Yet Another New Business For Sun (SUNW)

Sun Microsystems (SUNW) says it has created a new microprocessor that works so well that it will be able to sell it to other companies. Instead of doing one programming sequence, the Sun chip can do many. According to The Wall Street Journal: "Where most chips typically handle one to four threads at a time, Sun says its new offering can execute as many as 64 at once."

The new product may not have an easy birth. Upon hearing about the chip, IBM management said a the processor was a "niche" product. Not a very kind approach.

Several other observers say that it will be hard for Sun to get competitors to use its processor.

Sun should get an "A" for effort. It still needs something to get Wall St. interested in the company. After releasing quarterly results with flat revenue compared to the same quarter last year, investors started to turn on the stock. Over the last month, the shares are down 9% and now trade at $4.96, near their 52-week low.

Sun continues to present itself as a confused collection of businesses that issues press releases about its "next big thing" fairly often. But, at this point, no one is listening.

Douglas A. McIntyre