It is great to see a new cpu architecture to come to market. It is very interesting to see, that they pick up the VLIW architecture again. For true progress, we need very different aproaches to compete. As they are using the TSMC 7nm process, the processor will be produced on a cutting edge process. So it won't be hold back by running on an inferior process. Many good design have been killed in the past, because they were produced on a process that couldn't compete with the market leaders. I wondern, how ell the Ithanium could perform, if it were ported to 7nm. Many designs, which didn't work 10 to 20 years ago, could perform vastly better on a current process.