jbm@uncle.UUCP (John B. Milton) (10/24/88)
Where do journalists get this stuff? [What follows is reproduced without permission from "Computer Design"] In the October 15 issue, page 9, the News Briefs section. -------------------------------------- Sparc wins and loses [first paragraph omitted] Rumors are circulating that AT&T (Morristown, NJ) is reconsidering its earlier commitment to Sparc and will turn instead to Motorola's 88000 as its core processor for fu- ture Unix System V-based com- puters. The Sun/AT&T agreement, signed last January, created a furor among Unix licensees that eventu- ally resulted in the formation of the Open Software Foundation (OSF) Apparently, the agreement was also viewed within AT&T as a threat to the company's longstanding rela- tionship with Motorola. AT&T uses Motorola's 68000 family of process- sors in its 3B line of minicomputers. [rest omitted] -------------------------------------- That last sentance is interesting. Does that mean I really have a minicomputer? I think they got the tense of the "uses" wrong. Oh no, better call Convergent and tell them to make more UNIXpcs :) John -- John Bly Milton IV, jbm@uncle.UUCP, n8emr!uncle!jbm@osu-cis.cis.ohio-state.edu home (614) 294-4823, work (614) 764-4272; Send vi tricks, I'm making a manual
rjd@occrsh.ATT.COM (Randy_Davis) (10/25/88)
In article <373@uncle.UUCP> jbm@uncle.UUCP (John B. Milton) writes:
:Where do journalists get this stuff?
:
:[What follows is reproduced without permission from "Computer Design"]
:
:In the October 15 issue, page 9, the News Briefs section.
:--------------------------------------
:Sparc wins and loses
:[first paragraph omitted]
[all but last sentance omitted - rjd]
:tionship with Motorola. AT&T uses
:Motorola's 68000 family of process-
:sors in its 3B line of minicomputers.
:[rest omitted]
:--------------------------------------
:
:That last sentance is interesting. Does that mean I really have a minicomputer?
:I think they got the tense of the "uses" wrong. Oh no, better call Convergent
:and tell them to make more UNIXpcs :)
The only AT&T "minicomputers" I know of are the 3B family. As John says,
the PCs are considered "microcomputers" (do the PCs use 68000 chips?). The
3B family includes the 3B2, 3B5, 3B15, 3B4000, 3B20 Simplex, and 3B20 Duplex.
I know for sure that all the 3B2, 3B15, and 3B4000 computers use the AT&T -
designed and manufactured full 32-bit microprocessor.
Randyerict@flatline.UUCP (j eric townsend) (10/25/88)
In article <373@uncle.UUCP>, jbm@uncle.UUCP (John B. Milton) writes: > Where do journalists get this stuff? From the same place that most end users get it: press releases and bone-headed marketing bozos that'll say just about anything without thinking about it first. My problem is that I do this with sports news.... :-) "Let me get this straight, the Dallas Cowboys will play the Brooklyn Dodgers in Ontario for the America's Cup?" "Yeah, that sounds about right. If I find out it's wrong, I'll tell you before it goes to press..." Anyway, realise that the average journalist is no different than the average liberal arts major (unfortunately) and knows little about science, much less the technicalities of some not-so-well-known (even amongst computer users) systems. Being from "Computer Design" (Whatever that is) I would expect a little more, though. Most computer-magazine people are technoids first, journalists second. > tionship with Motorola. AT&T uses > Motorola's 68000 family of process- > sors in its 3B line of minicomputers. > [rest omitted] > -------------------------------------- > > That last sentance is interesting. Does that mean I really have a minicomputer? Heh. Actually, when my 3b1 was made, it probably *WAS* a minicomputer. :-) > I think they got the tense of the "uses" wrong. Oh no, better call Convergent > and tell them to make more UNIXpcs :) They are, but it's a secret. Tell no one. -- "Imitation is the sincerest form of Television." - Mighty Mouse (and R. Bakshi) J. Eric Townsend smail: 511 Parker #2, Houston, Tx, 77007 Inet: COSC3AF@george.uh.edu UUCP: uunet!nuchat!flatline!erict Bitnet: COSC3AF@UHVAX1.BITNET ..!bellcore!tness1!/
res@ihlpb.ATT.COM (Rich Strebendt) (10/26/88)
In article <410@occrsh.ATT.COM>, rjd@occrsh.ATT.COM (Randy_Davis) writes: | In article <373@uncle.UUCP> jbm@uncle.UUCP (John B. Milton) writes: | :Where do journalists get this stuff? | : | :[What follows is reproduced without permission from "Computer Design"] | : | :In the October 15 issue, page 9, the News Briefs section. | :-------------------------------------- | :Sparc wins and loses | :[first paragraph omitted] | [all but last sentance omitted - rjd] | :tionship with Motorola. AT&T uses | :Motorola's 68000 family of process- | :sors in its 3B line of minicomputers. | :[rest omitted] | :-------------------------------------- | : | :That last sentance is interesting. Does that mean I really have a minicomputer? | :I think they got the tense of the "uses" wrong. Oh no, better call Convergent | :and tell them to make more UNIXpcs :) | | The only AT&T "minicomputers" I know of are the 3B family. As John says, | the PCs are considered "microcomputers" (do the PCs use 68000 chips?). The | 3B family includes the 3B2, 3B5, 3B15, 3B4000, 3B20 Simplex, and 3B20 Duplex. | I know for sure that all the 3B2, 3B15, and 3B4000 computers use the AT&T - | designed and manufactured full 32-bit microprocessor. That is true for the Central Control (CC) for each of those machines. The 3B5/3B15/3B4000 line of computers also uses microprocessor-based intelligent peripheral controllers. The Intelligent Disk File Controller (IDFC) board does use a 68000 as its engine. Other intelligent boards (eg: ITC, ATC, IOA), use the WE32000 series of microprocessors (32000, 32100, 32200). Rich Strebendt ...!att!ihlpb!res
rjd@occrsh.ATT.COM (Randy_Davis) (10/26/88)
In article <8983@ihlpb.ATT.COM> res@ihlpb.ATT.COM (Rich Strebendt) writes: :In article <410@occrsh.ATT.COM>, rjd@occrsh.ATT.COM (Randy_Davis) writes: :| The only AT&T "minicomputers" I know of are the 3B family. As John says, :| the PCs are considered "microcomputers" (do the PCs use 68000 chips?). The :| 3B family includes the 3B2, 3B5, 3B15, 3B4000, 3B20 Simplex, and 3B20 Duplex. :| I know for sure that all the 3B2, 3B15, and 3B4000 computers use the AT&T - :| designed and manufactured full 32-bit microprocessor. : :That is true for the Central Control (CC) for each of those machines. :The 3B5/3B15/3B4000 line of computers also uses microprocessor-based :intelligent peripheral controllers. The Intelligent Disk File :Controller (IDFC) board does use a 68000 as its engine. Other :intelligent boards (eg: ITC, ATC, IOA), use the WE32000 series of :microprocessors (32000, 32100, 32200). True, I was only meaning to address the main CPU. Of course you are right. In fact, most of the 3B2 intelligent option cards use 80186 16-bit microprocessors. There is one on each ports or eports board, the SCSI host adapter, etc... Randy Davis UUCP: ...(att!)ocrjd!randy ...(att!)occrsh!rjd