bjorn@alberta.UUCP (01/10/87)
In article <118300005@iuvax>, jec@iuvax.indiana.EDU writes: > > I sure hope the upgrade is true. I swore that the Amiga was the last > non-MMU machine I would ever buy and I can consider the upgrade as an upgrade > rather than buying another machine. You're in luck. Now I dislike the *86 architecture as much as the next guy, but one of the good things I can say about the '386 is that: There's no way anybody can design a machine using it without a paging MMU. Yeah!! And in the wings are: MC68030 - MMU on chip (Double bingo) This will be the first time Motorola delivers an MMU not much later than the processor [Correct me if I'm wrong]. NS32532 - MMU on chip (Triple bravo) But then the NS32k familiy has always had well integrated MMUs. I've had my stomach turned reading interviews with PC designers. They go something like this: Q: Why is there no MMU? A: We would have liked to have been able to put in an MMU, but, well you see when we design a machine like this we have to carefully consider even the smallest resistor ... to keep costs down ... 'cause everything shows up in the retail price ... an MMU just costs to much & takes to much board space & power ... a wait state ... Then these same guys turn right around and fill the box with so many gee-whiz gizmo sound chips, joy-stick ports, that I'm surprised the thing can't toast bread and scramble eggs. Yes, I know, it sells machines in the store to unsuspecting consumers, the bread and butter (or toast and scrambled eggs) of PC makers. (GIGANTIC SIGH!!) I'm holier than thou by accident of birth, Bjorn R. Bjornsson alberta!bjorn