Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!lll-winken!uunet!cbmvax!daveh
From: daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: 68020 vs. 68030 speed (was Re: 80486 vs. 68040 code size)
Message-ID: <6924@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 19 May 89 05:12:29 GMT
References: <4229@ficc.uu.net>
Distribution: eunet,world
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 30

in article <4229@ficc.uu.net>, peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) says:

> Probably. I've never had the opportunity to use or even see a 32000-based
> machine, unfortunately. Is the problem market timing, the prestige of the
> people who started Sun, or what?

I think the problem was the first 32ks (actually called 16ks until some deal
set up with TI made National change the name to 32k) were kinda wimpy as
compared to the existing 680x0s at the time.  I looked at them briefly,
way back when, but I don't recall whether it was the performance at a
given clock speed or the lack of high enough clock speeds.  The nicest
part of the first 32ks was the instruction set, which was the same across
all parts, like the 68000, only more so, and more orthogonal.  In time,
the 32ks appear to have caught up and surpassed the 80x86 and 680x0 families
(at least, the 32532 looks better on paper than a 68030, I haven't built a
32532 system to compare with the 68030 or anything...), but everyone looking
for that kind of chip is already committed to Moto or Intel.  National's
recently taken to building specialized version of the 32k line.  They have a
16 bit CPU with some added graphics functions, and they recently announced
a version of the 32532 with the MMU yanked out, also targeted toward graphics
applications (laser printer comes to mind).

> Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation.
> 
> Business: uunet.uu.net!ficc!peter, peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180.
> Personal: ...!texbell!sugar!peter, peter@sugar.hackercorp.com.
-- 
Dave Haynie  "The 32 Bit Guy"     Commodore-Amiga  "The Crew That Never Rests"
   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh      PLINK: D-DAVE H     BIX: hazy
              Amiga -- It's not just a job, it's an obsession