@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@ @
@ ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' @
@ Gigabyte GrapeVine @
@ @
@ Magazine @
@ , , , , , , , , , , @
@ @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Vol. 2, Issue 04 (c)1996 GKM Journals Apr. 1997
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
This month's GrapeVine was acquired from segments of
information and articles published in selected computer and
electronics industry trade publications in addition to
several online sources. The information contained within is
comprised mostly of factual information, editorial comments,
and a few rumors from the electronics industry in general.
Each month, we will try to focus on items of interest related
to the computer/electronics industries as they become news-
worthy, and hopefully, the GrapeVine' will be both in-
formative and entertaining to our readers.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Topical Index:
- 01. Microsoft kept busy again exterminating bugs
- 02. 3Com Corp. acquires U.S. Robotics
- 03. Intel continues to invest in higher education
- 04. HSP modems to arrive from PC-Tel
- 05. Some software is just too much of a good thing
- 06. Another threat to flat-rate Internet service
- 07. Got a question? Call the answer people
- 08. New rewritable CD-ROMs ready for market
- 09. More delays for Windows NT 5.0 debut
- 10. Microsoft is playing games with 3.11 prices
- 11. Packard Bell and NEC are playing the name game
- 12. Fujitsu and Mitsubishi support Rambus DRAM platform
- 13. PC industry takes up arms to thwart hijackings
- 14. Taiwanese vendors want their cut of the 56-Kbit/s market
- 15. Philips gains partners for TriMedia chips
- 16. CD-ROM drives could hit the 40X speed mark
- 17. Office 97 contains some handy features
- 18. Internet Explorer 4.0 available for free
- 19. GTE's unlimited Internet access service is thriving
- 20. A Twister hits the Web... by way of Compact Devices
- 21. Windows 97 by 1998... maybe
- 22. Flaw discovered in Rockwell modem chip
- 23. PC Medic, for a healthy PC
- 24. Acer and TI sign a deal for notebook computers
- 25. Another showdown between AMD and Intel
- 26. But the Alpha chip may steal the thunder
- 27. The Bottom Line
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/// MICROSOFT DODGES IE AND OTHER BULLETS ///
The wire services, mass media, and online services had reported
on March 4th that there was a bug in Microsoft Internet Explorer
versions 3.01 and earlier, which could allow an unscrupulous
Internet Webmaster to access and possibly damage files on a
user's PC while connected online.
Tests done by one online source found that the bug only affects
the Windows 95 and NT operating systems because of the structure
of their "Shortcut" file access feature. It was noted that if
the user did not modify or custom install the Windows 95/NT
applications, his or her PC would be vulnerable to the online
tampering because of the common location and addresses of
certain applications within those operating systems.
As stated by one source, it would only be a matter of some basic
guesswork by the Webmaster as to where those applications are
located. Microsoft however, immediately stepped up to bat and
announced that they would provide a "fix" for the problem that
would be available for downloading from their Web site within
48-hrs. (from March 3).
Tests conducted using Netscape Navigator and other non-Microsoft
browsers failed to exhibit any vulnerability to the online
tampering enigma.
One other minor peril that befell Microsoft last month did not
get the mass media attention that the IE bug received, but it
could be considered to be just as serious, if not more so...
Two bugs were discovered in MS-Internet Information Server 3.0,
one of which allows [users] to view the contents of script-based
files stored on the IIS 3.0 application. Information such as
the passwords of other users and databases containing their
names or other confidential information could be viewed.
The other problem, as disclosed in a trade magazine, allowed
hackers in Germany to demonstrate that a Microsoft "ActiveX"
control could activate Intuit's Quicken or Microsoft's own
Microsoft Money financial program and enable funds to be
transferred out of a bank account!
As disclosed by one industry source, the bugs are activated when
a period (.) is entered at the end of a URL (uniform resource
locator), which defines documents or services on Internet Web
pages. Instead of running the text or script, the server
displays the scripts own contents.
