On Tue, 15 Aug 2000, Derek Martin wrote:
> I read an article somewhere about this, and the only reason they didn't
> was because it would have been cost-prohibitive to rip out the SMP core.
That is true, but they still could have come up with a more sophisticated
way to do it, without a big price increase. Cutting a trace on the die with a
laser, for example.
It is also worth noting that a fair amount (most? all?) of the SMP stuff is
in the overall design of the chip, so at least some of what a PIII user is
paying for is engineering. Or so the theory goes...
> Don't be surprised if you see completely non-SMP-capable processors in
> their next line of chips.
I did say "a few" friendly engineers. ;-) And see above about laser
etching.
> All the more reason to use Linux for firewalls and VPN. Phone systems may
> be different -- I don't know much about them.
For example, Panasonic makes a voice mail system that comes in a two-port
version and a four-port version. The difference is the license key. And the
price tag. And they put a sticker labeled "DO NOT USE" over ports three and
four on the two-port version. So you're actually getting *more* physical
material with the two-port version. ;-)
> I agree that this sort of tiered approach is a complete rip-off.
And I'm sure you'd be willing to pay twice the price for the
less-the-premium components you buy otherwise? Or more money for the car
you're driving, for that matter (assuming you're not driving a luxury car)?
Again, this practice of using the high-end to subsidize the low-end is very
common, and I'm willing to bet almost everyone on this mailing list benefits
from it.
:-)
> It's one of the thing that's always annoyed me about certain software
> companies' licenses...
I don't mind that nearly as much as the lousy quality, crummy service,
warranty disclaimers, and unreasonable restrictions. I'm not afraid to pay
for something. I just want something for what I pay for.
--
Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Net Technologies, Inc. <http://www.ntisys.com>
Voice: (800)905-3049 x18 Fax: (978)499-7839
**********************************************************
To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the following text in the
*body* (*not* the subject line) of the letter:
unsubscribe gnhlug
**********************************************************
