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RE: [TCLUG:3420] MIPS is dead



> On Fri, 15 Jan 1999, Bob Tanner wrote:
>
> > I think the world will got Intel, followed closely by Mercer. Most of
> > the other chips will be relegated to niche markets.
>
> This pretty much describes the current situation, and I agree with you
> that it will continue.
>
> Does this bother anyone? Any feelings on the x86 clone makers? (I bought
> an AMD specifically to avoid buying Intel.)
>

	I have to say, I don't fret as much about Intel as I do Microsoft.
AMD/Cyrix et al have shown that there's plenty to be done by way of direct
competition, and AMD is poised to be a real contender in the cheap home PC
market -- Intel's been losing ground there thanks to inexpensive clone
processors -- whereas you don't see GenericOS 98 (99.7% Windows Compatible!)
at your local Best Buy.

	And I must say that while Intel certainly is no technological hero (Pentium
bug anyone?) their products provide good power at the right price, and I
think they'll be perceived as the pacesetter for desktop computing for quite
a while.  I don't think they're wholly to blame for MIPS' demise, though.
MIPS has been on the way out for some time, and SGI hasn't really been
pushing to save it.
	I think we'll see Alphas around for some time to come.  I'm eagerly
awaiting Merced, of course (who owns that, anyways?  Last I heard, it was
some kind of HP/Intel consortium... Is that right?).  And I'm also curious
what's going to come out of IBM with their next-gen copper PowerPC chips --
they supposedly run considerably cooler than conventional chips at very high
speeds -- could bring laptop supercomputing considerably closer to reality.