AMD's 64-bit offering - knock, knock, knocking on Intel's door

AMD has revealed its upcoming 64-bit chip aimed at desktops and notebook PCs - now known by the codename Clawhammer - will be called the AMD Athlon 64. It is due to ship in the first half of next year.

The microprocessor maker also announced a deal with Northeast Utility, a New England power company, which will see tens of thousands of its chips used.

In a tough market, AMD has had to lay off around 2,000 staff recently but hopes a push into the enterprise market - with powerful 64-bit offerings and other processors for servers - will pay off in the long term.

Announcing the AMD Athlon 64 processor at the Comdex Fall trade show in Las Vegas, AMD CEO Hector Ruiz was joined on stage by Gibson Guitar CEO Henry Juszkiewicz and Slash, the long-haired lead guitarist from rock band Guns n Roses. They were there to demonstrate a digital guitar recording application and played out with a version of the Dylan/GnR track 'Knocking on Heaven's Door'.