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From: chongo@amdahl.amdahl.com (Landon Curt Noll)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.nsc.32k
Subject: Re: NS32000 Processor
Message-ID: <10427@amdahl.amdahl.com>
Date: Sun, 19-Jul-87 22:55:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdahl.10427
Posted: Sun Jul 19 22:55:09 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Jul-87 00:36:09 EDT
References: <334@forbrk.UUCP> <1026@killer.UUCP> <10192@amdahl.amdahl.com> <4497@nsc.nsc.com>
Reply-To: chongo@amdahl.UUCP (Landon Curt Noll)
Organization: Amdahl Coup, UTS Products Hen house
Lines: 37

In article <4497@nsc.nsc.com> grenley@nsc.UUCP (George Grenley) writes:
 >Landon, Iguess we all know by now that you're not too fond of NSC.  So be it.
 >Nevertheless you should know that CPU architecture elegance is NOT the primary
 >reason to pick a CPU.  Look at the number of people who buy Amdahls - surely
 >it doesn't represent the optimum 32 bit architecture....

I wish to add to your comment on a few points:

  * I AM FOND OF THE 32000.  The machine in my home is a 32000 based Symmetric 
    375 which was bought after I left NSC.

  * I wouldn't simply dismiss my comments as a just flames from an x-NSC 
    employee.  I was involved in both the architecture and Genix (Unix on 
    the NS32000) for a number of years.  I still maintain contact with NSC 
    people and the state of the chip set.  My objectives are to bring items
    up for discussion, regardless if such items make marketing people happy.

    I don't simply fault NSC for ``chip-maker'' problems.  I turned down 
    job offers from Mot, Intel and TI because they were on the whole, worse 
    than NSC in this regard.

  * Regarding Amdahls:  (allow me to substitute mainframes to avoid discussions
    of ``my mainframe is better then your mainframe'')

	Mainframes often trail the high end state of the art by a number
	of years.  Their target is NOT people who want ``Superconducting
	Nitrogen Cooled Optical connected thingy-ma-gigs''.  Factors such
	as MTBF, Price/performance, Compat-ness with other equipment,
	environmental factors, etc. are important.  Mainframes won't spout 
	the state-of-the-art in hardware parts.  Even so, mainframes
	do represent the state-of-the-art in performance, MTBF, and 
	price/performance for a number of situations.

chongo  /\oo/\
-- 
[views above shouldn't be viewed as Amdahl views, or as views from Amdahl, or
 as Amdahl views views, or as views by Mr. Amdahl, or as views from his house]