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What the Register reveals this a.m. is welcome, but is it news that IBM figures future versions of what's being called the Power5+ will hit 3GHz?

Here's what writer Ashlee Vance reveals (from an NDA document, no less):

The Power5 processor will first appear in 2004 at the heart of the Squadron family of servers. These systems will scale from 1 to 64 processors. IBM's current large SMP - the p690 - only makes it up to 32 Power4 chips.

The first Power5 chips will come in at 1.4GHz and make their way up to 2.0GHz before being replaced by the Power5+ chips. It's here that things start heating up with the Power5+ said to run between 2.0GHz and 3.0GHz.

We appreciate the tip, but this has absolutely no effect on how most of our readers live their lives. It's also hardly earthshaking that a processor manufacturer has plans to improve its products. Finally, if anyone sends us an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) document, it's going straight in the trash. We love the Reg, but isn't this just encouraging unethical behavior?

The best part of Vance's report is that it confirms how serious Big Blue is, of course. That's something that's good to know, especially in light of the withering criticism we've been hearing of late concerning IBM's chip business.