Re: Apple ///?

[hirsch@ibm.net (Steven N. Hirsch)]

Greg J. Buchner (buchner@freenet.msp.mn.us) wrote:

: > There was a story going around that there would be a PPC chip with an
: > intel compatible instruction set on board. It was to be the 615 I think.
: > It must be dead since I haven't heard more about it. Just as well. Why
: > would you want to make such a thing rather than use software emulation
: > or a coprocessor? Nonetheless, such a hybrid would be the only way to
: > modernize a 6500 series processor.

: I do believe that IBM is still at work on that chip...the thing about
: it is that it will be a PPC604 on a Pentium format pin array.  The chip
: will start up as a Pentium, but with a simple bit switch, it'll become
: a PPC.  This chip would also be a replacement that you could drop into
: any Pentium (not Pentium Pro) machine.

Well, I can tell you with authority that the PPC615 project is dead,
dead and dead.  In fact, you probably don't even want to mention that
name in the same room with any IBM engineers.  It's a long, sad
story. 

Steve