Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!sjsca4!molehill!poffen
From: poffen@molehill (Russ Poffenberger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Was - Re: Xerox sues Apple!!! Now processor wars.
Message-ID: <1989Dec29.165724.12683@sj.ate.slb.com>
Date: 29 Dec 89 16:57:24 GMT
References: <6767@tank.uchicago.edu> <1989Dec17.112127.27333@me.toronto.edu> <3368@rti.UUCP> <899@lzaz.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger)
Organization: Schlumberger ATE, San Jose, CA
Lines: 40

In article <899@lzaz.ATT.COM> bds@lzaz.ATT.COM (Bruce Szablak) writes:
>In article <3368@rti.UUCP>, bcw@rti.UUCP (Bruce Wright) writes:
>> I think anyone who looks at the two processor families objectively will
>> have to agree that the 68000 family is a better architecture.
>
>I agree.
>

I disagree. The 68k architecture WAS better than the pre-386 architecture, but
the 386 and up architectures blow the 68k out of the water when it comes to
memory management. With a '386, you can run multiple foriegn operating systems
AT THE SAME TIME. We are NOT talking emulation, but TRUE multiple operating
systems co-existing. That's how the Sun 386i does their DOS compatibility. Just
assign a chunk of memory, and away you go.

>> On the other hand, this certainly doesn't mean that all software for
>> the 68k is great or that all software for the 80x86 is bad.
>
>More importantly, will my 68000 software run on a 68020, 68030, 68040 etc?
>Sometimes yes, sometimes no... The real significance of the Intel chips are
>that they are upwardly compatible. Anyone who got on the PC bandwagon in
>the beginning has the satisfaction of being able to use their tried
>and true software on faster and more powerful platforms. The consistancy
>with which each generation of Intel micros maintain compatiblity while
>improving over the previous generation has to instill a certain degree
>of confidence in the future.

I don't buy this either, the 68k family is supposed to be upward compatible, at
least as far as the opcodes go.

Both processors have their plusses and minuses. It's all a matter of opinion.
No more flame wars please, lets get to serious computing issues.



Russ Poffenberger               DOMAIN: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com
Schlumberger Technologies       UUCP:   {uunet,decwrl,amdahl}!sjsca4!poffen
1601 Technology Drive		CIS:	72401,276
San Jose, Ca. 95110
(408)437-5254