The fix for the problem involves the removal of the "read
permission" from the server's Virtual Directory, which can be
performed by most value-added resellers who have experience
with IIS 3.0. The resellers can obtain more information by
checking with Microsoft's new "Security Advisor" Web page,
which was set up solely to handle the recent set of
miscalculations by the software vendor.
One bullet that Microsoft may not be able to dodge involves
what the rumor mills say is an intentional security loop-hole
built into Windows 95.
It seems that the National Security Agency was so concerned
with people using their own e-mail encryption programs, such as
PGP and others, that they persuaded Bill Gates to write-in a
subroutine within Windows 95 that locates your encryption key
and allows it to be sent to the NSA along with your encrypted
message.
If you use DOS or the older Windows 3.x operating systems, your
encryption is supposed to be safe. In a related matter... one
source alleged that the Registration Wizard in Win. 95 is what
allows Microsoft to snoop around in your hard drive while you
are online using MS-Internet Explorer. IF these allegations are
true, a class-action suit against Microsoft could result.
As a temporary security measure against the MS-IE snooping
problem, it has been suggested that Windows 95 users rename
their Registration Wizard file and see what happens. If system
or applications errors occur, then you will have to restore the
old filename.
The anonymous source did not indicate whether Windows NT had
been engineered with the same tattle-tale subroutines, but it
would be my guess that NT would also contain the intentional
security breaches.
/// NETWORK HARDWARE MAKER TO BUY U.S. ROBOTICS ///
Last month, 3Com Corp. agreed to acquire U.S. Robotics in a deal
that involves $6.6 billion in stock.
With the computer networking expertise of 3Com combined with the
track record achieved by U.S. Robotics in the computer modem
market, analysts are predicting the combined organization could
generate over $5 billion in annual sales.
The proposed acquisition is expected to be finalized by the end
of this year or the first quarter of next year.
/// INTEL CONTINUES ITS INVESTMENTS IN ACADEMIA ///
In last month's GRAPEVINE, we recounted Intel Corp.'s $7 million
donation to Rice University. This generosity to institutions
of higher-learning by the chip maker appears to be an ongoing
process.
As disclosed by a March 5 story in one trade publication, Intel
has donated a total of $9 million worth of chip manufacturing
equipment to as many as 20 community colleges and universities
across the country.
A company spokesman said that the equipment will be used in
simulations of high-tech manufacturing procedures to be con-
ducted within the selected schools.
/// HSP MODEMS FROM PC-TEL ///
PC-Tel Inc. said last month that it will soon launch its HSP
(host-signal processing) 56-Kbit/sec. modem, which is designed
to take advantage of the computing power of the Pentium micro-
processor.
The HSP modem, also referred to as a software modem, can
cut the cost of telecommunications by using circuitry within
the Pentium chip rather than depending on an additional DSP
(digital signal processor) as used in most modern-day modems.
PC-Tel's PCT388 modem "software" is packaged in a chip set
comprised of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)
and a codec (compression/ decompression) chip from SGS Thomson.
The lower power consumption and small size of the unit make it
ideal for notebook and portable computers as well as desktop
systems. Another selling feature affirmed by PC-Tel is that
the PCT388 modem will support a wide variety of operating
systems including Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows NT, OS/2,
and the new Windows CE for portable computers.
A wholesale cost of $30 has been posted for sales to equipment
manufacturers who will buy the chip set in lots of 10,000.
/// TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING ///
If you are like me, you may have asked yourself the question...
Why are all the leading software suites bundled so full of
features that are so seldom used?
A combined survey conducted by Computer Reseller News (CRN)
and The Gallop Organization evidenced that I am not alone in my
thinking. 400 resellers were contacted between January 1 and
February 1, to get their input to this query, and it was found
that 35 percent of software users only utilize from 1 to 29
percent of the total functions bundled within the most prominent
suites. Of the resellers themselves, only one percent of those
responding to the survey claim to use 90 to 100 percent of the
features. These figures have enticed some software vendors to
re-think their bundling habits. Corel, for instance, will
continue to cover a wide user base without maxing-out on the
bells & whistles and shipping software that seems overwhelming
to its users.
According to spokespersons from both Corel and Lotus Development
Corp., they take into consideration the feedback from their
resellers and end users as to what features and functionality
should be built into or rejected when designing their products.
