TI-Sun joint chip cuts price by 60%, shifts power trend
Article Abstract:
The microSparc is a low-cost, high-power microprocessor developed jointly by Texas Instruments Inc (TI) and Sun Microsystems Computer Corp that the manufacturers claim could reduce the price of workstations by offering many functions on one chip. Also, the manufacturers predict that the availability of the new chip may make workstation computers more competitive with microcomputers, which are now much cheaper than workstations. TI expects that many vendors will be introducing products that use the new chip, and Sun expects to unveil a new workstation based on the chip in late 1992. The chip has 50 MHz of power and will cost 60 percent less than other microprocessors. TI says it will be putting out tens of thousands of the new chips in the 4th qtr. The partnership produced a chip called the SuperSparc in May 1992, but the product was unpopular because it was introduced too late and did not have enough power.
Publication Name: The Wall Street Journal Western Edition
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0193-2241
Year: 1992
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Meet 'media processors,' computer chips for the multimedia age
Article Abstract:
New media processor chips from companies such as MicroUnity Systems Engineering Inc and Chromatic Research Inc promise to revolutionize PC-based multimedia features such as video, animation and sound. Media processors are a new category of microprocessors that are specifically designed to simultaneously control data-intensive functions such as video, audio, animation and wireless data. These chips use a variety of new design tricks including the very long instruction word (VLIW) standard to produce performance rates that exceed today's fastest Intel Pentium processor. The MicroUnity chip, which will not be introduced until 1996, can process one billion cycles per second, compared to only 133 million for the fastest Pentium. Analysts expect media processors to revolutionize PC-based multimedia by providing the horsepower necessary for detail-rich features.
Publication Name: The Wall Street Journal Western Edition
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0193-2241
Year: 1995
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