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From: paulc@hp-lsd.COS.HP.COM (Paul Carroll)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.intel
Subject: Re: Pure speculation re:80586
Message-ID: <7680003@hp-lsd.COS.HP.COM>
Date: 13 Sep 90 19:15:37 GMT
References: <3907@umbc3.UMBC.EDU>
Organization: HP Logic Systems Division - ColoSpgs, CO
Lines: 33

> Is it outrageous to assume that Intel may build the 80586
> to run in the virtual 80386 mode?
> 
> If so, each session could address 16 Meg of RAM and with
> a fast enough cpu clock, one computer  could be a workstation
> and a file server, IE. Novell, all at the same time.
> 
> Any comments?

	Yeah.  The 80386 (DX) addresses 4 Gigabytes of memory,
	not 16 Megabytes (that is, 32 address lines, not 24).
	You must be thinking of either the 80286 or 80386SX.

	I would figure an 80386 or 80486, running in protected
	memory with paging turned on, would meet the criteria
	you indicated above.  The secret is to get the OS
	to use the capabilities of the chip.  Does anyone 
	know if the SYS V Unix that runs on the 386 uses these
	capabilities?  Or does it run in a strictly flat memory
	space?

	The real question is:  what would you do to the 80586
	or 80686 to make it stand out from the 80486?  Just
	adding more peripherals wouldn't seem to be enough.
	Is added speed the only thing left without requiring a
	completely new architecture or OMF?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+	Paul Carroll			"I don't believe there is a single   +
+	HP Logic Systems Division	 man, woman, or child alive in       +
+	paulc%hp-lsd@hplabs.hp.com	 America today that doesn't enjoy a  +
+					 lovely beverage!" - David Letterman +
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