Check this out. Remember when I mentioned my wish for Apple to use the AlphaAXP when DEC died?
-------------------------------------------- Matt Lafleur Apple's move to Intel designed chips caught me by surprise a much as anyone. I was certain that Apple would use Intel to build PowerPC chips in the same way Apple moved AltiVec to IBM designs. The move to Intel designs for laptops designs make sense as the M series are a superior design to desktop Pentiums (NetBurst, heat, hide design problems with clock speed, yada yada) The move to Intel for desktop machines seems foolish on it face until you look at the time frame for their integration into the high-end Macs. High-end Macs migrate to Intel LAST at the end of two years. What is happening in 2 years at Intel? That appears to be the timeframe for the release of a chip designed by a very NON-Intel design team. Specifically, the old DEC Alpha team. If anyone remembers DEC Alpha's they were the fastest processors available in the 90's. Consistently outperforming everything. 64-bit, multiprocessor from day one with a very elegant, efficient design. DEC was, unfortunately, a foundering company with a very 70's management style and vision. As a result a superior chip design lost in the market place. Compaq knew even less than DEC so the design team jumped ship. HP was even more clueless. For several years now Peter Bannon and his old Alpha design team (over 300 of them) have been working on Intel's next generation 64-bit designs. Their first design for Intel, not-polluted by previous Intel in-house missteps, is planned for a 2007 release. Interesting timing is it not. Here is some background: * "Intel's Tanglewood pumped full of DEC Alpha goodness <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/07/10/intels_tanglewood_pumped_full/> " * "Intel Appoints New Fellow <http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20030702corp.htm> " * "Mister Tanglewood tapped as Intel Fellow <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/07/02/mister_tanglewood_tapped_as_intel/> " * "Intel's 64-bit Man Appointed 'Fellow' Status <http://boston.internet.com/news/article.php/2231171> " Apple's high end machines may be running on an Intel CPU but it may be unlike any other Intel cpu seen before. Designed by a team that has been producing elegant, efficient designs (two words not used to describe Intel designs) a more than a decade before IBM had a 64-bit desktop design. -------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: Vintage Macs [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joost van de Griek Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 3:05 AM To: Vintage Macs Subject: Re: Oh my....... Intel CPU's??? [snip] -- Vintage Macs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> Vintage Macs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/vintage.macs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
