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Date: Wed, 15 Nov 95 18:57:08 -0600
Apple, IBM, Motorola PowerPC Group Issues Blueprint for a Common Computer
By JIM CARLTON Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
LAS VEGAS -- The long-delayed effort to create a common computer that can run different operating systems and software passed a major milestone with the issuance of a technical blueprint for potential manufacturers.
Such a computer has been the holy grail of a coalition formed five years ago by Apple Computer Inc., International Business Machines Corp. and Motorola Inc. The coalition successfully developed a chip, called the PowerPC, around which it hopes to build computers that could run Apple's Macintosh operating system, Microsoft Corp.'s Windows NT operating system and IBM's OS/2 operating system.
Such machines, loaded with both NT and the Mac system, would enable computer users to run virtually any software; current machines usually run a single operating system and applications specifically designed only for that system. Manufacturers, on the other hand, could realize some cost savings by making computers that can reach a larger market.
Robert Stephenson, the new head of IBM's personal computer division, said the struggling operation will buy more internal parts from outside companies and contract out some manufacturing to cut costs and get products to market faster.
The technical specifications issued Tuesday at the Comdex computer show here by the PowerPC coalition provide a map for manufacturers and software developers to follow to build a common computer platform. But that platform is arriving awfully late. The coalition's goal has been to provide a strong alternative to personal computers running Microsoft software and Intel Corp. microprocessors; this "Wintel" standard dominates about 80% of the market. But the PowerPC initiative has been hampered by delays that analysts say have involved IBM's internal confusion over which software system to support and Motorola's inability to quickly produce PowerPC chips in volume quantities.
The Wintel platform, meanwhile, has continued to grow by leaps and bounds on strong demand for Microsoft's new Windows 95 operating system and Intel's new Pentium microprocessor. Indeed, Intel has been making such advances in its Pentium technology that it has all but erased the advantage PowerPC was supposed to have in terms of lower price and greater performance.
Windows 95 also narrows the ease-of-use lead of Apple Computer's Macintosh system, which will be a key part of the new platform. The Cupertino, Calif., computer maker is currently the only volume shipper of PowerPC machines, and itself has struggled under supply problems.
Since volume shipments of computers following the new platform, or blueprint, aren't expected until 1997, analysts say the coalition stands to lose even more valuable time. "If they had had this platform from day one, that would have been great," said Nathan Brookwood, an analyst at Dataquest Inc., market researchers in San Jose, Calif.
Moreover, computer experts aren't sure users want more than one operating system. Apple currently offers a computer with chips that run both the Mac and Windows operating systems, but it isn't a big seller.
Still, analysts give PowerPC a fighting chance to pick up a few percentage points of the world's PC market share if the coalition can build the platform without major hitches. "We've had a vision," said Anthony Santelli, general manager of IBM's Power Personal Systems group. "Now comes the time at which we have to talk about executing that vision."
Mr. Santelli told reporters IBM intends to license Apple's Macintosh system for use in its machines for the platform, which are also due in next year's latter half. That announcement was expected, since IBM has long backed a versatile PC that can run a "flavor" of operating systems, including its own floundering OS/2 system.
Analysts say customers might well tell IBM they want to use the Macintosh system more than OS/2, compelling Big Blue to become an all-out Mac cloner. Apple could also move beyond the Mac to Windows NT, helping it better compete in the corporate markets where it is weak.
Nikkei Sangyo, 11/2/95
IBM Japan has signed a distributorship agreement with
Kanematsu Semiconductor to expand sales of IBM :hp2.Powerpc :ehp2.
microprocessors. Kanematsu will market MPUs, multimedia-related
ICs, ASICs, memory chips, and boards, aiming for first- and
third-year sales of 1 billion yen ($9.7 mil) and over 6 billion
yen ($58.3 mil), respectively. IBM Japan inked a similar
agreement with Hakuto in May 1994, but IBM product sales
accounted only for about 1% of HAKUTO's electronic component
sales of 38.1 billion yen ($370.0 mil) in fiscal 1994. Kanematsu
achieved fiscal 1994 sales of 27.7 billion yen ($269.0 mil), with
semiconductors accounting for over 80%.
