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From: root@sbcs.UUCP (Root)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.misc,comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Atari Transputers ? & A British ST/Amiga Rival ?
Message-ID: <607@sbcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Sep-87 12:50:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: sbcs.607
Posted: Mon Sep 21 12:50:31 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Sep-87 01:22:24 EDT
References: <8709181728.AA13664@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <1623@gryphon.CTS.COM>
Organization: Computer Science Dept, SUNY@Stony Brook
Lines: 35
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.atari.st:5253 comp.sys.misc:821 comp.sys.amiga:8635

> >      One article I have seen quotes the performance of the slower T414
> >      processor (20 mhz) as 10 MIPS !

	RISC mips, unfortunately.  By the same metric, an AMD29000 cranks
	at 25 MIPS, the Sun SPARC does 16 MIPS.  According to folks on
	the transputer mailing list (actually a fellow at Pixar - GOOD
	HEAVENS!!!), a T{4,8}00-20 version transputer (thats 20 
	instructions per uSec) does about 6000 dhrytones with all 
	frequently executed code in on chip ram.  This is roughly 
	equivalent to the performance I see out of a local 25 mhz 
	68020 cpu (Sun-3/260).  Of course, when your application 
	is bigger than the on chip 4K ram can handle and you're
	forced to off chip for memory accesses, things slow down.

> >
> >      Lang (and everybody else ?) hopes to bring this in for under
> >      1000 pounds ($1600).

	I would presume that the above figure assumes Inmos' figure
	of $70/T800 next year.  I find this figure very ambitious,
	given pricing experiences with rival complexity silicon
	produced in the US - i.e. a 16 Mhz 68020 is still well over $100
	in reasonable quantity, in spite of being available for several
	years.  I would estimate from experiences with 80x86, 680x0
	that the best they will be able to do will be about $200 or
	so in quantity by 4Q88 - assuming normal industry markups,
	the processor silicon would cost the user 3-5X the parts
	cost.

Anyways, the intent of this message wasn't really to throw cold
water on anyones product.  Just some informed speculation based on
my experience with Transputers & InMos..

					Rick Spanbauer
					SUNY/Stony Brook