Vaughan Pratt wrote:
> A decade or more ago it made sense to consider alternatives to the x86.
> With the continuing maturation of a wide range of x86 software, of which
> MS is the dominant but by no means only vendor, the attractiveness of
> the alternatives has been on a steady downslide for more than a decade.
Oh, I suppose that's why NT has been distributed for some time for both x86
and Alpha platforms, why Windows CE is distributed for two architectures (MIPS
R4000 and SH-3), why most of this year's MP3 players will use Crystal/Cirrus'
ARM core decoder chips because they consume less power than the Intermetall
ASICs, and why Crusoe is giving the industry a clear transition strategy. Oh,
and why most of the Web is fueled by Sun SPARC servers.
Give me a break. Architectural diversity is more alive than it was in the
days when the Vax, the 68k, and the '370 dominated. The presence of an
artificially large market for a proprietary platform is immaterial to
research, only to ease of procurement.
-Rehmi
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