Business Wire, November 2, 1995, Thursday
"OS/2 for the :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.(PPC) is the next generation for many of our customers. It will offer substantial performance gains particularly in the high-end server workstation market. We have a long-term commitment to OS/2 because it is a rock solid and robust operating system," said Terry Golesworthy, president of Intelligent Environments. "We have over 250,000 end users worldwide using AM-developed client/server applications. We have supported the OS/2 environment for over seven years and our customers use AM for its abundant capabilities and our unfailing commitment and support of their chosen operating system, OS/2."
Golesworthy added that, "AM is typically used in major mission-critical applications, in many instances incorporating thousands of client users. Especially where scalability is important, we see OS/2 for the PPC as a natural migration for some of our largest customers."
Offering continuity in true scalability, the PPC version of AM is file compatible with the popular Intel version of AM, allowing an effortless migration strategy. Applications developed today with the current version 4.3 of AM will run utilizing all of the functionality of the PPC automatically with no additional changes required. Included in AM for the PPC are the database engine, communications drivers, report writer, On-line debugger and the "C" Interface Developers Kit. Prices start at $ 8,400. Introductory "show special" is $ 4,200.
An international software company, Intelligent Environments
provides unique client/server development tools for strategic
applications in Mission Critical Global Environments. Founded in
1985, the company has helped develop many sophisticated client/server
applications that exploit advanced computing platforms and access to
mainframes. Thousands of the largest commercial and government
organizations worldwide have invested hundreds of millions of dollars
in IE-based client/server applications.
Computergram International Oct 24, 1995
What would you do if you had the money to rebuild the entire personal computer architecture and its operating from scratch and if you said 'to hell with backwards compatibility'? Well that's Menlo Park-based Be Inc has effectively done with its dual :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2. 603-based BeBox which has a new hardware architecture, a new operating system and a new vision of exactly what a multimedia personal computer should be (CI No 2,764). The company, founded by Jean-Louis Gassee, former president of Apple Computer Inc's product division, intends to make uniprocessor desktop machines a thing of the past. The strange new BeBox device - which is expected to cost about $1,600 (minus screen and keyboard and disk and even memory) - is aimed straight at the multimedia market somewhere between classic personal computer, Internet station, games console, embedded controller and video editing station. The idea, said Gassee, is to produce a completely new machine that is unencumbered by the baggage of supporting existing applications. He talks of it as "a dual processor Amiga done right, using 90s technology." It is a courageous, but risky proposition.
Old baggage
Despite its intention of doing away with old baggage, the BeBox hardware is constructed as far as possible from personal computer standard components for the sake of economy. So there is a PCI bus, with three PCI slots and four AT slots. Expandability is one of the box's strong points, with four serial, a parallel, two joystick and three infra-red ports, plus various audio imports and outputs and a 'Geek port' - a 37-pin connector designed to enable "experimenters and small entrepreneurs" to build things onto the basic machine. This includes power pins, two directional data ports, four analogue to digital pins and four digital to analogue pins. And it is all protected by fuses for when the experimenter tries to blow the thing up. The technophile market is particularly important to Be, said Gassee: "We want to attract the hairy guys...we want to attract the lunatic fringe... they will find the interesting applications." The two-way :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.603 box is only the first of a projected line of machines that are expected to scale up to eight processors and include a laptop. But if you thought the hardware was different, the operating system is even more so. The microkernel-based BeOS operating system contains a built-in object-oriented database, is multi-threaded and pre-emptive, and each window open on the screen has its own thread. Be said the operating system automatically assigns threads to whichever CPU can give the most efficient execution. Moreover, applications can temporarily take over one of the processors for time-critical work, leaving the other to handle the rest of the work. The operating system structure looks rather like IBM Corp's defunct Workplace microkernel architecture - on top of the kernel sit various "servers" that provide low-level services such as the file system and low-level user interface work. On top of the kernel, servers and device drivers sit "software kits," Taligent-esque components for building applications. These C++ building blocks include storage, graphical user interface, media, Musical Instrument Digital Interface, network and device kits. And Gassee says he plans to license the Java language. In a demonstration in France, an executive ran three video applications at the same time as two sound files and was still able to start up new applications without any noticeable delay.