Much of the developmental demand centers around Internet inter-
activity.
Rather than dwelling on the idea of keeping up with Microsoft,
Corel has in fact offered hypertext links for almost six years
now, a feature that Microsoft has just gotten around to by
adding it to its Office 97 suite.
66 percent of those responding to the survey were value-added
resellers and systems/network integrators who sell Internet
and intranet hardware, software and service solutions on a wide
scale.
CRN noted that the margin of error in the poll is considered to
be plus or minus 6 percent.
/// FLAT RATE LONGEVITY THREATENED ///
If the lamentations of the local telephone companies are heard
by the Federal Communications Commission, the popular flat-
rate pricing plans now offered by many Internet Web providers
could suddenly vanish, as noted in one report from Washington.
The FCC was seeking public opinion on the issue during the early
weeks of February, and according to the Washington story, had
its E-mailbox flooded with more than 80,000 messages.
It is the consensus of opinion within the telecommunications
industry that the consumer would be the biggest loser if the
FCC were to side with the local phone companies in their plea
for interstate access charges being applied to Internet usage.
Most Internet service providers (ISPs) operate on a thin margin,
and any increase in their costs would have to be passed on to
the end user.
The Regional Bell operating companies are asking for metered
Internet usage. They contend that the long duration of many
Internet calls are tying up their networks.
One of the larger Internet providers, Bell South Corp., Atlanta,
Georgia, has already abandoned the unlimited flat-rate plan in
favor of a 10 hour Internet service for $9.95 per month. Bell-
South officials do not believe in the metered usage concept,
and stated that technical solutions should be implemented for
the long term solution.
As of March 3, no official word had come down from the FCC as
to where the agency stands on the issue.
/// THE ANSWER PEOPLE ///
You can ask them anything on any subject, and the odds are they
will come up with the correct answer within 24 hours... but it
will cost you.
Answers.com, on the World Wide Web, is affectionately called the
human-powered search engine by its CEO, Clem Izzi because unlike
other search engines on the Web, Answers.com employs a global
network of human "answer advisors" that field questions 24 hours
a day, and will typically come up with a correct answer within
24 hours. Along with the summary to your questions, their
people will point out other sites that will have more info
on your chosen topic or topics.
The amount you pay for your answer is directly related to the
complexity of the question and the depth of research involved
to provide the answer. A simple question such as... (What is
the fastest airplane in the world?)... would cost about two
dollars. If someone would ask for... (a list of all the
components required to connect a local area network for 12
computers)... that would cost them close to $6. A question
involving multiple computations or several avenues of research
would cost somewhat more ie... (What is the amount of money
spent each year in the automotive industry on the maintenance
of their sales offices as compared to that of the home appliance
industry.)
If you have the need for a fresh and original answer on any
topic, and you think it's worth a few bucks, you might want to
point your browser to: [http://www.answers.com]
/// REWRITABLE (CD-RW) DRIVES ARE READY ///
CD Rewritable (CD-RW) drives have arrived on the scene, and
according to an industry report from San Jose, Calif. last
month, Ricoh Corp. was the first one to market.
The CD-RW drives differ from the present CD-R (CD-Recordable)
CD-ROM units in that the new drives have the capability to
write and rewrite over the media disk, where the former drives
could only write once to the disk.
Richo's offering will sell for $599, and operates in 2x mode
when writing and 6x mode while reading. One other selling
point for the CD-RW format is that it is backward-compatible
with older CD-ROM drives and forward-compatible with the up-
coming digital video disk (DVD) machines.
Sources predict that by the second half of this year or the
first half of 1998, other companies such as Sony Electronics,
Philips Electronics, and Hewlett-Packard will be offering their
versions of the CD-RW drive.
/// WINDOWS NT 5.0 DELAYS CONTINUE ///
Reports of more delays continued last month as Microsoft Corp.
seems to be scratching its corporate head while pondering the
decision whether to release two versions of NT 5.0 or just one.
