Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/13/84; site intelca.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!intelca!clif From: clif@intelca.UUCP (Clif Purkiser) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: ANOTHER 32-BIT MACHINE??? Message-ID: <543@intelca.UUCP> Date: Fri, 22-Mar-85 20:12:25 EST Article-I.D.: intelca.543 Posted: Fri Mar 22 20:12:25 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 25-Mar-85 02:43:02 EST References: <9254@brl-tgr.ARPA> Organization: Intel, Santa Clara, Ca. Lines: 68 > > ROOM FOR ANOTHER 32-BIT CPU? > > I trust that there are representatives of the major CPU manufacturers > on the net. Am I premature in concluding that the 32-bit race has already > been won (by Motorola and National)? Come on, AMD, Fairchild, TI, Zilog, > NCR & Intel, let's hear your side!!! > > Victor Frank, Editor > 68796 Hacker's Newsletter I have been good about not jumping into the architectural fray on net.micro and net.arch. But ... I couldn't let Victor's comments that the 32 bit race has been won by Motorola and National escape with out being commented on. I strongly believe that the starting gate has just opened on the 32 bit race and only two of the four or five major players have entered. Clearly, Intel with the most popular 16 bit architecture (70%+), and by far the largest software base (> $6 billion and growing at the rate of $5 billion/year) has to be a major player in the 32 bit microprocessor race. I suspect that one or two Japanese manufacturers will also be major participatants in the 32 bit market probably NEC, possibly others. However, I suspect that the Victor will be right that only a two or three manufactures will dominate this market. The important thing to realize is that the 32 bit market is very small now and eventhough it will grow tremendously, 16 bit microprocessor will still be largest dollar volume for many years. (Dataquest, estimates that 120 million 16 bit microprocessors will be sold in 1988 of which only 1 million will be 32 bit micros.) Thus, just because a semiconducter manufacture does not have, a 32 bit microprocessor today doesn't mean they are out of the race. Intel's entry into the 32 bit microprocessor market will be the 80386, 386 samples will be available latter this year. In somewhat, unique approach in the high-tech industries we have avoided telling the entire world about the 80386. Eventhough, it would fun to debate the relative merits of the 386 vs the competition in net.micro and net.arch , I think it is a little irresponsible for companies to pre-announce products before their availability. Because, all you end up with is a lot of upset customers who believed your ads for vaporware or vaporsilicon. About, all I can say about the 386 is that it is a full 32 bit microprocessor, (with four gigabyte segments) which is totally binary compatible with the iAPX86 family. It will faster, and more powerful with a higher level of integration than any other microprocessor. In the future their will be plenty of articles and manuals describing more of the chips details. But, meanwhile don't be foolish and count Intel out of the race. Clif Purkiser HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROPROCESSORS {amd pur-ee hplabs -- Clif Purkiser, Intel, Santa Clara, Ca. HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROPROCESSORS {pur-ee,hplabs,amd,scgvaxd,dual,idi,omsvax}!intelca!clif {standard disclaimer about how these views are mine and may not reflect the views of Intel, my boss , or USNET goes here. }