Xref: utzoo comp.arch:12056 sci.electronics:8328 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!eru!luth!sunic!mcsun!ukc!inmos!roger From: roger@wraxall.inmos.co.uk (Roger Shepherd) Newsgroups: comp.arch,sci.electronics Subject: Re: 64Kb RAMs cannot be done with optical processes Message-ID: <2656@ganymede.inmos.co.uk> Date: 25 Oct 89 08:56:55 GMT References: <6797@hubcap.clemson.edu> <1989Oct17.154651.16073@utzoo.uucp> <1T9NpG#464lr4=eric@snark.uu.net> <1989Oct19.163734.20976@utzoo.uucp> <1989Oct24.215942.7756@utzoo.uucp> Sender: news@inmos.co.uk Reply-To: roger@inmos.co.uk (Roger Shepherd) Organization: INMOS Limited, Bristol, UK. Lines: 37 In article <1989Oct24.215942.7756@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: > >Several people have expressed interest in this goodie, so herewith some >details. The paper is from IEEE Compcon Spring 1977, titled "Prospects ^^^^^^^^^^^ >for the 64K RAM - an outline of the problem", by Paul R. Schroeder of >Mostek. > ... >His conclusion is that 64Kb RAMs will experience long development delay ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >and a 32Kb RAM is probably viable as an intermediate stage. > >Commercial 64Kb RAMs were announced at about the same time as the paper >was published, and were available a few months later. Paul Schroeder was one of the founders of Inmos and I joined INMOS in 1979 and I remember the 64k DRAM saga. Fact is, Schroeder was basically correct. I can't remember when the first parts were announced but when I joined INMOS in September 1979 there was a pile of publicity about INMOS being doomed because it had ALREADY missed the 64k DRAM boat. However, the fact was that at that time 64k DRAMs were not really available and working, I seem to recall that it was '81 or '82 until they were really around. (Incidentally, a similar thing happened with 16k SRAMs, except this time INMOS actually got to market with things very quickly and it was a long time before any competition appear. Again, Intel had announced and `introduced' their 16 SRAM, but I recall it being withdrawn soon after the INMOS SRAM was introduced). Roger Shepherd, INMOS Ltd JANET: roger@uk.co.inmos 1000 Aztec West UUCP: ukc!inmos!roger or uunet!inmos-c!roger Almondsbury INTERNET: roger@inmos.com +44 454 616616 ROW: roger@inmos.com OR roger@inmos.co.uk