"unless customers really want x64 blades with Itanium-class reliability features."
And what meaningful RAS features would IA64 in Integrity be able to provide that AMD64 in Proliant hasn't already been able to for years?
Yes I completely believe that an IA64 system can deliver better RAS at the application level than an AMD64 system, but as far as I can tell the missing RAS features are in the OS (be it NonStop, VMS, or maybe even HP-UX), they do not appear to be (as far as I've been able to determine) in the chip or even in the board.
If there is any truth in the IA64 RAS-superiority claim, it'd be lovely to actually see it substantiated with hard evidence at least once before IA64 goes end of life, rather than the usual deal with PR spinners just regurgitating unsubstantiated politically-motivated (not technology-based) HP guff.