Chip Flaws Force Compaq to Halt Computer Shipments

Compaq Computer Corp. will delay shipments of its new Deskpro 486-25 personal computer because of a faulty Intel Corp. chip, officials said Monday. It is the second problem found in the advanced microprocessor.

“About a week ago, on Monday, we were contacted by Intel just saying that there was an errata discovered in the 486 chip,” said Nora Rice, media relations administrator for the Houston-based computer manufacturer.

She said Intel said that it was working to find a solution to the problem but that the trouble will delay introduction of the new machine.

“We were targeting shipping the computer Feb. 1,” Rice said. “But with this new errata, it will delay the ship date.

“It’s important to understand what’s causing the problem before you put in a fix or a work-around” that configures the computer differently, she said.

Compaq discovered another problem with the advanced chip last fall, before Intel had begun shipping the microprocessor.

When Compaq unveiled the Deskpro 486-25 last November it called it the most powerful desktop computer yet.

Intel’s 486 chip, introduced last April, is so powerful that it will allow personal computers to do certain jobs now done by engineering workstations, minicomputers and even mainframes.

The most recent trouble could affect other computers using the Extended Industry Standard Architecture, or EISA, 32-bit bus, Rice said.

Compaq has not released any of its other 486-based machines, Rice said.

“I think they will be delayed, but it’s safe to say they will be out within the first quarter.”