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From: amir@smsc.sony.com (Amir )
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Yet Another Killer Micro?
Message-ID: <1990Mar2.225154.12092@smsc.sony.com>
Date: 2 Mar 90 22:51:54 GMT
References: <50437@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV> <1990Mar1.175823.10643@smsc.sony.com> <00933152.FA563760@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU>
Reply-To: amir@Sony.COM (Amir )
Organization: Sony Microsystems Corp.
Lines: 45

In article <00933152.FA563760@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU> sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney) writes:
>>I don't see how it is going to be an IBM killer.  Motorola still needs to
>>prove that it can be a computer company and not just a semiconductor company.
>>It has failed everytime in the past.  Also, it is not clear how it is going
>>keep its OEMs happy if it starts to compete with them.
>
>It isn't; it's going to make OEM boxes for other companies to slap their
>sticker on  (Intel does this too, I understand). 
 
If this is the case, then we can assume that it is still not serious about
computer business despite their $22M advertising budget for the new machine.

>>Also, as I mentioned before, unless it uses the next generation 88K
>>(superscaler?), it is not going to win as far as absolute performance is
>>concerned.
>>
>Absolute performance? I think the name of the game is to sell boxes. If
>you can provide a faster box which has a good base of software (with the
>88K series, sorta wishy-washy at this point), people will purchase them.
 
The name of the game *is* selling boxes.  But the info that I got on the box
quoted Motorola people as saying that the machines would be "comparable"
in performance with IBM boxes.  This was their word not mine.  Also, this
is net.arch.  A higher frequency 88K is not too exciting.  But if it is
superscaler or some other nice architecture, then we have something to talk
about.


>>>    NO ONE WILL SURVIVE THE ATTACK OF THE KILLER MICROS!
>>
>>Agreed. Specially if they are standing still or taking a long time to come
>>out with a product....
>
>Uhhh, it isn't a microcomputer unless I can buy three of them for under
>$10,000, and still have money to put gas in the car. 

Do you mean microcomputer or personal computer?  The two are not the same.
Apple's new Mac IIfx (40Mhz, 68030) is going to be close to $10K for a single 
machine and is still considered a microcomputer(and a PC).  I sure would love 
to get three of these for $10K :-).
-- 
Amir H. Majidimehr
Operating Systems Group
Sony Microsystems
amir@smsc.sony.com | ...!{uunet,mips}!sonyusa!amir