Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!cmcl2!yale!husc6!endor!reiter From: reiter@endor.harvard.edu (Ehud Reiter) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Cost of Designing a New Computer Message-ID: <950@husc6.UUCP> Date: Sun, 4-Jan-87 15:34:44 EST Article-I.D.: husc6.950 Posted: Sun Jan 4 15:34:44 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 4-Jan-87 21:52:29 EST Sender: news@husc6.UUCP Reply-To: reiter@harvard.UUCP (Ehud Reiter) Organization: Aiken Computation Lab, Harvard University Lines: 27 I'm trying to get some order of magnitude estimates for what resources are required to design a state-of-the-art "new" computer system. I'm currently using the following figures, and I was wondering what people thought of them. New micro using existing microprocessor and existing system software - 1's of engineer man-years New microprocessor - 10's of engineer man-years Fab plant to build microprocessor - $100,000,000 of equipment New micro system software - 100's of engineer man-years New supermini hardware - 10's of engineer man-years New supermini system software - 1000's of engineer man-years Port UNIX to new supermini - 1's of engineer man-years New mainframe hardware - 100's of engineer man-years New mainframe system software - 1000's of engineer man-years Notes: A) The context is the question of how much would it cost a protectionist country to develop its own "local" computer system. B) Please, no comments of the form that you developed an X for an undergrad C.S. course. I'm interested in the resources required to develop state-of-the-art commercial grade products in a commercial environment. C) Any data on the cost of adapting application software to a new hardware architecture is also welcome. Thanks Ehud Reiter reiter@harvard (ARPA,UUCP)