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From: eeproks@gitpyr.gatech.EDU (K. J. Seefried iii)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: 386 PC vs Sun
Message-ID: <2377@gitpyr.gatech.EDU>
Date: Tue, 14-Oct-86 12:29:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: gitpyr.2377
Posted: Tue Oct 14 12:29:12 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 20-Oct-86 22:51:35 EDT
References: <4104@brl-smoke.ARPA> <9400015@uiucuxa>
Reply-To: eeproks@gitpyr.UUCP (K. J. Seefried iii)
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 36
Summary: cpu wars


<>

I guess I'll add my two (admittedly inexpert) cents to the war between the
680x0 and the iAPX x86 processors.  First of all, after limited experience
with both processor groups on various machines, I am a 68k partisan.  I feel
that it is a better processor for most (perhaps not all) general computing 
purposes.  However, when we discuss thing like which would be better to have
in your machine, you can not immediately say that it must be the best processor.
 
For example, say you are a small buisiness owner.  You must decide on a computer
to assist you in running your buisiness.  The 68000 class machines are faster
(in general), more powerful and come highly recomended by "power computer users".
What machine does your buisness buy?  An IBM (or clone) machine.  Why?  Because
it is a mature, stable machine with an ungodly amount of software availible
today, not 'in the near future'.  There are simply no types of buisiness software
that you cant find in one form or another on a PC type machine.
 
Look back to the 8-bit days.  The 6809 was generally considered the most capable 
8-bit processor around.  What kind of machine did people buy?  One of the 808x/z80
machines.  Again this was because of the vast amounts of software availible for those 
machines.  And don't let us forget the Apple ][.  Pathetic little processor, huge
amount of software, lots of happy owners.
 
Again let me say that the 680x0 processors are the best, but when you discuss the
relative merits of one chip over the other, think of who will use it.  After all,
The most powerful machines around are only as good as the software that drives them.
For most general computer users, the best chip for them is the 80x86 if for no other
reason than they can run more useful software right now than with any other machine.
And as much as I hate to say it the letters IBM on a machine can mean a whole lot.
 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
K. J. Seefried iii
P.O. Box 30104, Georgia Insitute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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