In article <1993Apr16.214300.12920@ac.dal.ca>, seanmcd@ac.dal.ca writes: >In article <186177@pyramid.pyramid.com>, andrem@pyrtech.mis.pyramid.com (Andre Molyneux) writes: >> In article <1qksuq$1tt8@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu>, mirsky@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu >> (David Joshua Mirsky) writes: >> |> Hi. I own an LCIII and I recently heard an interesting rumor. >> |> I heard that the LCIII has a built in slot for a PowerPC chip. >> |> Is this true? I heard that the slot is not the same as the PDS >> |> slot.  Is that true? >> |> >> |> Thanks >> |> David Mirsky >> |> mirsky@gnu.ai.mit.edu >> >> Well, I also have an LC III.  Popping the top revealed: >> >>       One "socket" for an additional VRAM SIMM >> >>       One "socket" for a 72-pin RAM SIMM >> >>       One socket for a flat-pack FPU >> >>       A processor-direct slot (PDS) identical to the LC/LC II, but with >>       an additional set of connetions to one side (for the full 32-bit >>       data path that the LC/LC II lacked >> >> That's it.  I guess a board with a PowerPC chip could be made that would fit >> in the PDS, but that's the only place. >> >So, will it be possible to have a NuBus or PDS PowerPC upgrade, or will it >require a logic board swap? It would be interesting for Apple to come out with >a NuBus PowerPC that allowed use of the CPU's 680x0, like RocketShare. But I >guess that's getting a bit fantastic! > >I was wondering, since MacWeek reported that developers were 'seeded' with >PowerPCs on a NuBus card. > >Also, any word on machine arrivals or estimated speed? Last I heard, the >estimates were around 3-4 times the speed of a Quadra in native RISC mode. I >heard an Apple employee mumble something about the arrival of PowerPC machines >at a much earlier date that Q1 94, but I doubt it's true. > >Finally, is the PowerPC developer's CD 'mini-course' available? I saw it >advertised in the developer's university calendar, and I'd like to know if it's >at all *interesting*. > >Sean >-------------- >seanmcd@ac.dal.ca  Radius speculated, publicly, that they could provide a PowerPC-based Rocket for existing Macs. It would have the plus of RocketShare and the minus of NuBus accelerators - no true boot off the accelerator, NuBus bottleneck to video and other I/O.  Apple, it seems, will not compete with third parties here -- except perhaps for not-yet-available Macs like Cyclone, where a PowerPC slot might be advertised. Look for Daystar and such to make PowerPC accelerators.  One potential problem with any accelerator, though, is that it will need a ROM companion and Apple has licensed only Radius, with Rocketshare, to use any of its proprietary code.  Apple is, between the lines, trying to let us know that PowerPC Macs will have simplified logic boards due to the magical nature of RISC and that these boards should be much cheaper to build than those in existing 68040 Macs. Perhaps, then, we'll see groundbreaking prices in Mac-logic board upgrades, much the same way we've seen much cheaper high-performance CPUs this year.  First generation PowerPCs, 98601s, will also hopefully have socketed CPUs so that they'll be chip upgradeable to 98604s a year later. This should be possible in much the same way that 486s can be pulled for clock doublers. If there is too much technical   baggage (which I doubt since the external busses are the same size/width) to do this, perhaps we can have CPU daughterboard, a la Powerbook, as standard to facilitate better CPU upgrades. This is an area where Apple has fallen far behing the Intel-based world. Perhaps catchup is in order.  By the way, last week's PC week had an excellent story on PowerPC, Pentium, MIPS R4000, DEC Alpha (the big four on the microprocessor front for the forseeable future). Worth reading for technojunkies. Also, the latest PC has a cover story on Pentium. Read it, and all the other stories about how Intel is unstoppable and preeminent right now.  Once anyone is this secure, they are due to fall. Intel's market position will never again be as dominant as it is today (especially if AMD gets the go ahead to sell its 486s this week as it appears it might). The competition from all fronts is gearing up for an awesome battle. Apple users should be excited that PowerPC, while not guaranteed dominance, is a guaranteed winner, even if its one of several.