ssd@sugar.UUCP (Scott Denham) (02/04/88)
In article <30785R38@PSUVM>, R38@PSUVM.BITNET (aka Marc Rifkin) writes: > I bet alot of you out there want to know about the new 68030 and 68040s, > so here is what I have dug up: (Line eater at work) > As for the 68040, well I have no 'official' word, except that it is a > 'BIG' jump from the '30. We're talking maybe 30MHz or more possibly! > That would get some time intensive programs done fast (like RAY TRACING!). > ________ |-R38@PSUVM.PSU.EDU---------------| > / / ____ \ | MARC RIFKIN | In PC-Week several weeks ago Spencer Katt reported some interesting rumors about work going on at Apple with prototypes of the '040. According to this source, the chip will include full on-chip emulation of the Intel '286 instruction set as one sub-mode. He reckons that given timely marketing of a MAC-II (MAC-III?) based on this chip, with PC-DOS capability on-chip, Apple could really kick some big blue a.. I'm inclined to agree!
peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (02/05/88)
In article <1432@sugar.UUCP>, ssd@sugar.UUCP (Scott Denham) writes: > In PC-Week several weeks ago Spencer Katt reported some interesting > rumors about work going on at Apple with prototypes of the '040. According > to this source, the chip will include full on-chip emulation of the Intel > '286 instruction set as one sub-mode. He reckons that given timely > marketing of a MAC-II (MAC-III?) based on this chip, with PC-DOS > capability on-chip, Apple could really kick some big blue a.. I'm > inclined to agree! I hope that they really emulate the virtual-8086 mode of the 80386, instead of 80286 protected mode. The 80286 is a dead-end, really. There is still no protected mode DOS (OS/2 notwithstanding), but much is being made of the virtual-8086 mode. I'll bet the first commercial 68040 product will be a CSA board, though. -- -- Peter da Silva `-_-' ...!hoptoad!academ!uhnix1!sugar!peter -- Disclaimer: These U aren't mere opinions... these are *values*.
cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (02/06/88)
In article <1432@sugar.UUCP> ssd@sugar.UUCP (Scott Denham) writes: > In PC-Week several weeks ago Spencer Katt reported some interesting > rumors about work going on at Apple with prototypes of the '040. According > to this source, the chip will include full on-chip emulation of the Intel > '286 instruction set as one sub-mode. I consider this proof positive that Spencer Katt has a serious drug problem. Consider the amount of money that NEC is spending on the lawsuit with Intel over the V series, and they even had a license to make 8086s ! If Mot ever gave one of their chips the attributes of an Intel chip two things would happen : 1) Intel would slap a lawsuit on them so fast the the sonic boom would be heard in Japan. 2) Every loyal 680x0 programmer in the WORLD would send a letter bomb to Motorola, causing the largest explosion since the bombing of Hiroshima. > He reckons that given timely marketing of a MAC-II (MAC-III?) based on > this chip, with PC-DOS capability on-chip, Apple could really kick some > big blue a.. I'm inclined to agree! The Intel series chips have a mindset that is *completely* different from the Motorola chips. And even if it was '286 compatible that is only ONE TENTH the battle, you also have to emulate all of the silly peripherals that are inside an IBM PC/AT. I can't understand why, a) Spencer would even bother reporting a rumor like this since it is obviously untrue, and b) why anyone would get anything more than a good laugh out of reading it. I agree with Scott that if such a chip could be produced in quantity by this summer, and designed in and machines ramped up, and the lawsuits won, and the software issues taken care of, this thing would give all the clone makers and IBM fits. I also think that if John Sculley could part the pacific ocean and create a land route to Japan, that would also give the clone makers and IBM fits. Finally, the chances of either event happening are about the same. :-) --Chuck McManis uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: cmcmanis ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) (02/06/88)
In article <1432@sugar.UUCP> ssd@sugar.UUCP (Scott Denham) writes: >In PC-Week several weeks ago Spencer Katt reported some interesting >rumors about work going on at Apple with prototypes of the '040. According >to this source, the chip will include full on-chip emulation of the Intel >'286 instruction set as one sub-mode. [ ... ] I think Spencer's source was pulling his leg in a big way. I don't buy this for even a second. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape ihnp4!ptsfa -\ \_ -_ Recumbent Bikes: dual ---> !{well,unicom}!ewhac O----^o The Only Way To Fly. hplabs / (pronounced "AE-wack") "Work FOR? I don't work FOR anybody! I'm just having fun." -- The Doctor
