The 80386 is HERE!
Ken Shoemaker
finally, we can all talk about it. The 386 is real, and it is here
today. In fact, this note is testimony to its reality: the site
name from which it was posted is no joke. i80386 is a real A0 stepping 386
system running Unix. I don't know of any other time when a microprocessor
was running Unix at its introduction, certainly, it is the first time I
have seen a new microprocessor on the net at its introduction.
In addition, it also works in an IBM PC-AT, running all your favorites:
Lotus, Sidekick, Multimate, Flight Simulator, etc.
The 386 is fully a 32-bit microprocessor, supporting a generalized 32-bit
register set, full 32-bit wide offsets into 4 GByte segments, 32-bit ALUs,
and the whole bit. In addition, we have included an on-chip paging unit to
both provide simpler, less expensive external hardware to support demand
paging, and to allow much more protected OS compatibility among various
386-based products. Details are available now. Take a minute,
call this number:
(800)538-1876, ask for operator 386 (cute, eh?),
and we will send you a whole packet of (free) information, including our 124+
page hype-less data sheet. In addition, I'm here, and can be reached by
electronic mail. If there are enough requests, I can post some more
details, but I'd rather you call first, its free!
Finally, I would like to recognize the 386 design team for providing such
a high level of functionality first time out of the gate. Gene, Rakesh, Greg,
Alfred, Andy, Ken, John, Steve, Khaled, Pat, Hi-Hsien, Chip, Niles, Piyush, Jan,
Paul, Jim, Art, Dave, Tom, Alan, Ed, Diane, Jill, John, Shirley, Richard, Trudi,
Jenny, Ravi, Eiji, Theresa, Jackie, Lu (and, or course, Rose): you did good!
Ken Shoemaker, Intel Corp, Santa Clara, California, 80386 design team
{hplabs,qantel,pur-ee,amd,glacier}!intelca!i80386!kds
{hplabs,qantel,pur-ee,amd,glacier}!intelca!kds
Peter da Silva
> finally, we can all talk about it.
Yes, infoworld had an article on it. I'm impressed. Finally, after 3 or 4
iterations (8086, 186, 286, 386) intel has discovered that 64-K segments aren't
the way to go. Maybe this will convince Motorola and National to produce
some good cheap MMUs. mf{_ter all, if intel can learn, why can't they?
Mike Lesher
Not only was it announced but we had one before the announcement. In our tests
it seems that the chip worked as a 386 and not a 286 or 186 but we don't have
it running with ROM or RAM yet, just a test fixture with single step. We
should have an operational system using the chip at full speed near the start
of the year.
Mike Lesher
Henry Spencer
Except to those of us outside the US, to whom it's not possible.
How about a non-800 number?
--
Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry