Whatever happened to the 432 — Intel’s Dream chip. — This chip story is almost a copy of the Itanium story. Overhyped and called the next big thing it was an incredible flop.
Support the Blog — Buy This Book!
For Kindle and with free ePub version. Only $9.49 Great reading.
Here is what Gary Shapiro CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) said: Dvorak's writing sings with insight and clarity. Whether or not you agree with John's views, he will get you thinking and is never boring. These essays are worth the read!
Put this ad on your blog!
Syndicate
Subscribe to Main Blog feed here:
Subscribe to Comments too (below):
Junk Email Filter
I worked at Intel during that time. Basically, the 432 was a great design but that was to much for the technology of the time.
It was too aggressive to make a 32bit with, what, 3micron ? One of the users was NASA computers built by ModCom – a now defunct company that made computers for government and military.
BTW, the programming high level language was ADA – another one of your future ‘whatever happened to..”
Did you read the article Dallas? We talk about Ada.
Yes. I read it now, sorry. However, the multiple ADA references in the article mask somewhat the inside thinking as to why IA432 failed. The conventional wisdom at the time was (1) It was far too aggressive a design for the lithography avialable and (2) the X86 improvements made by John Crawford (chief architect) and team effectively killed further progress.
To keep an insurance policy if X86 craters, they built the i960 family.
I wouldn’t consider something like the 432 a failure. As you point out in your piece, it led to other things, such as the 960 and I’m sure other design feature might have made it into other chips.
Very interesting article, and I’m enjoying all of them.