Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!winchester!mash From: mash@mips.COM (John Mashey) Newsgroups: comp.sys.m88k Subject: Re: Tektronix shutdown & move away from 88k's?? (really, Apple rumor) Message-ID: <42775@mips.mips.COM> Date: 5 Nov 90 19:59:31 GMT References: <1990Oct19.120218.9450@canterbury.ac.nz> <15497@hydra.gatech.EDU> <1990Oct31.180726.18797@unx.sas.com> Sender: news@mips.COM Reply-To: mash@mips.COM (John Mashey) Organization: MIPS Computer Systems, Inc. Lines: 57 In article <1990Oct31.180726.18797@unx.sas.com> massengi@unx.sas.com (Darrell Massengill) writes: >The Oct. 15 Computerworld (page 6) indicates that Apple is using the >new 88110 chip in a new Macintosh that is due out early next year. >This could be a sign that Apple will move toward the 88000 architecture >in general. There has been discussion elsewhere on the unreliability of such rumors. This is a perfect example of vague rumor-mongering. Let's try to convert it into something specific, so that on some date, one can either say "it happened, or it didn't". I'd claim that "due out" ought to include: announcement demo and maybe shipping, or if not, then soon thereafter and that early next year should be 1Q91, but could be 2Q91. Would people accept the following restatement as specific enough that you could know whether it happened or not? "Apple is using the new 88110 chip in a new Mac, and will announce and demo it no later than the end of June, 1991." Now, my personal opinion is that it seems unlikely, but who knows? However, if it doesn't happen, will people agree that speculative rumor-columns in such magazines are poor sources as facts to back up arguments? :-) >Even though the SPARC and MIPS people who post to this news group want >you to believe that the 88000 is a "dead" architecture - I believe that If you backtrack in this discussion, it was started neither by MIPS nor SPARC folks, although somebody from Cypress did jump on pretty quick. I only got in there because some of the ensuing random shots were aimed here. >it is still too early to decide who will and will not make it. I think >those folks from SPARC and MIPS hope if they say it is dead often enough >it will become true. I do not believe this is an accurate characterization of MIPS-derived postings - the "88K-is-a-dodo" and similar things came from other directions. I will admit to mocking some of the silly stuff printed in rumors columns.... >I've seen the specs on the new 88110 (under non-disclosure) and I >think they have reason to be worried... Maybe, maybe not. It is always easy to say "I've seen the future under NDA and it looks good." because it is improper to say anything more, and hence there is no way for anyone else to challenge such a statement. Again, to make this concrete we SHOULD be worried if: 1) The major uncommitted companies go for the 88110. 2) Important existing MIPS|SPARC customers switch to 88110. >And speaking of rumors - is there any truth to DEC moving away from >MIPS and toward their own architecture? If so, MIPS should worry. I believe that this has been taken care of in the (unfortunate) recent sequence of postings. -- -john mashey DISCLAIMER: UUCP: mash@mips.com OR {ames,decwrl,prls,pyramid}!mips!mash DDD: 408-524-7015, 524-8253 or (main number) 408-720-1700 USPS: MIPS Computer Systems, 930 E. Arques, Sunnyvale, CA 94086