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From: reid@Glacier.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.micro,net.rumor
Subject: Re: vaporware
Message-ID: <1614@Glacier.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 28-Nov-84 21:29:32 EST
Article-I.D.: Glacier.1614
Posted: Wed Nov 28 21:29:32 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Nov-84 05:59:49 EST
References: <20300008@okstate.UUCP> <10400170@uiucdcs.UUCP> <4567@utzoo.UUCP>, <200@desint.UUCP> <4613@utzoo.UUCP> <671@sjuvax.UUCP>
Organization: Stanford University, Fast Turnaround Laboratory
Lines: 33
Xref: genrad net.micro:9361 net.rumor:588

> 	I have heard that some folks got preliminary specs on the 68020 and
> shipped them out to a commercial equivalent of the Stanford Fast Turnaround
> Lab.  What they got back was a perfect 68020 emulator based on a risc chip
> -- right down to the cycle timings, and apparently the thing ran better
> than the real chip.  Apparently these folks marketed what they claimed was
> a 68020 board with the ersatz edition until the real one came along.  The
> catch was that the ersatz edition came out able to run at 24 Mhz....
> 
> 	Well, it looked like a 68020, it felt like a 68020, it tested like a
> 68020, it tasted like a 68020... must have been a 68020?
> 
> Jon Shapiro

I am the resident computer scientist in the Stanford Fast Turnaround
Laboratory, and I can assure you that 
 (a) There is no commercial equivalent of the SUFTAL. Our brand of chaos
     is unique.
 (b) Nowhere on planet earth is there a 68020 emulator based on a risc chip 
     that runs anywhere close to exact cycle timings. I would be completely
     amazed if there was a 68020 emulator based on a risc chip that ran at
     any speed at all--it's such a dumb idea.
 (c) Anybody who has the technology to take the "preliminary specs" for a
     commercial chip and ship them out for fab and get a working part back
     before the commercial chip is available is not going to waste that
     technology on 68020's. If I had such a technology I would probably
     try to trade it for a few million shares of Motorola stock, or
     perhaps for the privilege of filling my pickup truck with Krugerrands.

I recommend strongly that you locate a new rumormonger. Your current
rumormonger is feeding you jokes and convincing you that they are rumors.

	Brian Reid
	Reid@Glacier.ARPA   decwrl!glacier!reid