Re: QUES: Imigosh! A MAC!!!

[strat@dsd.northrop.com (Scott Stratmoen)]

> Well I been hearing how RISC will bury CISC real soon now prediction for years.
> There are advantages and disadvantages about both platforms, but it seems like
> CISC makers are able to increase performance to still be in "the race".

What has been occurring is that the CISC camp has been implementing RISC
like features such as lowering the CPI (clocks/inst). This has been accomplished
by increasing the size of the die. To maintain the rate of performance
improvement the geometry has to shrink and/or die size increase.
Physics and money are working against this (good thing that Intel makes
a lot of money these days!).

I was at a talk by Hennessy where he discussed Intel's future dinner
plate chips... In other words, RISC's may in fact win at some point in
the future.
-- 
Scott A. Stratmoen | strat@ast.dsd.northrop.com
                   | (708) 259-9600 (ex 24762)