🚀 go-pugleaf

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure you write:

>	Ok - can someone please clue me in here: is the Intel/HP baby going to
>be the 686 or 786?  If the answer is the latter (ie 786) then what on earth
>is the 686 supposed to improve on?

According to previous posts, the Intel/HP chip is the 786.  There's an article
in Byte about AMD's 586 (I think) having a CISC->RISC design.  From what's been
posted I believe the Intel 686 will also go to this design.

>I'm beginning to wonder if they will EVER release the PowerPC... why buy it.

Because some people want the best of both Mac and PC.

>	Ok... Q.#2: if that remains the case, which as I understand you wrote
>above as being "any kind of motherboard can handle a DX4 chip provided the chip
>socket has the right amount of pinholes in it...", why is it that there are
>motherboards out there which have, using the DX2 chip for example, been
>"optimised" to run a DX2?  

They have?

>Yes, I DO realise that all DX based chips run 33Mhz
>extrnally no matter what their internal speed is, so I guess what I am really
>asking is "why are there motherboards out there which say they can run a DX2
>chip for example?"  Is it just the amount of pinholes and that's it, or is
>there something more?

Because it's comforting to a perspective buyer that this motherboard can
easily support a DX2, Pentium, or whatever upgrade.  It's probably more for
advertising purposes more than anything else.  For example, why mention that
a car has anti-lock brakes if every new car is moving towards including this
in their design?  Because it gives the user a "warm fuzzy feeling of getting
something extra" at no cost to them.  Simple psychology.

>	And a general question: assuming Origin survives a year from now - and

Assuming IBM survives a year from now ....

I've been waiting a long time for Big Blue and Intel to topple and they still
carry on.  Origin is likely to do the same.

>I guess this has to do with a lot of other soft. companies as well, including
>EA who have released a Pentium-only playable US Navy Fighters (or whatever) -
>will they still be releasing software for ye old 486s?  IF so, please give me
>reasons why you believe so. Oh, and don't email me either - a post will do. :-)

They'll do it for awhile yet, I think.  Why?  Most of the PCs out there are
still Pentiums.  It's like 3-4 years back when the common PC was a 386DX and
the low end being pulled off the market was a 386SX.

>							- Falcon

					Michael Lewchuk
					lew...@cs.UAlberta.CA