It looks nice, but a proprietary operating system closely tied to proprietary hardware is not exactly flavour of the month with the infor mation technology industry. Why should Be succeed in a market where NeXT Computer Inc had to give up hardware, and where Apple is being battered by falling market share? Gassee said the BeBox hardware is essentially a superset of the Pow erPC industry's standard :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.Reference Platform/Common Hardware Reference Platform architecture, with added input-output capabilit ies, there is little that is prop rietary in it. Moreover he said the company will "do handstands" to acc ommodate Common Hardware Reference Platform manufacturers with dual- processor machines that want to take the operating system. And any manu facturer that wants to build BeBox will be able to license the hardware and software "for $50, and no bull shit" Gassee said. He is already talking to three manufacturers, one US, one Japanese and one European (no, that's not Compagnie des Mach ines Bull SA - yet). The Japanese were particularly attracted to it be cause Windows NT just "doesn't make nipples harden over there" to use Gassee's own picturesque phrase. The company has also adopted a novel bus iness model to try to attract applic ation developers. Not only has it got Metrowerks Inc to produce a vers ion of its Codewarrier tools for the BeBox, but the company also said it will have a demonstrably different attitude towards its developers. One aspect of this is the novel way it intends to allow developers to make use of its Web server to sell their wares. Each BeBox has a hard-wired serial number that can be used for software licensing. Gassee said Be Box shareware developers will be able to put their offerings on the Be Web server. Then to register and buy the software, users will need to elect ronically mail their machine serial number and credit card details. Be Inc, with 22 staff, has spent about $9m getting this far, says Gassee, $1m coming from his own pocket. The rest has been paid out by cash from venture capitalists and firms such as AT&T Corp, Compagnie des Machines Bull SA - and Seymour Cray.
It looks nice, but a proprietary operating system closely tied to proprietary hardware is not exactly flavour of the month with the information technology industry. Why should Be succeed in a market where NeXT Computer Inc had to give up hardware, and where Apple is being battered by falling market share? Gassee said the BeBox hardware is essentially a superset of the :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.industry's standard :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.Reference Platform/Common Hardware Reference Platform architecture, with added input-output capabilities, there is little that is proprietary in it. Moreover he said the company will "do handstands" to accommodate Common Hardware Reference Platform manufacturers with dual-processor machines that want to take the operating system. And any manufacturer that wants to build BeBox will be able to license the hardware and software "for $50, and no bullshit" Gassee said. He is already talking to three manufacturers, one US, one Japanese and one European (no, that's not Compagnie des Machines Bull SA - yet). The Japanese were particularly attracted to it because Windows NT just "doesn't make nipples harden over there" to use Gassee's own picturesque phrase. The company has also adopted a novel business model to try to attract application developers. Not only has it got Metrowerks Inc to produce a version of its Codewarrier tools for the BeBox, but the company also said it will have a demonstrably different attitude towards its developers. One aspect of this is the novel way it intends to allow developers to make use of its Web server to sell their wares. Each BeBox has a hard-wired serial number that can be used for software licensing. Gassee said BeBox shareware developers will be able to put their offerings on the Be Web server. Then to register and buy the software, users will need to electronically mail their machine serial number and credit card details. Be Inc, with 22 staff, has spent about $9m getting this far, says Gassee, $1m coming from his own pocket. The rest has been paid out by cash from venture capitalists and firms such as AT&T Corp, Compagnie des Machines Bull SA - and Seymour Cray.
Hobbit RISC
AT&T's involvement is understandable because originally the machine was intended to use the Hobbit RISC. Be is about to embark on a second round of venture funding and is gathering a syndicate of French investors who will contribute a further $7m and eventually own about 30% of the company - if all goes to plan. So does the Be intend to go up against the likes of Avid Technology Inc - the professional Mac-based video-editing system - with this box? Gassee laughs: "No". But imagine, he said, an old-style IBM pyramidal view of the application market. At the top are the big corporate applications, in the middle sit the departmental apps, while the personal productivity tools sit at the bottom. Avid is at the top of the pyramid, we want to be at the base." It is not a market that really exists at the moment, but then desktop publishing didn't exist before the Macintosh. "And the Scitex operators, the typesetters, looked at the Macs and laughed - but where are they now?" he asked. In addition, the company could well license its technology to Avid competitors. "If you are the number four company competing with Avid, you can ask yourself 'do I want to be on a level playing field and use Mac hardware, or do I want to upset things?'" he said. "We have the ability to upset things." They might too. BeBox information can be found at the company's Web site www.be.com.
