Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!a.gp.cs.cmu.edu!koopman
From: koopman@a.gp.cs.cmu.edu (Philip Koopman)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: Forth Engines / Harris
Summary: Harris can't make cheap chips
Message-ID: <11270@pt.cs.cmu.edu>
Date: 4 Dec 90 02:51:41 GMT
References: <F5F7A398321F00857A@utrcgw.utc.com>
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 19

In article <F5F7A398321F00857A@utrcgw.utc.com>, RAYBRO%HOLON%UTRC@UTRCGW.UTC.COM ("William R Brohinsky", ay) writes:
> from Frank: `$15 in ones and no support - the Forth community will support
> it.'
The sad fact is that Harris can't sell an RTX for $15
(at least in quantities of interest to readers
of this net).  That is largely because they are using 2.0 micron
(or 1.5 micron, depending whom you ask) technology.  The
lowest price I recall was about $33 for 8 MHz plastic plcc 2001A's in 1000s.
It isn't that they're gratutitously overcharging, it's that
they just can't make silicon cheaply.

BUT, RTX-class chips could certainly be sold for $15 if you were using
a 1.0 micron fab.  Unfortunately, Harris' Melbourne 1.0 micron fab
never made it on line before the digital "de-emphasis".

  Phil Koopman                koopman@greyhound.ece.cmu.edu   Arpanet
  2525A Wexford Run Rd.
  Wexford, PA  15090
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