[comp.sys.acorn] ARM prices

bh2@doc.ic.ac.uk (B Hogan) (06/06/91)

I have often heard it said that the ARM chip offers a higher cost/speed
ratio than other processors, but nowhere have I seen the prices of the
ARM 2+3 and the associated chips listed. Even the VLSI manual fails
to mention this small point! Can anyone give approximate values, and how
do these compare to other processors?

On a different tack, isn't it fun playing with the mode definer from the
Newcastle server? I managed to make a screen mode 1440x312 in 256 colours
on my standard Acorn monitor. It's completely useless of course, since
the disk drive and task manager are cut off the edge, but it was interesting
to see the Arc straining under the 22Mb/s DMA required by a 440K screen.
Time for seperate screen memory me thinks :-)

Bryan H.

andras@alzabo.ocunix.on.ca (Andras Kovacs) (06/07/91)

bh2@doc.ic.ac.uk (B Hogan) writes:
>I have often heard it said that the ARM chip offers a higher cost/speed
>ratio than other processors, but nowhere have I seen the prices of the
>ARM 2+3 and the associated chips listed. Even the VLSI manual fails
>to mention this small point! Can anyone give approximate values, and how
>do these compare to other processors?

  The 20 MHz ARM is available here for CDN 195.87 (approx. 100 pounds).

  Andras
-- 
Andras Kovacs                  Artech Digital Entertainments
andras@alzabo.ocunix.on.ca     (613) 563-4746
Nepean, Ont.                   Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

gtoal@tardis.computer-science.edinburgh.ac.uk (06/08/91)

In article <1991Jun6.115345.21981@doc.ic.ac.uk> bh2@doc.ic.ac.uk (B Hogan) writes:
>
>I have often heard it said that the ARM chip offers a higher cost/speed
>ratio than other processors, but nowhere have I seen the prices of the
>ARM 2+3 and the associated chips listed. Even the VLSI manual fails
>to mention this small point! Can anyone give approximate values, and how
>do these compare to other processors?

When the Arm was first on sale to the public (late 86, early 87) I
phoned up VTI in the states and was quoted $US40 for 10-off quantities
and $35 for 100-off quantities of the ceramic-packed version.  I don't
know the prices nowadays though.  If you find out, let us know; it'll
be an interesting comparison!

Graham