403 News
Fishkill, N.Y. (Nov 13, 1995)-- Billing it as a major foray into the consumer chip market, IBM Microelectronics confirmed last week that it will supply the embedded PowerPC for a huge set-top-box order won recently by Thomson Consumer Electronics.
In September, Indianapolis-based Thomson was selected by an interactive-TV alliance to supply up to 3 million wireless set-top boxes. Last week, Thompson selected IBM's 32-bit PowerPC microcontroller for the new box expected to be available in selected markets in 1996.
The embedded PowerPC 403 will run OS/Open, a bare-bones kernel from IBM.
601 News 602 News 603 NewsSubject: First Launch: IRIDIUM(R) System Satellites
Motorola Satellite Communications Group in Chandler, Arizona, will soon launch the first IRIDIUM satellites. As Motorola plans for this much anticipated event, we wanted to give you an update on current launch status.
LAUNCH INFORMATION
Date: NO EARLIER THAN Wednesday, January 8
Time: 5:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time
Location: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Launch Vehicle: McDonnell Douglas Delta II Rocket with three
satellites
Since the launch date may change due to a variety of factors, including weather, we will keep you advised on a regular basis as we have new information. In addition, we will be providing you with an Information Hotline early next week.
In the meantime, we want you to be aware that this first launch represents the first step in building the IRIDIUM constellation. These first three satellites are operational and will be a part of the 66-satellite network. During this initial launch, these satellites will be used to test satellite command and control capabilities and basic hardware and software functionality.
Capabilities including communication with subscriber telephones and pagers and other advanced systems features will be demonstrated in late 1997 as the system build-out progresses.
The IRIDIUM system is a worldwide wireless telecommunications network being designed to provide telephone, paging, facsimile and data services to registered subscribers using handheld telephones and pagers. The 66-satellite network will revolve around the Earth in low-earth orbit, providing continuous worldwide coverage.
News media inquiries should be directed to your organization's public relations officer or referred to John Windolph, director of Iridium marketing and corporate communication, at 202-326-5757.
IRIDIUM is a registered trademark and service mark of Iridium LLC
603ev/166 trounces Pentium/133 on SPECint95 and Byte-int, even when comparing a slighly enhanced note book vs a desktop.
Proc. Pentium Pentium 604 604 603ev MHz 133 133 133 133 166 System Hot box Micron Hot Box Carolina Woodfield+ L2 1M 256K 1M 512K 512K Memory EDO EDO SDRAM DRAM DRAM SPECint95 3.68 - 4.9 4.55 3.93 Byte-int 1.92 2.92 3.37 Byte-fp 1.63 2.97 2.40
All based on preliminary measurements made by Dave Jaffe of PPS performance.
Woodfield is a notebook, the system used here has added cache and more memory.
Even better (+10-15%) results would be expected if the 603ev was placed
in a performance optimized system.
Computergram International Sep 21, 1995
The compact transistor technology that IBM Corp originally unveiled in the 90MHz and 100MHz PowerPC 601+ is being applied to other PowerPC chips. At the Hot Chips conference last month at Stanford University, California, the company said a 166MHz 603e will begin sampling next quarter and production quantities will ship in the first quarter of 1996. SPECint is estimated at 165. If the pattern of development follows that of the 601, then the new, faster 603e should not only be physically smaller than today's chip, it is also likely to draw less power, presaging a generation of faster portable computers, with better battery life. The firm made no mention of any upgraded version of the 604, however, the existence of the '604e', again using the more compact transistor technology, appears to be a very badly kept secret. MacWeek reports that the new version will debut at 150MHz, but expect to see it to go faster in future iterations.