Un-official sources hinted that the software giant might roll
out one version of NT 5.0 loaded with a multitude of features,
geared mainly for the enterprise server market, and a lesser
endowed package for small business operations. In either case,
the beta version will not show up until sometime this summer,
while the marketable product will not be available until 1998.
/// WINDOW CLEANING ///
When you are the world's largest software monopoly, and you
find that one of your more ancient products is still out selling
one of your newer and more expensive applications, you might do
what Microsoft is doing.
It seems that Windows 3.11 is still dominating the sales charts
for corporate operating systems at the rate of 74 percent as
compared to Windows 95's poor showing at only 19 percent. These
statistics were compiled by Forrester Research Inc., and reflect
what Microsoft should have known all along.
Because of this, Microsoft is increasing its user license fees
for Windows 3.11 by almost double the previous price in an
effort to compel equipment makers to offer only the 32-bit
Windows 95 operating system, and abandon the popular "dual-
install" program adopted when corporate customers bulked at
upgrading to the massive and somewhat flawed 95 O/S.
With Windows 3.11 dead and gone, Microsoft will then be able to
get its Windows 95, 97, and Windows NT corporate sales off the
ground, as noted by one industry source last month.
Microsoft officials are denying the alleged plan to kill 3.11
sales by doubling its license fee, and claim they will support
the venerable operating system as long as there is a customer
demand for it.
/// THE NAME GAME ///
It's been a year since Packard Bell and NEC Corp. merged their
PC businesses, but now NEC, the Japanese parent company wants
to go back to separate brand names to target specific markets.
NEC would prefer to market the NEC/Packard Bell PC line as a
"home" PC while targeting the business trade with its NEC trade name.
According to a report from Tokyo last month, both the
home PC line and the business desktop computers will be built
at the Packard Bell facility located in Sacramento, California
and the Bull Groupe plant in Anges, France. NEC's laptop PC
line will be manufactured at its Faife, Washington plant.
/// FUJITSU AND MITSUBISHI JOIN RAMBUS CLUB ///
Two of the remaining holdouts to the Rambus DRAM technology
that is being pushed by Intel Corp. have accepted the fact that
market demands for the platform will soon have to be met by the
dynamic-RAM (DRAM) suppliers.
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Fujitsu Ltd. both acknowledged
at a recent press conference that they must prepare to have
Rambus chips ready to meet the Intel ultrafast memory standard
by the end of 1999 or early 2000.
Most Japanese DRAM suppliers are now developing the Rambus II
architecture that supports a clock rate of 400-Mhz and a double
data rate of 800-Mhz. NEC Corp. has already put the technology
to use with its 18-Mbit Rambus DRAM chip, which is used in the
Nintendo 64-bit game machine. Production of the NEC chip is
running at about 1.5 million pieces per month.
Some DRAM suppliers feel that Intel is forcing them to adopt
the Rambus technology because of they are calling for a
direct interface protocol between the microprocessor and the
system memory. Intel supposedly adopted the Rambus platform
because it felt that there was no other solution for the very
high-speed memory requirements that will soon be demanded within
the computer industry.
/// HAVE SHOTGUN... WILL TRAVEL ///
Among the increased measures in security taken by high-tech
electronics manufacturers in the face of the escalated incidents
of armed robbery and hijacking, they have hired their own armed
guards to ride shotgun with their trucks.
It appears that the disk drive industry is getting hit the
hardest of late. Last December, a truck picking up cargo at a
Southern California airport was robbed at gunpoint and $5
million worth of disk drives were lost in a matter of minutes.
In a previous robbery, the same trucking company was hit for a
$3 million payload of computer components.
Western Digital Corp. lost about $6 million when one of its
truck drivers fell victim to an armed robbery in January. The
Western Digital piracy was the most recent in a string of armed
takeovers within a six-month period. Although the areas of
Southern California, New York, New Jersey, and Miami, Florida
have been hit quite frequently, the problem is worldwide, as
noted in the March 10 issue of Electronic Buyers' News.
Quantum lost a total of $7.5 million of its cargo when one of
its trucks was hijacked as it left the airport in Dublin,
Ireland.
