Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!hellgate.utah.edu!uplherc!esunix!bambam!bpendlet
From: bpendlet@bambam.UUCP (Bob Pendleton)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: IBM PC prehistory
Message-ID: <347@bambam.UUCP>
Date: 2 Jan 90 20:44:57 GMT
References: <1989Dec30.235854.14254@world.std.com>
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah
Lines: 22

I evaluated the 68K, Z8000, and 8086/8088, at Sperry Univac sometime
around '78 or '79. The 68K was flaky, the Z8000 was close to being non
existent and the 8086/8088 was a good solid machine. I was following
these machine quite closely in those days. 

About the time I'd guess that IBM was picking a processor for the PC
Intel announced a plastic package 8088 for $15 in large quantities.
Before that the 8088 in ceramic cost ~$30. The 8088 was by far the
cheapest "16 bit" processor you could buy. 


That's my guess for choosing the 8088. The only other things I can
think of are that the 8088 has the most "8s" in its name of any
processor available at the time :-) and 8088 sounds like a souped up
8080. (Which it is, mostly. :-))

			Bob P.
-- 
              Bob Pendleton, speaking only for myself.
UUCP Address:  decwrl!esunix!bpendlet or utah-cs!esunix!bpendlet

                      X: Tools, not rules.