604 News(December 4th 1995) Exponential Technology (PowerPC News 35) claims to have a revolutionary BiCMOS design process that will enable it to build PowerPC chips far faster than anything that IBM or Motorola have in the pipeline. The San Jose, California-based company, backed to the tune of $14m by Apple Computer and a collection of venture capitalists and private individuals, has negotiated the right to build its own PowerPC chip and says that its first product will tape out early next year with volume production following in early '97. Exponential says its PowerPC processors will offer twice the performance of CMOS for the same die size - possibly better. The first processor will be a functional equivalent of the 604, and though the company is being careful not to quote clock speeds, 'twice the performance' would imply a 300MHz-400MHz part. One source outside the company was talking about 700MHz parts last month. The large majority of the chip's logic circuit will be built from bipolar circuitry, with CMOS used for the onboard cache.
Despite early rumours, the company says that it is not involved in building Intel-emulation hardware into its PowerPC clones.
Traditionally, Bipolar silicon technology (as opposed to CMOS), has been the province of mainframe manufacturers - it can switch faster than CMOS, with a consequent improvement in processor clock speeds. Unfortunately bipolar has the reputation of being power-hungry, expensive to manufacture and bulky - CMOS components can be packed more closely on the processor. Consequently, even mainframe manufacturers have switched to CMOS-based processors as these have become faster.
BiCMOS, as used by Intel in its initial Pentium designs, aims to bring the best of both worlds by introducing relatively small amounts of bipolar logic into the speed-critical areas of a CMOS processor. . However, according to Exponential, this approach has its draw-backs. Exponential claims that this conventional bipolar-on- CMOS approach results in a "relatively weak form of bipolar logic suitable only for building small-to-medium size logic functions and driving long wires".
An alternative approach - placing small amounts of CMOS onto a predominantly bipolar chip has languished, mainly because of the previously mentioned size and energy draw-backs. This is a shame since a fast bipolar chip with onboard CMOS cache and support circuitry could be a winner.
Exponential claims to have cracked the problem by discovering a way to design bipolar circuitry roughly equivalent to CMOS in size and energy consumption; in particular, it contends, since CMOS elements tend to grow in size anyway as clock speeds increase. The company has applied for 18 patents covering bipolar design methodologies, tools and also chip packaging. So far eight have been granted.
There is no reason why the process shouldn't be applied to build BiCMOS variants of any microprocessor and if the company manages to deliver on its promises its technology will be attractive to a number of chip makers. However, Exponential CEO, Rick Shriner (formerly VP of core technology at Apple) says that there are no plans to license the technology out, and anyway "we've still got to prove it". No, instead Exponential intends to sell its products on the merchant market, in competition with IBM and Motorola at the high end.
The company does not have its own chip fabrication plant, and is unwilling to divulge who will be making them, other than to say that the fab will be off-shore and the company isn't a US one. The smart money has got to be on Hitachi, which already has some ill-defined deal to build PowerPC processors and has also been banging on about its innovative BiCMOS fabrication technology. (PowerPC News 29/1335). Exponential sales direction Ivonne Valdes, Vice President of Sales denies, however that the company is unduly tied to its nameless manufacturing partner - Motorola and IBM, among others have similar manufacturing capabilities already, she suggests.
Exactly how IBM and Motorola will react to the competition will be interesting to watch; as we went to press they had no comment. Rick Shriner says that relations are very good, but acknowledges that if he had the time he could "talk all year" about the negotiations required to get the rights to build the PowerPC variant. Neither IBM nor Motorola are being forthcoming about their thoughts on Exponential. The third partner in the PowerPC triumvirate, Apple, is obviously delighted at the prospect of competition. It was an original investor in the firm when it was founded in the summer of 1994, and came back for second bite of the cherry in a subsequent funding round. "They were looking for someone to put a flag in the ground" in terms of PowerPC performance.
Exponential's financial footing is nearly as hazy as its initial product plans. $14m has been raised in two rounds of funding - the first round saw Apple accompanied by venture capitalists, Venrock Associates and a group of undisclosed private investors. The second round saw the two companies joined by Itochu, Innotech, Nazem and Co and Woodside fund. One investor is Jean Louis Gassee, ex of Apple and now head of Be Inc. But whether Gassee is involved on Be's behalf, privately or through the Innotech venture company, was not clear as we went to press. To date Exponential says it has spent half of its funds and expects to start a second round of funding after tape-out of its first product next spring.
