Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!qantel!dual!lll-crg!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!GUBBINS@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA
From: GUBBINS@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA (Gern)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: NEC V20 ---> 8088
Message-ID: <1438@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 11-Sep-85 18:07:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.1438
Posted: Wed Sep 11 18:07:24 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Sep-85 09:42:16 EDT
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
Lines: 55


I have a few comments on the NEC V20 'improved' 8088.

The NEC V20 is a CMOS IC that is pin and software compatible superset
of the Intel 8088.   Aside from the addition of extra instructions
(The Z-80 superset in the 8080 CP/M world haunts...), the NEC V20
has a separate ALU to calculate the address, instead of the Intel 8088
having to take extra clock cycles to reuse the 'core' ALU.   This
WILL give a significant increase in thruput.   The Intel 80186 and
Intel 80286 also use this separate address ALU.    HOPEFULLY, Intel
will come out with an 8088 pin compatible 80188.

NEC has been producing 8088 CPUs for some time now - AND THEY DO NOT
HAVE A LICENSE FROM INTEL TO DO SO (At least the last time I checked).
Downright illegal.   Even worse, these PIRATE NEC 8088s don't quite
work right, the 8087 support is messed up and won't work at all.  Do
note that AMD, National (I think) ARE Licensed 8088 producers, and 
a few companies (IBM being one) are licensed to produce 8088s for their
own use and products.

Now NEC has improved their stolen 8088 (and 8086, the NEC V30) with the
address ALU idea from the Intel 8018x.   Currently Intel is tring to sue
NEC and I hope that they win.   I also hope that Intel gets on the ball
and properly improves the 8088/8086 with a similar thruput increase.

With all the Software anti-piracy discussions going on over these nets,
we now have a case of hardware piracy right in front of us.  We are
tempted to give into it, lay out our $$$, and get the greatly increased
processing thruput in return.  We would gain, the NEC pirates would gain,
and Intel (and all their time and design efforts that made all of our
machines possible) would be the losers. 

I have never liked the quality of NEC ICs, I replaced the NEC 8088 in
my Z-100 with an Intel 8088 (8MHz too) as soon as I got it.  Later
I learned about their 8088 design piracy, and I disliked NEC even more.
I rate NEC products right down beside Sanyo (Sell trash cheap, make money
off Americans).   Not that I have anything against Japanese products, 
I think Sony is the finest in quality which is why I paid a lot more
for my Sony Walkman than all the other brands.

I for one am not going to support NEC, or any company that pulls these
pirates, no matter what the lower cost or increase in product function.
I thought you just might want to know this information.

Even still, I wouldn't put a CMOS part in my Z-100 no matter who made it.

Flames welcomed.

Cheers,
Gern

[Standard Disclaimer:  The views are mine and are generally those of my
friends too, but not generally admitted to as those of my employer.]

-------


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com