🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Sep2.163017.25644@cci632.cci.com>, sjo@cci632.cci.com (Steve Owens) writes:

> 	I read in Computer Shopper recently that VESA has developed a
> Local Bus standard that the industry is adopting.  Since I'm going to
> be in the market for a new motherboard within the next few months, I
> was wondering:

> 	1) What's the difference between Local Bus and EISA?

EISA is a real system bus.  Local Bus just adds 1-3 special slots that
run at processor speed.  EISA will cost you $1000.  Local Bus will cost
you $50-$100.  Local Bus is faster than EISA.

Note that there are EISA Local Bus machines being sold.  Seems pretty
stupid to me.  As far as I'm concerned, the main advantage of EISA is
speed, so why not just get a regular ISA Local Bus machine?

Local Bus gives you up to 3 32-bit slots that run at the processor
speed.  Generally, they use EISA-style connectors, but they aren't EISA
compatible.  If you want to use the 32-bit slots, you have to get
special cards for it.  Orchid now sells a Fahrenheit local bus board.
ATI is going to be selling new versions of their Windows accelerator
cards that work in a local bus.

> 	2) I know the industry has only been luke-warm about adopting
> 	   EISA, but how do you think Local Bus will contend?

Very well.  It's nearly free, and it gives you at least 6x as much
bandwidth as regular ISA.  As I said, Orchid and ATI are already making
graphics boards, and there are several caching disk controller
manufacturers who area makeing local bus cards.

> 	3) Should I wait and purchase a Local Bus motherboard when they
> 	   become more abundant?

You should wait until the new VESA-compatible Local Bus motherboards
start appearing.

> 	4) What about ISA?  Is it basically a dying breed, or is there
> 	   enough life left in it for me to consider purchasing a
> 	   motherboard with an ISA bus?

The nice thing about Local Bus is it still has a regular ISA bus on it.
You can still use all your old cards.

> 	The processors I'm considering at this point are either a
> 486-25 or a 486-33, with a minimum of 8Mb RAM to start.  I'm not
> sure which manufacturer I'll look for, but I'm sure it will be a
> name I know (such as Mylex, AMI, or Chips & Technologies.)  The
> only thing I'm not sure of is bus architecture.

--
Love is a conveyor belt of   |   Tom Weinstein  tomw@orac.esd.sgi.com
warmth  -- Jackie Chan       |                  tomw@bears.ucsb.edu