gigahertz PCs?

Well for sure the answer is a big "YES" for people doing serious computation-intensive work, and maybe to a greater extend, for hardcore gamers yearning to annihilate each other at the "smoothest possible experience"—that is, playing Quake III at 1,600x1,200 pixels. But for most people, doing everyday word processing, emails and internet browsing, the answer is a bigger "NO".

Most experts agrees that a 500MHz PC—the current base-line speed for new entry-level systems—is sufficient for everyday computing requirements, and if paired with a fast 3D video card would also make for a decent gaming system. But if I am to be asked of the merit of gigahertz PCs, my answer is a much bigger "YES".

Surely, there are only a few people who actually needs gigahertz PCs right now, but to a much larger extent, the advancement of these "consumer-oriented processors" has always accelerated technological and infrastructure development, helps bring down the cost of previous speed-grades and/or older models, and thus make life better many times and over again.

Notwithstanding the mainstream introduction and acceptance of 64-bit PC processor, which is at least 3 years away, it was the introduction of the 32-bit, 386-class processors more ten years ago that has basically spurred the current graphic-oriented PC environments, such as: the Windows OS family, the Linux GUIs, etc.—making PCs accessible, easier to use and affordable for almost every people. The 386-class processors started what is generally believed to be the "PC revolution".

More so, and perhaps equally significant is that the proliferation of PCs started the "information age". From the basic LAN to the web-based Internet that we enjoy today, the PC revolution has even indirectly spawned the boom of data telecommunication infrastructures and services worldwide.

Furthermore, other PC-related technologies, services, concepts and convergence thereof, have mushroomed as well—PDAs, home appliances, WAP-enabled cellphones, e-commerce schemes, web-only streaming medias, etc.

Since the introduction of the 650MHz AMD Athlon processor last August, the current monthly average processor speed-grade increment from both AMD & Intel is at an astonishing 50MHz, whereas not so long ago, a quarterly 33MHz speed-grade is the norm. As always, the current gigahertz war has also helped bring down the price of middle and bottom-end PCs.

But more importantly, and we hope, that the current situation will help accelerated technological and infrastructure development the same way when the 386-class processors revolutionized our society.

Come to think of it, you and the society-at-large are the real winner of the gigahertz war. Happy Computing and welcome to the Gigahertz Era!