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From: wilson@schaefer.math.wisc.edu (Bob Wilson)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: What's in the '586?
Summary: A joke's a joke, isn't it?
Keywords: 586
Message-ID: <1991May15.172113.12392@schaefer.math.wisc.edu>
Date: 15 May 91 17:21:13 GMT
Reply-To: wilson@math.wisc.edu (Bob Wilson)
Organization: Univ. of Wisconsin Dept. of Mathematics
Lines: 20

>A novel method has been developed for reducing the cost of floating-point
>performance to the end user.  Each 586 has 100 bytes of EPROM for
>storing passwords unique to each chip.  When a user decides to upgrade
>to hardware floating point, he simply calls Intel and buys the password
>for enabling the on-chip FPU.  Each password is good for 10 gigaflops,
>i.e. you get 10,000,000,000 floating point operations.  (An 8-bit
>password is sufficient, because three consecutive failed password attempts
>permanently disables the FPU).  When you buy your 100th password, the FPU
>becomes permanently enabled.  This benefits the consumer because it allows
>him to buy exactly what he needs, rather than overspending on unused performance.
>It also cuts out the middleman, allowing the end-user to reap the cost savings
>of dealing directly with Intel.

I can't believe all the people who can't see a good joke! While some
of the responses may themselves be intended to push the joke further,
others seem clearly to have taken the original posting seriously! I
thought it was clever, and made some neat points about how Intel DOES
act, but let's quit wasting bandwidth flaming at something Intel
HASN'T done.
Bob Wilson