🚀 go-pugleaf

According to underdog@portia.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe):
>[Will a hypothetical new RISC architecture from Sun] incorporate all the 
>old instructions from the SPARC to maintain compatibility...?
>
>If the answer is "no" (we don't incorporate upward compatibility),
>then Sun LOSES.  The new Sun competitor against the IBM 6000
>won't have ANY software adantage, which would be crucial in
>the highly competitive marketplace.

Not so.  The advantage is source compatibility and the unity of OS
environments across architectures.  Sun already supports three
architectures with SunOS (Intel, Moto, Sparc); adding a fourth
wouldn't be much of a stretch.  Then again, SunOS may be more of a
liability than an asset.  (No smiley.)

>I still think that if the IBM 6000's specs are as good as
>they appear, then certain RISC workstation manufacturers
>will have some sleepless nights.

Right you are.  We've been thinking about using Suns around here, but
things are looking good for a move to the 6000 instead.  I still
remember Henry Spencer's comment: "It is well-known that Sun's quality
assurance department consists of a single clerk with an IQ of 37
equipped with a rubber stamp marked 'PASSED.'"  It can't be a
cooincidence that 90% of all messages in the security mailing list
are about SunOS security holes...
-- 
Chip Salzenberg at ComDev/TCT   <chip%tct@ateng.com>, <uunet!ateng!tct!chip>
          "The Usenet, in a very real sense, does not exist."