So can they do it? Exponential themselves point out that the technology is untested, however the names behind it are impressive.The company was founded by George Taylor and Jim Blomgren. Taylor was formerly director of experimental architecture at Sun Microsystems Laboratories, Blomgren also worked at Sun Labs on ECL SPARC processor design and at Chips and Technology on 386/486 processors. Exponential's Chairman Gordon Campbell was also at Chips and Technology - as CEO. (c) PowerPC News - free by mailing add@power.globalnews.com
620 NewsDiep, T.A. Nelson, C. Shen, J.P.
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Proceedings 22nd Annual International Symposium on Computer Architecture (IEEE Cat. No.95CB35801) 1995 P163-74
The PowerPC 620 microprocessor is the most recent and performance leading member of the PowerPC family. The 64-bit PowerPC 620 microprocessor employs a two phase branch prediction scheme, dynamic renaming for all the register files, distributed multi entry reservation stations, true out of order execution by six execution units, and a completion buffer for ensuring precise exceptions. This paper presents an instruction level performance evaluation of the 620 microarchitecture. A performance simulator is developed using the VMW (visualization based microarchitecture workbench) retargetable framework. The VMW based simulator accurately models the microarchitecture down to the machine cycle level. Extensive trace driven simulation is performed using the SPEC92 benchmarks. Detailed quantitative analyses of the effectiveness of all key microarchitecture features are presented
630 News 640 News Apple PowerPC News(Wall Street Journal: Dec. 8, p. B4)
According to this article, Exponential Technology, a "closely held Silicon Valley company," has received backing from Apple Computer in an "unusual effort to leapfrog the fastest microprocessor chips." The company is believed to be the first start-up dedicated to cloning the PowerPC technology developed by Apple, Motorola and IBM. Exponential executives predict their chips will be two to three times faster than comparable chips used on Apple's Macintosh and IBM computers. The editorial director of the Microprocessor Report newsletter said, "there is a good chance they will build something that is faster, but the question is whether it will be enough faster to make a difference in the marketplace."
Introduces PowerBook 2000 and 5000 model series which are based on the PowerPC603e fast chips
San Francisco Chronicle (CA) August 26, 1995
Apple Computer (Cupertino, CA) is now using fast chips in notebook computers after successfully introducing Macintosh computers with the :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.processor in 1994. Its PowerBook line of computers will be revamped with new models, which includes two series reinforced by the PowerPC603e. PowerBook 2000 and 5000 series models will be able to compete technically with the most advanced notebooks manufactured by other PC companies. This new notebook computer will allow Apple to increase its share in the portable PC market.
Macworld 97-48541 V12 N11 Nov 1995
When Microsoft released Windows NT 3.5.1 for :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.in June 1995, it marked the first time that Apple had mainstream competition for the CPU jointly developed by IBM, Motorola, and Apple. Test results show that even a 100MHz :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.604-based PC is faster than a 132MHz 604-based Power Mac 9500.
PowerPC News
IBM PowerPC Home PageIBM PowerPC News
PowerPC NewsBy JIM CARLTON , Wed, 13 Dec 1995
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
Motorola Inc. said it will rely on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows NT operating system as the cornerstone of a forthcoming line of computers that can run multiple operating systems.
Motorola, of Schaumburg, Ill., also said it "is considering" licensing Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh operating system for use in the computers, which are expected to be shipped in late 1996 or early 1997. Industry executives familiar with the situation said it is "highly probable" that Motorola will soon strike a Macintosh licensing deal with Apple. The Motorola line is to range from desktop personal computers to workstations and network servers.
Recently, International Business Machines Corp. confirmed plans to use the Macintosh software in its line of universal computers. Both the IBM and Motorola machines will follow a common hardware design developed by those manufacturers and by Apple.
Motorola's emphasis on NT is ironic, however, because it could help give the Microsoft product a competitive edge over other operating systems, including IBM's and Apple's, in the future. IBM, Apple and Motorola are partners in the alliance that produced a new microprocessor called PowerPC, intended to provide a strong alternative to personal computers running Microsoft software and Intel Corp. chips.
But so far, only Apple is shipping PowerPC-based computers in volume. And analysts say the new ones announced by IBM and Motorola may arrive too late to slow the momentum of the "Wintel" computers that run Microsoft software and Intel microprocessors. Those computers dominate some 80% of the worldwide personal computer market. A technical blueprint for the common PowerPC design was issued only last month, about five years after the PowerPC coalition was formed.
