Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!stanford.edu!neon.Stanford.EDU!torrie
From: torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan Torrie)
Subject: Re: The 68050 - end of the 680x0? (was Re: The Amiga's Future)
Message-ID: <1991Jun15.173342.2832@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Sender: torrie@neon.Stanford.EDU (Evan James Torrie)
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University, Ca , USA
References: <5068@orbit.cts.com> <16647@darkstar.ucsc.edu> <	<1308@cbmger.UUCP> <28@ryptyde.UUCP> > <rkushner.6517@sycom.UUCP> <01dH!cmr@cs.psu.edu> <1991Jun10.072945.8821@neon.Stanford.EDU> <22365@cbmvax.commodore.com> <1991Jun13.003707.19785@neon.Stanford.EDU> <2 <22460@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 1991 17:33:42 GMT
Lines: 67

daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) writes:

>In article <1991Jun14.004412.26009@neon.Stanford.EDU> torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan Torrie) writes:

>You might argue for Compaq wanting better Intel CPUs, maybe they're not so 
>concerned if they're committed to ACE.  DEC and SGI certainly have no motive 
>in getting Intel excited, neither do Microsoft or MIPS.

  Well, DEC does have a range of high-end 80x86 PC's (interestingly,
just re-badged Intel machines).  Although they're also much more
committed to MIPS than Compaq, having already produced R3000
workstations.
  I still think Compaq and all the hanger-on clone makers in ACE have 
a good reason for wanting to put the wind up Intel.
  
>>  I still think Compaq would prefer to stay with the 80x86 family

>I think that was done, more than anything, for software reasons.  If you make
>high end PClones ACE compatible, at the source level (actually, it's more
>like specifying the ACE system as being compatible in the first place, since
>this Intel stuff already exists), then you get a free flow of software from 
>the extremely large PClone market, since porting to the MIPS machines will
>be a piece of cake.

  This has yet to be proved - i.e. it all depends on Microsoft actually 
getting a portable OS/2 v3.0, and including all the Windows stuff, and
having a compiler which can compile to both architectures equally well.
  Microsoft's track record with advanced development hasn't been 
exactly impressive - check out their TrueImage debacle.

>>  Current 68K users are unlikely to go the SPARC route, given its poor
>>performance and relatively poor architecture.  [You'll note that a lot
>>of 80x86 vendors are now selling SPARC systems - I guess they know how
>>to pick a bad one :-)].  

>I guess Sun would be a little surprised to hear that, since they replaced the
>68K with SPARC, and in fact, really hadn't quite "taken off" as a major force
>in the workstation market until they did.  

  I think Sun went SPARC only because of their limited time-to-market.  They
wanted a RISC machine out as fast as possible, and the SPARC was a way to
build a cheap, fast processor out of a gate array.  Unfortunately, the
architectural niceties were lost in the rush.

>eventually do.  They're going to copy something.  SPARC machines are faster
>than 80x86s, and Sun's making it easy for these guys to make these copies (of
>course, not real fast ones, but the low end systems).

  Although they're not making it easy for them to sell them, [as in preventing
their resellers from stocking non-Sun SPARC machines].  I have a feeling that
Sun is shooting itself in the foot with SPARC.  It's been over a year since
these SPARC-clone machines were announced, and they've yet to make even a
minimal dent.

>>MIPS is definitely Motorola's biggest threat, especially if Motorola doesn't 
>>get the 88110 out and shipping soon after the R4000.

>I agree there, they are the two I would look at if I had to start building a
>RISC system this year.

  Or, as the rumours go, IBM's RS/6000 if it's available for licensing. :)

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evan Torrie.  Stanford University, Class of 199?       torrie@cs.stanford.edu   
"I didn't get where I am today without knowing a good deal when I see one,
 Reggie."  "Yes, C.J."
