Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!cca!mirror!prism!john
From: john@prism.TMC.COM
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Intel 386SX chip & its applications
Message-ID: <206900116@prism>
Date: 20 Jun 88 20:58:00 GMT
Lines: 21
Nf-ID: #N:prism:206900116:000:1033
Nf-From: prism.TMC.COM!john    Jun 20 16:58:00 1988


I've just been reading about the new 386SX chip, or "P9", as it has 
been referred to.  An article in InfoWorld, 6/20/88 talks about 
the price break this chip can bring to new systems designed around it, 
and how Compaq, and others are busy designing and working on such systems.  

Maybe I'm totally wrong on this, but isn't this the version of the 386 chip 
that you can just pop into a 286 socket and blast off at near-386 speed 
and performance?  And if so, wouldn't the obvious thing that everyone 
would like to do be to buy one for their AT?  Why build NEW systems 
around the thing?  If all the chips being produced are going into new 
systems, it will be hard or impossible to buy one for the purpose it was 
intended for originally -- upgrading from 286.  

Again, maybe I'm out in space on this.  Would someone who knows please 
explain what is going on here?  Thanks in advance.  

----
JOHN DOWD	john@mirror.TMC.COM
{mit-eddie, ihnp4, harvard!wjh12, cca, cbosgd, seismo}!mirror!john
Mirror Systems	Cambridge, MA  02140