Analysts also question whether customers will want a computer that offers a choice of operating systems that can be switched back and forth on the same machine. Motorola's machines will also include IBM's AIX version of the Unix operating system and Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Solaris.
"Frankly, I think most people buy the platform" for a single operating system, said David Card, analyst at International Data Corp., market researchers in Framingham, Mass.
Another potential hindrance to mass market appeal, Mr. Card added, is the fact that the multitude of software developers with programs on different operating systems will have to reconfigure their programs to run optimally on PowerPC. Since this would be costly and time-consuming, Mr. Card said developers aren't likely to go to the effort unless substantial volumes of the PowerPC computers are shipped.
"It's the chicken and egg problem," Mr. Card said. "You have to have volumes in hardware before anyone will do software for you, but you have to have software to get volumes of hardware."
Motorola executives, however, said they believe their company's line of PowerPC machines will prove compelling for corporate customers, since a new version of NT due out next year is to feature the look and feel of Microsoft's high-selling Windows 95 software. And with more powerful computers expected to hit the market next year, they say NT will be able to run existing Windows programs at great speed without alteration. Windows NT is Microsoft's most powerful operating system for computer networks, while Windows 95 is tailored for the desktop mass market.
"Our whole strategy is to look at NT as our strategic opportunity," said Joseph M. Guglielmi, general manager of Motorola's computer group in Tempe, Ariz. "That is where we see tremendous growth." Mr. Guglielmi said corporate customers could use NT as their primary operating system, while letting certain departments use the Macintosh system, AIX or Solaris as needed. Although he didn't provide specific forecasts, Mr. Guglielmi said he expects "substantial growth" in his company's computer manufacturing business next year.
The Reuter Business Report, October 31, 1995
Motorola Inc. Tuesday announced a joint venture with Panda Electronics Co., one of China's leading electronics companies, to produce and sell computer systems based on PowerPC microprocessor
The Schaumburg, Ill. -based company has a 60 percent equity investment in the new company- Nanjing Power Computer Ltd.--while Panda Electronics holds a 40 percent stake.
Motorola did not estimate the cost of its investment. The venture's first products are scheduled to reach the Chinese market in 1996.
A new facility, in the Jiangning Economic and Technology Development Zone, will produce more than 100,000 multi-media PC systems annually, Motorola said.
"The computer market in China is clearly moving toward an integrated multi-media environment that combines graphics, audio and telecommunications functionality which is fully supported by our :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.microprocessor-based platforms," said Edward Staiano, executive vice president Motorola. "We believe that PowerPC will dramatically change the face of desktop computing in China," he said.
Edge Sep 11, 1995
Introduced the MPC860 architecture and five versions of the MPC860 family
Device Ethernet Support Number of SCCS
32-Channel
HDLC Support
MPC860 N/A Four N/A
MPC860EN Yes Four N/A
MPC860DC N/A Two N/A
MPC860DE Yes Two N/A
MPC860MH Yes Four Yes
Processor Frequency Pricing
(10K Quantities)
MPC860 25 MHz $70.00
40 MHz $105.00
MPC860EN 25 MHz $77.50
40 MHz $112.50
MPC860DC 25 MHz $68.00
40 MHz $102.00
MPC860DE 25 MHz $75.50
40 MHz $109.50
MPC860MH 25 MHz $87.50
40 MHz $122.50
Motorola's Microprocessor and Memory Technologies Group Tuesday
introduced the MPC860 architecture and five versions of the MPC860
family.
The MPC860 is the first embedded :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.family to address the needs of the internetworking and data communications markets. The MPC860 PowerQUICC (Quad Integrated Communications Controller) is a versatile, single-chip integrated microprocessor family that continues the heritage of its well-known predecessors, the 32-bit 68360 (360) QUICC and 68302 (302) families. The PowerQUICC family is intelligently engineered, integrating a 32-bit embedded :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.core central processing unit (CPU); a memory controller; a second, powerful RISC-based communications processor module (CPM); and a circuit board's worth of system functions on a single chip.
