🚀 go-pugleaf

Tin Yau Fung writes
> Hi,
> 
> 	A NeXT representative told me today that the CPU chip on the
> 	turbo stations are upgradable.  ie, when a faster version of
> 	the 68040 chip comes out, you can replace the 33 Mhz one with
> 	the faster one.

I can give you no definite answer on this except that it's simple to do. If
they designed the support hardware to run at faster speeds, a CPU upgrade
can be as easy as a faster chip and a new clock crystal. This is a common
approach in the PC clone market place.

> 	I've never heard of this for the Turbos.  Is this true?
> 	And if it is, can I replace the 040 with a 050 when it comes
> 	out?

Probably not. When chips move from one version to the next they tend to change
the number of pins. The Next generation of the '040 will likely have more pins
to support larger data and or address busses. Unless Motorolla does something
like the 386SX, which is basically a 386 with a 286 pin out, you'll probably
not be able to do this.

As a side note, can anyone verify the rumors that Moto will skip development of
the '050 and jump to the '060? I was told a short while back that the '050 was
to be a stepping point on the way to the '060, but because of pressure from
Intel with the P5 (aka '586) they decided to go directly to the '060 to remain
more competative.

Alex
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    Internet: alex@data.acs.calpoly.edu (NeXT mail)
              alex@cosmos.acs.calpoly.edu