Microsoft is entering the high-performance computing sector with a new OS: Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003. Cluster Server, which only runs on 64-bit processors, is the first version of Windows designed to be run in parallel. The software is scheduled for general release this August with a price of roughly $470 per node, depending on volume and licensing requirements.

Microsoft is a late-comer to cluster computing, a sector that has been dominated by Linux running on inexpensive consumer hardware. IDC predicts high-performance computing to grow by more than 12 percent each year for the next five years, driven by growth at the low end of the market segment.

For more on Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003:
- read this eWeek article