The electronics industry's manufacturing groups and many law
enforcement agencies are now working together and sharing
information in an attempt to come up with some preventative
measures. Security personnel from 27 electronics manufacturers
and 47 law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, met during
a seminar in Milpitas, Calif. two months ago to compare ideas.
The market for the stolen goods seems to be located mostly in
South America, where the large volume of legitimate trade in
high-tech goods make it difficult to track down the illegal
traffic.
/// TAIWANESE VENDORS LAUNCH INTO 56-KBIT/S ARENA ///
With predictions of a rosy future the emerging 56-Kbit/s modem
market, the Taiwanese modem vendors are reportedly ramping up
production of their counterpart units of the U.S. modem makers.
Of the major modem producers in Taiwan, GVC Corp., Archtec
Telecom Corp., and CIS Technology Inc. seem to have taken the
lead with sample runs of high-speed 56-Kbit/second computer
modems. These Internet-ready devices could boost Taiwan's
share of the world modem market to above its 41 percent share
earned last year, according to analysts.
The U.S modem vendors may suffer a disadvantage from the stand-
point of price, as the Taiwanese can produce very similar units
at significantly lower cost. With the market forecast of 12
million units to be shipped this year, and an estimated growth
to 35 million modems going to market in 1998, the stakes will
be high.
/// PHILIPS HAS PARTNERS FOR TRI-MEDIA CHIPS ///
Philips Semiconductors has worked out a licensing strategy with
a select number of partners for its low-power media processor
chip called TriMedia.
The new processor is designed for notebook and other portable
computers as well as the dawning $1,000 network computers.
/// 40X CD-ROM DRIVE IS POSSIBLE ///
Somewhere down the road, CD-ROM drives could be revving up to
speeds In the range of 40X, thanks to a new drive controller
developed by Oak Technology Inc.
The CAV (constant-angular-velocity) controller produced by Oak
has paved the way for 40X CD-ROM drives, according to an EBN
(Electronic Buyers' News) report.
EBN went on to explain that the initial 1X speed rating is an
arbitrary figure representing the speed of an audio CD player,
and that the faster CD-ROM drives used in multimedia computer
applications must spin down to that 1X speed when reading an
audio track. To complicate things more, the technology of
present CD-ROM drives requires that the rotation of the disk
be adjusted to compensate for the difference in linear velocity
between the outer tracks and the inner tracks when data is
being read.
On a 16X drive, for example, the older constant linear velocity
(CLV) technology requires the drive motor to constantly change
speed to keep the linear velocity of the outside tracks from
exceeding that of the inside tracks. The new controller from
Oak will eliminate this constant fluctuation in rotational
speed, which in addition to becoming more efficient, will save
a lot of wear-and-tear on the drive motor.
/// SOME HANDY FEATURES BUNDLED IN OFFICE 97 ///
The new Small Business Edition of Microsoft's "Office 97" has
some handy attributes built into the Do-It-All software
ensemble, as described in a promotional brochure I found In the
mail.
The first thing to catch my eye was an item called "Automap
Streets Plus," which allows you to keep track of the location of
customers, vendors, or other contacts. The maps that can be
drawn and printed would be another valuable aid to the frequent
traveler. I also like the "Publisher 97" feature, which is a
desktop publisher applette, complete with its own library of
5,000 clip-art and photo images.
"Microsoft Outlook" lets you manage all your E-mail and other
communications files, and allows you to jump from your fax to
the Internet and back with just a click of the mouse. The
"Excel 97" spreadsheet and "Small Business Financial Planner"
can aid in monthly financial tracking and reporting chores,
while the "Word 97" word processor takes care of the office
memo and formal letter writing tasks.
The Office 97 suite must be run on the Windows 95 or Windows NT
operating systems, and is advertised as an upgrade version for
Office 95 users. The price (after rebate) is $199.
An online demo can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/office
/97sbe on the World Wide Web.
/// MICROSOFT IE-4 FOR FREE ///
The Windows 95 version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.0 is
available for downloading as a pre-beta release on the MS Web
site at: http:///www.microsoft.com/ie
The CRN test center found the pre-beta version, which is one
part communications application, one part personal information
software, and one part browser, to be very heavy in the browser
department.
