Re: Pentium-PPC (was New Model: TP755CX)

[Eugene Fiume <elf@dgp.toronto.edu>]

} I kind of figured that my next machine would be an IBM thinkpad PPC running
} OS2, when and if such a thing comes out.  Is this in the cards?  I heard
} that PPC's consume less power than the Pentium.  Is this still true?  What
} ever happened to IBMs vow to stay away from Pentiums?  It must have taken
} them HOURS to eat their words :).

More like three seconds, I'd say.  I can understand their corporate
strategy not to be boxed in by Intel, but you have to be pragmatic.  As
for where things are going, I don't think we're very far away from a
fast PPC or Pentium, truecolour, 1k*1k TFT, hardware MPEG/digital
video machine.  I would be really surprised if such a box is more than
a year away.  Reality Engine level graphics in two or less.

The question is whether the software will keep up.  I once thought UNIX
hung together by a thread until I started playing with DOS/Windows and
the like.  The sheer amount of software to play with is exciting, but
the quality of the base OS's on PC's leave a lot to be desired.  I have
been able to do "serious" work with Linux, however.  But unless
something magical happens, I can't see that Linux and other PC UNIX
implementations can keep up the pace, especially if they go beyond the
Intel architecture.

Eugene Fiume.