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To: Paul Engel who wrote (62770)	8/19/1998 11:16:00 AM
From: Tony Viola	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 186894

Paul, Re: "Intel isn't using Bipolar technology in the Merced - it's a CMOS process!" Didn't you hear? Since Merced is supposed to approach or match mainframe computer speeds, it must use the technology mainframes made famous...bipolar! Actually, mainframes are doing very well with CMOS nowadays. IBM just announced a ~ 500 MHz machine, to be available 9/98. A couple of months later, I think, they'll be selling versions of the same machine that run at 570 MHz (about). These are up to 10 way SMP machines. They're using speed binning, finally adopting the idea from the chip industry. This is all on 0.18 micron production processing. Let's get with the program, Intel! Going back to my first farcical statement, that's what it is. Bipolar is dead. Tony

To: Paul Engel who wrote (62770)	8/19/1998 1:26:00 PM
From: IanBruce	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 186894

What is this DRIVEL? driv-el (driv'el), n., 1. saliva flowing from the mouth, or mucus in the nose; slaver. 2. childish, silly, or meaningless talk or thinking; nonsense; twaddle. -- eg: "Intel isn't using Bipolar technology in the Merced - it's a CMOS process! That comment is about the dumbest thing I've seen on this thread in weeks. Well, I guess you just "one-upped" me Paul. Exponential's designs exploit recent developments in a semiconductor manufacturing technology called "BiCMOS". The comany's BiCMOS design uses a well-established "bi-polar" process, known for its ultra-fast speed, to form the core logic of the processor. A more common "CMOS" process is used for on-chip memory. With Exponential's design process, bipolar transistors can be made much smaller and faster than with other BiCMOS processes. Other processors, including the Intel Pentium processors, use a BiCMOS process but build their core logic from CMOS. <http://wais.sensei.com.au/macarc/macway/1996/0001.html> Note: Exponential was granted five U.S. patents for its design process, with three more allowed and several more pending. From C-NET (Intel is an investor in C-NET): <http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,13704,00.html?dtn.head> The Exponential patents lay out a blueprint for a chip that can understand both CISC and RISC instruction sets: such a chip would allow a single computer to understand programs written for both Intel and PowerPC computers, respectively. Understanding both CISC and RISC is also the goal of the Merced chip, the next-generation processor being developed by Intel and Hewlett-Packard... Exponential, however, filed for its various patents first, giving those plans status as "prior art" over the Merced patents, said Rich Belgard, a consultant with The Microprocessor Report. As prior art, the Exponential patents can supersede Intel's patents in the event that the patents are similar or cover similar processes. Many of the patents, Belgard added, are very similar. February '98 news item, again from C-NET: <http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,18791,00.html> Graphics chipmaker S3 has purchased the patents of defunct chipmaker Exponential Technology, CNET's NEWS.COM has learned, a move that may presage S3's shift into making complete microprocessors. Sources inside and close to the company said that S3 purchased Exponential's portfolio of 45 patents, which provide a key for building a 64-bit microprocessor that can read both CISC and RISC instructions... "Oh my god...That's all they need," said one semiconductor executive. Even if nothing is done with the Exponential patents, however, analysts say they provide valuable leverage against Intel. Exponential filed for its various patents first, however, giving those plans status as "prior art" over the Merced patents. With this designation, the Exponential patents can theoretically supersede Intel's patents... See also: "Patent auction could hurt Intel" <http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,13021,00.html?st.ne.ni.rel> Ian Bruce New York, NY