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From: jcburt@ipsun.larc.nasa.gov (John Burton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: 486SX - Intel now telling lies
Message-ID: <1991Jun3.203602.10678@news.larc.nasa.gov>
Date: 3 Jun 91 20:36:02 GMT
References: <1991May15.210339.17118@unlv.edu> <1561@aoa.UUCP> <1991May29.153843.27750@unlv.edu>
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In article <1991May29.153843.27750@unlv.edu> whitney@reed.cs.unlv.edu (Lee Whitney) writes:
>
>
>When I posted the first article concerning Intel's claims on 486sx-20
>performance, I was only skeptical, but I just read the first
>486sx/486dx/386dx performance comparison's from an unbiased source (PC
>Magazine), and it does not do much to defend Intel's credibility.  I
>really want to believe Intel, so if anybody can explain why these PC
>Mag benchmarks are so low, please save me from distrusting ANOTHER
>manufacturer.
>
>[...]
>
>
>Here is the Intel justification for this: (PC Mag June 11) 'It's
>because DOS's 8-bit addressing limitations cause overhead as
>instructions are sent in 8-bit segments and must be converted into 32
>bits and then back to 8-bit segments.'
>
>[...]
>
>I have no logical explaination for this, and if anyone else does, I
>will rescend my accusation of Intel lying.

The latest issue of Byte magazine also compares the 486sx to the 386dx...same
results...
In that issue, Fred Langa (editor) gives a reasonable explanation for Intel
producing a brain-dead version of their chip...MARKET POSITION!!!
Intel recently lost the legal battle to keep AMD from marketing their
386 clone...so what does Intel do??? produce an even better chip (is the 586
out yet???) nope, they create a brain-dead version of their current top-line
chip (which AMD *hasn't* cloned yet) to compete with and eventually destroy
the 386 based products (including the AMD386). The same thing happened with
the 286...Intel had its 386 in production, and people started cloning the 286
chip...what does Intel do? produce a brain-dead version of the 386 to wipe
out the 286 market...

so you see boys and girls...the 486sx has NOTHING to do with providing you,
the consumer, with a better product or lower prices...its an attempt to
eliminate the competition!!!!


John


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| John Burton                                                        |
| G & A Technical Software                                           |
| jcburt@gatsibm.larc.nasa.gov                                       |
| jcburt@cs.wm.edu                                                   |
|                                                                    |
| Disclaimer: Hey, what can I say...These are *my* views, not those  |
|             of anyone else, be they employer, school, or government|
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