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To: Mary Remington who wrote (3858)	6/26/1998 5:16:00 PM
From: otter	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 6180

Mary, Charlie Smith to whom you addressed your note may have a different perspective, but.... COMS makes modems and network interface cards. FORE makes ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode - high speed communications) switches used in networks. On the other hand TXN DSPs (Digital Signal Processors) are pre-programmed silicon chips used as components in - among other things, COMS modems (or were last time I checked) and routers, hubs, and other electronic gear. DSPs also appear in your car, your refrigerator, your toaster oven, and so on. Companies that make DSPs fight with each other over the market; and also fight with ASIC makers (VLSI); who believe that their silicon can do the same thing better and faster because unlike a DSP, an ASIC can be customized for a specific application very easily. COMS sells their products to companies and to consumers. FORE products are purchased by companies - not consumers. TXN sells DSPs to other companies who use them to make their products functional. Each are in different market segments with different customers and each has a completely different profile. To the comment about 'voice taking over', the only thing I can think he is referring to is ADSL communications technologies; which several telephone companies have announced they are deploying this year. ADSL, unlike current voice communications is - digital.... and can carry both voice and data concurrently at high speeds. TXN silicon has a presence there as well. Other than that, I don't have a clue what he is talking about. (I need to say that I'm not sure your technophile is somebody you should be listening to regarding investment alternatives.) DSPs are everywhere. It isn't a war between voice or data but a competition between the technologies that can deliver the most bandwidth to the home (or business) for the least cost - that can carry both voice and data. If you want a play on modems and other technologies that connect individual workstations to networks and communications lines, then COMS or their competitors are your play - and they have many. If you want backbone networking, then CSCO, Bay, and other similar companies might be your targets. If you want the people who make the silicon that makes these kinds of products work then TXN, ADI, VLSI, and other chip makers are who you should be looking at, in my opinion. The TXN DSP market forecasts are published on the TXN website; and I highly recommend you take a look at them. Most people, I think, don't disagree with their growth forecasts of the DSP market in general.

To: Mary Remington who wrote (3858)	6/27/1998 12:09:00 AM
From: Time Traveler	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6180

Marry and otter, DSPs are actually math coprocessors with more specialized tasks. DSPs are designed to do multiplications and immediately additions in a very efficient matter. Although the telecommunications industry demands powerful DSPs to detect rational weak signals among a vast sea of background noise and other compression and decompression functions, mundane DSP functions have been taken over by less powerful DSPs found embedded within another system, for example, the MMX of Pentium and K6. TI and Lucent (the old AT&T Microelectronics) are the leaders in high-end DSPs. Motorola and Analog Devices found a niche in the lower end voice processing area of DSPs. NEC and other companies escape my detection. I suspect NEC might have powerful DSPs in their portfolio as well. With more and more integration from generation of silicon to another, DSPs are gradually incorporated into other silicon which from the earlier example I have given, even the x86 CPUs got them nowadays. Of course, this does not mean TI's ever so powerful DSP won't grow. In fact, I do like TI's `silicon' library approach. This company can deliver an IC with almost anything you specify. The question is how about the competitions. Do they have a better solution? I don't know. Would Intel or AMD offer anything with an adequate performing DSP incorporated into a CPU? In the voice applications area: probably; in the data detection area: probably not yet. Good luck with regards to all, Time Traveler