In the opinion of the CRN testers, Microsoft apparently wanted
to get rid of the Windows 95 look of the desktop by making it
a full-time browser. It was also noted in the story that Micro-
soft is promoting IE-4 as a "Platform Preview," and installation
should be limited to test systems only. The finished product is
expected to be released in late spring or by early summer.
IE-4 will be loaded with features such as: Outlook Express,
which is a trimmed-down Outlook 97 messaging system; NetMeeting
conferencing tool; NetShow broadcasting utility; FrontPad
authoring application; Personal Web Server for Web page pub-
lication; and some lesser programs for scheduling and multi-
media chores.
/// GTE UNLIMITED ACCESS IS ALIVE AND WELL ///
In spite of the reports of possible fees or taxes being levied
by the FCC upon Internet Service Providers, and the complaints
of other ISP's that the unlimited access classification is not
cost effective, GTE Corp. is trying to book as many subscribers
as it can to its nationwide Internet access program.
GTE's unlimited Internet service began last July, and has grown
to over 100,000 customers. The company's plans to expand its
customer base from 120 local market areas to 381 by this July
is an aggressive strategy to say the least.
An "introductory" price of $17.95 per month for unlimited
Internet access is in the offering to any subscriber signed up
for both the GTE Internet access program and GTE long-distance
telephone service. The discount offer will stand for one year,
at the end of which, the rate is expected to return to the
standard $19.95 per month.
/// A TWISTER HITS THE WEB ///
A new product introduced by Compact Devices Inc. called the
Twister Intranet Server is expected to take the small corporate
server business by storm.
The device, which is about the size of an external modem, can
handle document sharing and publishing over the Internet and
corporate intranets. Company workgroups that are not able to
contend with the technical hassle of Web server management
through Windows NT or Unix will be able to just plug in the
Twister and let it ride.
Twister's unique hardware and software package requires no
maintenance, according to a Compact spokesman. The Twister can
be put through its paces by anyone familiar with a browser.
A 1.2-Gbyte hard drive is installed in Twister and a port for an
external storage device is also provided. Web site development
wizards and templates installed in Twister work in concert with
Claris Home Page and Net-It-Now applications to make Web site
development an easy task for the less experienced information
service department personnel.
Compact has set the selling price for Twister at $995.
/// WINDOWS 97 BECOMES WINDOWS 98 ///
Evidently mighty Microsoft Corp. thinks that playing the name
game will divert some attention away from the fact that Windows
97 will not happen in 1997.
First known by its code name "Memphis," Windows 97 will be sold
sometime in 1998 as "Windows 9x," according to one trade report.
Pandered as the first full-blown upgrade to Windows 95, Memphis
is supposed to include support for some new PC Plug and Play
hardware and a "self maintaining" attribute that will enable it
to locate, download, and install its own updates and add-ons
directly from the Internet. Improvements to the Windows
registry and power-management features are also in the works.
Sources have also indicated that any new release of Windows NT
will also be delayed until 1998.
/// FLAW DISCOVERED IN ROCKWELL'S 56-KBIT/S CHIPS ///
Some trouble surfaced for Rockwell Semiconductor Systems on
March 14, when the company announced a delay in volume prod-
uction of its ROM-based modem chip sets.
A noticeable loss in throughput of about 5K-Bits/s under certain
circumstances was discovered by Motorola technicians, who then
called for a suspension of sales of its K56Flex series modems.
For reasons not disclosed, the problem is only prevalent in
certain geographical regions. Rockwell officials said only
that the required "adjustments" to the DSP (digital signal
processor) code were made on March 16, and the revised code
will be burned into new silicon chips. Volume production of
the 56-Kbit/s chip sets was to have begun during the week of
March 23.
/// PRESCRIPTION FOR A HEALTHY PC ///
In addition to its line of software protection against computer
viruses, McAffe has also introduced a product called PC Medic
97, which will both diagnose and repair a host of problems
associated with Windows 95.
