Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!iconsys!malc From: malc@iconsys.uucp (Malcolm Weir) Newsgroups: comp.sys.m88k Subject: Re: Tektronix shutdown & move away from 88k's?? Message-ID: <1990Oct25.183519.19324@iconsys.uucp> Date: 25 Oct 90 18:35:19 GMT References: <15497@hydra.gatech.EDU> <2176@lupine.NCD.COM> Organization: Sanyo/Icon International, Inc., Orem, Utah Lines: 38 In article tom@ssd.csd.harris.com (Tom Horsley) writes: > >I don't know about this - according to a magazine I have in front of me now >Alex Brown Investors Report (whoever he is) claims that RISC workstation >sales in FY 1990 were SPARC 187,000, MIPS 45,900, and HP, IBM and everyone >else 32,000 - so MIPS is pretty solidly entrenched at the #2 spot right now >(not that that means they will stay there). >-- Are these numbers units, or dollars? Do they reflect component sales or system sales? If they refer to units sold, then SPARC certainly is way ahead, and will probably remain there. BUT SPARC systems are cheap, (relatively) and MIPS, HP, 88K, and IBM are basically going into big(-er) boxes, which carry a higher price tag. So from a software standpoint, the dominating players will be the ones with the highest investment (IMHO), which at present is probably HP today, with a rapidly accelerating IBM behind them. But, the 88K is being used in multi-user things from DG, Motorola, Encore, Sanyo/Icon er al., and the existing proven ABI result in an installed base representing a fair sum of money. Which may in turn be enough to keep the 88K a healthy contender. Of course, if Apple produces an 88K Mac, then all bets are off. Macs are traditionally expensive machines which sell as if they are cheap PCs, basically because of their software. Finally, remember that not all of the big players in the computer industry have announced a RISC product/strategy/loyalty. OK, so NCR dropped out of 88K, in favor of parallel '486s (Yukk, bletch...), but we're still waiting for Unisys and several of the non-U.S. vendors (such as Bull, Olivetti, etc.) are still to commit (I think). In short, don't dismiss the 88K lightly, particularly if the 88110 (or whatever) turns out to be an easy upgrade from the 88K. Multiple 85 MIP chips? Yummy. Malc.