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From: elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.nsc.32k
Subject: Re: NS32000 Processor
Message-ID: <1026@killer.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Jun-87 01:58:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: killer.1026
Posted: Mon Jun 22 01:58:38 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Jul-87 22:27:29 EDT
References: <334@forbrk.UUCP>
Organization: Bayou Telecommunications
Lines: 35

in article <334@forbrk.UUCP>, mats@forbrk.UUCP (Mats Wichmann) says:
> In article <4399@nsc.nsc.com> roger@nsc.nsc.com (Roger Thompson) writes:
>>When IBM was out searching for a micro, our CPU was stable.  What was
>>the real decider, your guess is as good as mine.  But it probably had
>>more to do with application software being available without
>>cumbersome AT&T licenses.

Really? Did NSC go into a timewarp? If I recall right, the IBM PC was designed
in 1980-81, and the 16032 was introduced in '81.... the PC was already
designed! As for application software, I remember when people lambasted the
IBM PC because it didn't HAVE any... Said one magazine writer at the time,
"The only decent word processor available on the IBM PC is Wordstar, and it
actually runs FASTER under CP/M!".

>>We had *NIX up and running in 1983.  The first micro with demand paged
>>virtual memory.  We are working on our third generation MMU and I'm
>>still waiting for your Mot to come up with one customers like SUN
>>will use.
>>
> First? That will get you lots of debate; I suggest you talk to people
> at Sun, old-timers at UniSoft, etc.

Just modify the statement to say "The first microprocessor with a single-chip
MMU of decent design". I never did understand why 16032-based Unix machines
never became popular... apparently Unix for a long time was too expensive for
low-end machines, and the 16032 (cum 32016) didn't have the power to compete
in the higher-end markets. Still, such a pretty architecture, perfectly suited
for Unix.....

Eric Green {ihnp4,cbosgd}!killer!elg  elg@usl.CSNET

--
 * I don't care if Unix is trademark of GOD, I'm not going to fill up
   my letters with little asterisks whenever I write a bulletin, that's
   RIDICULOUS!