Solutions to problems with Microsoft Office 95 and related PC
hardware obstacles are also addressed by PC Medic 97, which is
now available for $65.
/// ACER AND TI STRIKE A DEAL ///
Acer Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. are finalizing a deal
whereby Acer would acquire TI's notebook PC business.
As rationalized by a top Acer official, the additional sales
anticipated from the notebook business will help the company
overcome its faltering rate of growth.
/// ANOTHER AMD/INTEL SHOWDOWN ///
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is betting on its newest processor,
the K6, to prove once and for all that the company can be
recognized as leading the way instead of just following in the
shadow of Intel Corp.
Rather than coming in a close second, the K6 chip will cruise
along at 233-Mhz on the clock. That little burst of speed is
about 15 percent faster than the swiftest Intel chip now on the
market, the 200-Mhz Pentium Pro.
The K6 should roll out by the first week of this month, and will
be available in 166-, 200-, and 233-Mhz speed grades. At a
later date, a 266-Mhz version is expected to ship, according to
sources.
PC equipment makers are being advised that the price structure
at AMD is designed to offer them a cost savings of at least 25
percent as compared to Pentium Pro processors of corresponding
speed rates. When compared to the Pentium II, the analysts
said that the cost savings margin would be closer to 30 percent
or more.
Wholesale prices for the K6 are slated at $244, $349, and $469
for the 166-Mhz, 200-Mhz, and 233-Mhz chips respectively.
/// THE ALPHA CHIP ALSO LOOKS PROMISING TO PC MAKERS ///
In a story from San Mateo, California last month, it was
conveyed that the Alpha microprocessor is about to attack the
Intel-dominated home PC market.
Misubishi Electric Corp., Digital Semiconductor, and Samsung
Semiconductor Inc. will all acquire the Alpha 21164PC chip,
which is claimed to out shine the Intel Pentium Pro in both
speed and cost effectiveness.
Three initial clock speeds will be available in the 21164PC
chip: 400-, 466-, and 533-Mhz, which makes the Intel lineup
appear somewhat diminutive with its present highest clockspeed of only 233.
Unofficially, there is a 600-Mhz 21164PC Alpha chip in the
works that should be ready to hit the market in the very near
future.
The Alpha processor takes into consideration that most PC
applications are written specifically for Intel-based
processors, so they have had to emulate and then translate x86
instructions into Alpha code. This conversion process could
cause a possible impediment in system performance, according to
some experts, but Digital researchers are saying that there are
over 1,800 applications already written for the Alpha chip,
with no recorded loss in performance. They went on to say that
even the applications that are not written specifically for the
Alpha chip, a system using the 21164PC processor will at least
match the performance of a Pentium Pro.
One source said that the 21164PC chip can better handle MPEG-2
video processing than its Intel counterparts through the use
of Digital's Motion Video Instruction (MVI) code. MPEG stands
for-- Motion Picture Experts Group.
A price breakdown for the 21164PC, which is now in sample
production, shows the Digital 400-Mhz offering at $295, $395
for a 466-Mhz version, and $495 for the 533-Mhz speedster.
Mitsubishi will sell the same three speed rates at $345,$445,
and $545 respectively, while Samsung officials only commented
that they will offer their Alpha chips at competitive prices.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
/// The Bottom Line ///
A time for renewal...
Ah, Spring! Truly a time for renewal and reflection on one's
personal life. I for one, have found the Easter season to be
a much better time for self evaluation and renewal of meaningful
commitments than the traditional New Year's resolutions.
In addition to the spiritual importance of Easter and Passover,
this holiday season brings with it the promise of another
Spring, and the rejuvenation of nature that God has continued to
provide over all the years. That alone is a sign of hope in a
world that otherwise seems to have gone insane.
If we can pause just long enough to take a deep breath, and
for a moment, block out the tragic headlines about the Oklahoma
bombing trial and other testimonies of man's inhumanity against
mankind, and offer a prayer requesting the wisdom to find a way
that we can help others overcome these tragedies, this Spring
may very well bring forth the renewal of the human spirit, along
with that which is promised by nature.
Warmest Springtime Regards,
==========================
Gary Miller