[geeks] Microsoft Surface...

[Phil Stracchino]

Patrick Giagnocavo wrote:
> On Jun 5, 2007, at 7:58 AM, Phil Stracchino wrote:
> 
>> I still think it's a terrible shame the i860 machine didn't make it to
>> the marketplace.
> 
> It did, as an embedded CPU for single-task applications like laser 
> printer rendering, etc.

OK, let me clarify my intent:  "[...] the Intel prototype i860 PC didn't
make it to the marketplace as a general-purpose PC".  I was talking
about the i860-based machine, not the i860 CPU itself.  I noted myself
that the i860 itself is still around in embedded applications, as is its
i960 successor.

> ISTR that due to pipeline stalls or some other architectural issue, 
> multi-tasking OSes could not get the full performance out of the CPU.

Never heard that myself.  Even so, it would have had to utterly cripple
the performance of the processor even to just bring the i860's
performance down into the ballpark with the i386 and i486 processors
that were current at the time.  Intel's i860 prototype machine blew the
latest, greatest i486 machines so far into the weeds it was ridiculous.
 If memory serves, the *fastest* i486 at the time was 20MHz, and the
i860 *started* at 100MHz.

My understanding is that the ONLY reason it failed to come to market is
that it had no support for legacy x86 software.  (Though surely with
that much power to play with, an x86 emulator could have been written
that would run x86 software.  The i860 could quite probably have
emulated an i486 faster than a real i486.)


-- 
 It's not the years, it's the mileage.
 Phil Stracchino              phil.stracchino at speakeasy.net
 Renaissance Man, Unix generalist, Perl hacker, Free Stater
 Landline: 603-429-0220                Mobile: 603-320-5438