Now if they just get some darn Linux drivers produced........... :P

I think this is the switches, rather than the NICs, but then maybe you weren't being entirely serious ;-)

Less power usage by switches = less heat output by switches = more space for servers given the same AC capacity. I know of at least one person who has this exact problem, and kit like this would be a boon to him.

I bet there are a few SMB and educational facilities [who dont want to spend several grand on replacing AC equipment in what are laughably referred to as 'comms cupboards' - broomcupboards with rack space and a clapped out AC unit...] who will be glad of 'green switches' to go with the greener servers that have been appearing of late so that they can spend a few grand on data capacity, rather than refitting the creaking old AC that was originally designed to keep a couple of Pentium 90s cool....

More data/processing/switching for the same amount of power and cooling = a good thing.

[not that I make a habit of stating the obvious, no, surely not?]

Steven R

They can shrink all the way to 32 nm, I still wouldn't touch them with anything but an ax if I'm doing the purchasing.

Are they so huge now? Is there much benefit to 'smaller' chip tech here? Perhaps a little speed boost, which is fairly useless, as an ethernet cable just can't carry much more. Maybe a tiny bit less power use--again fairly useless, as it still has to exert itself enough to make a usable signal. When was the last time you looked at a laptop ethernet adapter or combo card and said: "Wow, that's huge! Can't they do something to make it smaller?"

I have to agree witwh Corinne too... I've found Broadcom cards generally suck. "Wow, excellent signal! Wait... no signal... Oh, it dropped again :("