Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!ccwf.cc.utexas.edu!timbur
From: timbur@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Tim Burnett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: NeXT & Sample 68040
Keywords: 68040 sample next
Message-ID: <47940@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 26 Apr 91 03:30:55 GMT
Sender: news@ut-emx.uucp
Reply-To: timbur@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Tim Burnett)
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin
Lines: 22
Originator: timbur@daisy.cc.utexas.edu

During an interesting conversation with a fellow NeXTer, he brought out the
fact that when he opened his slab to add more memory, he noticed that
the 68040 was a "sample" chip. He had ordered his slab about a week after
mine (November of 1990), so I figured I might have the same thing. Sure
enough, my 68040 is a "sample" chip.

What does this mean? I'm not sure. People with more technical background
than mine might know. I have heard that the 68040 "sample" does not have
the same mask as the final. I can't comment on what differences that makes.

The one thing that really bothers me is that someone at NeXT took a marker
and tried to hide that it was a sample chip back marking over the sample
label. This seems to me to show an intent to defraud, IMHO. You can tell
if your machine is a "sample" by looking for that label at the top of the
chip. You should be able to see "sample" through the dark ink. Also I 
believe that only the "sample" chips have the yellow lines on three sides.

If the "sample" chip is no different than the final chip, then I have no real
problem. If however, this chip has faults that were fixed at a later date,
then I feel that I have been defrauded.

Any comments?