farren@gethen.UUCP (Michael J. Farren) (02/07/88)
In article <1432@sugar.UUCP> ssd@sugar.UUCP (Scott Denham) writes: >In PC-Week several weeks ago Spencer Katt reported some interesting >rumors about work going on at Apple with prototypes of the '040. One thing you can be pretty sure of, based on past history: if PC-Week reports it, there's a 70% chance it's not true. If Spencer Katt reports it, there's a 98% chance it's not true. The most abysmal excuse for a rumor column I've ever seen, with the possible exception of the guys in MacWeek and MacToday. -- Michael J. Farren | "INVESTIGATE your point of view, don't just {ucbvax, uunet, hoptoad}! | dogmatize it! Reflect on it and re-evaluate unisoft!gethen!farren | it. You may want to change your mind someday." gethen!farren@lll-winken.llnl.gov ----- Tom Reingold, from alt.flame
ritchie@hpldola.HP.COM (Dave Ritchie) (02/08/88)
>In article <1432@sugar.UUCP> ssd@sugar.UUCP (Scott Denham) writes: >> In PC-Week several weeks ago Spencer Katt reported some interesting >> rumors about work going on at Apple with prototypes of the '040. According >> to this source, the chip will include full on-chip emulation of the Intel >> '286 instruction set as one sub-mode. > >I consider this proof positive that Spencer Katt has a serious drug problem. >Consider the amount of money that NEC is spending on the lawsuit with Intel >over the V series, and they even had a license to make 8086s ! Don't be too quick here... I saw a Motorola ad in one of the trade rags (probably Electronics or EE Times) recently that made the claim of MS-DOS compatibility for one of their upcomimg processors. I guess this means that we have to nuke both Pheonix and Santa Clara now :-> Dave Ritchie hp-lsd!ritchie
daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (02/10/88)
in article <1432@sugar.UUCP>, ssd@sugar.UUCP (Scott Denham) says: > Summary: 68040 rumors.... > In PC-Week several weeks ago Spencer Katt reported some interesting > rumors about work going on at Apple with prototypes of the '040. According > to this source, the chip will include full on-chip emulation of the Intel > '286 instruction set as one sub-mode. He reckons that given timely > marketing of a MAC-II (MAC-III?) based on this chip, with PC-DOS > capability on-chip, Apple could really kick some big blue a.. I'm > inclined to agree! Yuck! Barf-a-bunga! I can't possibly imagine Motorola tainting a perfectly good, modeless architecture like the 680x0 with something as foolish as '286 emulation in hardware. Even as a joke. Seesh, even the PC[lone] people these days admit that the '286 is brain damaged. I mean, if they want to emulate it in software, fine, I can choose not to run that stuff. Or pay a few extra dollars and buy a real '286 and hand it in somewhere. MOS had a chip with a similar concept a few years back, called the 7502. I won't go into any details, but there's a good reason you've never heard of it. Fortunately, considering the relative merits of PC Week and the Motorola chip designers, I'm sure that's total bunk. On another tack, I'm sure Motorola doesn't relish an Intel microcode suit, even if Intel's a smaller company (guess they're smaller than NEC too, for that matter). -- Dave Haynie "The B2000 Guy" Commodore-Amiga "The Crew That Never Rests" {ihnp4|uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: D-DAVE H BIX: hazy "I can't relax, 'cause I'm a Boinger!"
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (02/12/88)
Dave Ritchie writes: > > Don't be too quick here... I saw a Motorola ad in one of the trade rags >(probably Electronics or EE Times) recently that made the claim of MS-DOS >compatibility for one of their upcomimg processors. I guess this means that >we have to nuke both Pheonix and Santa Clara now :-> > > hp-lsd!ritchie Does your boss know about your sitename ?) Uhh, yeah. I saw that ad too, and my cohorts and I had a good chuckle. It had a number you could call for more info. Since we were more than a little curious about this new "improvement" I called. I was switched around to 7 different people, none of whom knew what I was talking about. Somebody finally assumed command and proclaimed "we'll call you back." They didn't. -- "It's too dark to put my legs in my munitions" richard@gryphon.CTS.COM {ihnp4!scgvaxd!cadovax, rutgers!marque, codas!ddsw1} gryphon!richard
kurt@tc.fluke.COM (Kurt Guntheroth) (02/12/88)
C'mon guys, get real. The ads say SOFTWARE emulation of the '286. The '030 and '040 are that fast. Or is it that the '286 is that slow...?