NEWS ANALYSIS : DEC Completes Field Vying for Chip Standard
Digital Equipment Corp. on Tuesday unveiled its next-generation computer-on-a-chip, completing the field in the high-stakes race to establish basic technology standards for a broad new range of high-performance computers.
This race has been in the making for several years, and it’s now shaping up more like a steeplechase than a flat-out sprint. The six contenders--DEC, IBM, Sun Microsystems, Intel, Hewlett-Packard and Mips Computer Systems--will have to demonstrate not only raw speed, but also endurance and versatility.
For the winners--and there will be more than one--the prize is a secure long-term position in the increasingly volatile computer industry. The losers will face the future as niche players, and some may not survive at all. And the stakes will be just as high for a host of other computer hardware and software companies that must now decide which technology to support.
But most computer buyers, happily, can sit back and enjoy the race. No matter the outcome, there will soon be an impressive new range of powerful computers to fit almost everyone’s needs. And customers will be less concerned with the underlying hardware than with the software that goes with it.
“It’s a wonderful time to be a buyer,” says Lew Platt, head of the computer systems organization at Hewlett-Packard. “The technology is allowing us to do a lot more for a lot cheaper.”
The current race is centered around reduced instruction set computing, or RISC. By simplifying basic commands built into microprocessors, RISC dramatically increases computer speed.
RISC was popularized by Sun Microsystems, which developed a line of engineering workstations based on its Sparc RISC design. And Sun also pioneered a new business model: licensing its design to independent chip makers and encouraging other companies to build Sparc-based computers.
The idea was to establish a standard, and thus encourage software companies to write programs that would make the machines useful--the same model that made the IBM personal computer a hit.
By the late 1980s, most major computer companies were pursuing their own RISC designs, and were coming around to the view that making their technology available to others was a key element in attracting software--and therefore customers.
Hewlett-Packard was first, setting out in 1986 to convert its entire computer line to RISC. Up-start MIPS Computer Systems developed its own RISC design for sale to others.
IBM, after a characteristically slow start, came out with a widely applauded line of RISC workstations in 1990. Intel, which dominates the PC chip market with its 386 and 486 products, is now racing to complete the 586, which is compatible with the earlier chips but contains some RISC features. And Digital on Tuesday rolled out its long-waited Alpha line of RISC chips.
Over the past several weeks, claims and counter-claims have been flying over who has the fastest chip. DEC on Tuesday hailed the Alpha as the world’s fastest microprocessor, but Hewlett-Packard and Sun were quick to say that they had comparably fast chips waiting in the wings.
Ultimately, though, raw speed will matter less than each company’s ability to attract a broad base of support among computer manufacturers and software developers. Such support is crucial both to building a strong base of software and for keeping prices down.
On this score, analysts say, the early leaders are IBM, Intel and Sun. In addition to its own size and marketing muscle, IBM’s edge is its link-up with Apple Computer, which has committed to using an RS 6000 design--dubbed the Power PC--in its next-generation products.
Indeed, Michael Slater, editor of the Microprocessor Report, says the Apple connection makes the IBM design the only one (other than Intel’s 586) that has a good shot at making major inroads into the mainstream PC business.
MIPS is aiming at this market as well, and is counting on support from an industry consortium. But Compaq, the one major PC vendor that has committed to making MIPS-based machines, is now refocusing on less expensive PCs. And DEC, which sells MIPS-based workstations, appears intent on moving all its products to Alpha.
The key challenge for DEC, H-P and Sun is to expand beyond their traditional customers: engineers and general business users who need a lot of power.
DEC, which is touting Alpha as the design that will support its whole product line for the next 25 years, may have the biggest problem. While Alpha will be a strong replacement for existing DEC products, it’s way behind in gaining support from independent software vendors.
Chip Battle Over the next several years, a new generation of microprocessors, or computers-on-a-chip, will find their way into everything from personal computers to supercomputers. Here’s a look at the major players battling for leadership in this arena. Chip: Alpha Company: DEC Comment: A late but strong entry into the race, Alpha will form the core of DEC’s product line for years to come. Adopted by Cray Research for use in new massively parallel supercomputer. Available this year. Chip: SuperSparc Company: Sun Microsystems / Texas Instruments Comment: This new version of successful Sparc design will provide three to four times more power than existing chips. Central element in Sun’s strategy to keep its lead in workstation market. Available this year. Chip: RS 6000 (Power PC) Company: IBM Comment: Currently used in IBM’s successful line of workstations, RS 6000 chips will be at the heart of future systems emerging from the Apple/IBM alliance. Motorola will help develop and manufacture new versions. Available now. Chip: R4000 Company: MIPS Comment: Once considered the most technically advanced RISC chip, the R4000 is hobbled by a lack of firm commitments from major computer vendors. Hopes that DEC, Compaq and many other companies would support it as part of the Advanced Computing Environment initiative now fading. Available now. Chip: P5 (586) Company: Intel Corp. Comment: The next evolution of the 386/486 design that dominates the PC market, the P5 will likely be slower than other entries but promises compatibility with the 386/486. Will benefit from compatibility and Intel’s power in the PC business. Available this year. Chip: PA-RISC Company: Hewlett-Packard Comment: Initially released in 1986, PA-RISC has put H-P back in the hunt in the workstation and minicomputer markets. But the design lacks support among personal computer vendors. Available now. Chip: 88110 Company: Motorola Comment: Lost a key supporter when Apple opted to ally with IBM. Considered a long-shot contender due to lack of industry support, though Next Computer reportedly plans to use the chip in new machines. Available this year.