The PowerQUICC integrates all of these features into the industry's most innovative packaging -- ball grid array (BGA). In addition, upgradability from previous 68360 designs will be simplified by the availability of a wide range of development tools for the :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.Architecture.
"PowerQUICC is indicative of Motorola's commitment to providing tailored solutions for the data communications market and to making the :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.Architecture the most pervasive in the industry, from embedded to workstation applications," said Kobi Ben-Zvi, operations manager of Motorola's Data Communications Operation. "The MPC860 establishes a new level of performance for embedded communications and networking applications. In conjunction with the MPC860 PowerQUICC device, Motorola will continue to support its 68K-based families to provide a variety of options for these markets."
TARGET APPLICATIONS & MARKETS The MPC860 family is designed for a variety of embedded applications in the telecommunications, internetworking and data communications markets. Target applications include T1/E1 interface lines, simultaneous voice and data, LAN to WAN connections, Ethernet bridges and routers, PBX switches, fault-tolerant LANs, smart hubs and remote access routers.
POWERQUICC PERFORMANCE The MPC860 and the family's four other versions (MPC860EN, DC, DE and MH) run at 40 and 25 megahertz (MHz). With 52 million instructions per second (MIPS) at 40 MHz (using Dhrystone 2.1) and 33 MIPS at 25 MHz (using Dhrystone 2.1), the MPC860 maintains low power consumption. At 25 MHz, the MPC860's power consumption is less than 1/3 of a watt.
PCI INTERFACE For PCI interface support, Newbridge Microsystems is developing a :hp2.PowerPC :ehp2.to PCI bridge. Newbridge's new, high-performance parallel bus interface chip will allow embedded systems designers to seamlessly implement MPC860 family controllers into their PCI systems.
DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT Third-party vendors offering, or planning to offer, development tools for the PowerQUICC include Accelerated Technology (Mobile, Ala.), Cogent Computer Systems (Hubbardston, Mass.), Diab Data (Foster City, Calif.), Embedded Support Tools (Canton, Mass.), Embedded System Products (Houston, Texas), Emulation Technology (Santa Clara, Calif.), Green Hills Software (Santa Clara, Calif.), Huntsville Microsystems (Huntsville, Ala.), Integrated Systems (Santa Clara, Calif.), Intermetrics (Cambridge, Mass.), Inverness Systems (Kfar Saba, Israel), JMI Software (Spring House, Penn.), MetaWare (Santa Cruz, Calif.), Microtec Research (Santa Clara, Calif.), Newbridge Microsystems (Kanata, Ontario, Canada), Software Development Systems (Oak Brook, Ill.), Synopsys Logic Modeling (Beaverton, Ore.), Wind River Systems (Alameda, Calif.) and Xlnt Designs (San Diego, Calif.).
"Motorola has been very successful at creating market-specific embedded microprocessors with highly integrated components," said David Wilner, Wind River's co-founder and chief technical officer. "This expertise, combined with the popularity of the embedded :hp2.PowerPC, :ehp2.will further strengthen Motorola's position in the high-end communications market."
Motorola also supplies a complete MPC860 Application Development System (ADS) for evaluating the MPC860 and debugging target systems. In addition to tools developed specifically for the MPC860, developers can use development tools designed for PowerPC-compliant processors.
PRICING & AVAILABILITY Motorola's PowerQUICC controllers are in alpha sampling now. General sampling of the MPC860, 860EN, 860DC and 860DE will start in Q4 1995 and production volumes will be available in Q2 1996, direct from Motorola. General sampling of the MPC860MH will begin in Q1 1996 with production volumes available in Q3 1996, direct from Motorola. The MPC860 Application Development System complete package is priced at $2,995, direct from Motorola.
Having 1994 worldwide sales of $6.9 billion, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector is the largest U.S.-based broad line supplier of semiconductors, with a balanced portfolio of more than 50,000 devices. Motorola is one of the world's leading providers of wireless communication, semiconductors and advanced electronic systems and services. Major equipment businesses include cellular telephone, two-way radio, paging and data communications, personal communications, automotive, defense and space electronics and computers. Communication devices, computers and millions of consumer products are powered by Motorola semiconductors. Motorola's 1994 revenues were $22.2 billion.
