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From: zenith-steven@CS.Yale.EDU (Steven Ericsson Zenith)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Next computer (Re: CISC Silent Spring)
Message-ID: <15108@cs.yale.edu>
Date: 10 Feb 90 16:02:38 GMT
Sender: news@cs.yale.edu
Reply-To: zenith-steven@CS.Yale.EDU (Steven Ericsson Zenith)
Organization: Yale University Computer Science Dept, New Haven CT  06520-2158
Lines: 25



In article 14253 Alan Lovejoy (alan@oz.nm.paradyne.com) writes 

>Commoditization is the kiss of death in the long run for any product which
>must quickly evolve over time, since it leads to stagnation because the 
>cost of improvement can't be justified--and is in fact resisted by the
>customers who have grown dependent on its current form.  I'm sure we can
>all think of examples of this in tech history.

I can't see the historical evidence to support this at all. My recent
experience at INMOS and observation of the success of INTEL, and 
recently released designs from that company show otherwise. Even though
subsequent design evolutions of the Z80 did not succeed, I wonder if
anyone at Zilog would blame the commoditization of the Z80 for susequent
mediocrity?

Regards,
Steven

                                                                        .
Steven Ericsson Zenith              *            email: zenith@cs.yale.edu
Department of Computer Science      |            voice: (203) 432 1278
Yale University 51 Prospect Street New Haven CT 06520 USA.
     "All can know beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness"