origin of gates quote on 640k memory...

From: John Ott <jott_at_saturn.ee.nd.edu>
Date: Wed Jul 12 12:55:06 2000

Hello -

I have some SKD-85s. Do you remember what the app note number was?

john

On Tue, Jul 11, 2000 at 08:37:17PM -0400, allisonp wrote:
> From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
>
>
> >> I suppose it was possible that IBM chose the Boca Raton project
> >> over some other (unknown to me) 8080-based project due to the
> >> requirement you mention. But I don't think they retargeted their
> >> design from 8080 => 8088.
> >
> >The IBM System/23 Datamaster was already in production and was based
> >on the 8085. There are some similarities in the design, suggesting
> >that the Boca Raton folks were at least partially inspired by it.
>
>
> Exactly, Anyone with 8085 experience could easily loft the design to
> an 8088. Intel even had an ap-note to put an 8088 in an SDK-85 board
> (I did it too) and it was pretty easy with the big difference being the
> monitor rom.
>
> Keep in mind the design window was in 1980 and by then the 8080
> was a non contender as the 8085 and Z80 had replaced it. If you
> look at the late '79 and early 1980 mags (Byte, KB, IA etal) you
> would see there was an emerging push for more cpu, more bits
> to do math and more bits for addressing. If they used an 8085
> (or z80) they were an also ran to tandy, Apple softcard, NS and
> a raft or other already known 8bit systems. The only place
> there was room to make a point was the 16bit front and the 8088
> was a well known (it had been around for about two years)
> relatively cheap way to get there.
>
> Allison
>
>

-- 
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*  John Ott                         *  Email: jott_at_saturn.ee.nd.edu    *
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Received on Wed Jul 12 2000 - 12:55:06 BST

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