From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from cthulhu.engr.sgi.com (cthulhu.engr.sgi.com [192.26.80.2]) by neteng.engr.sgi.com (980427.SGI.8.8.8/970903.SGI.AUTOCF) via ESMTP id IAA59365 for ; Wed, 20 Jan 1999 08:47:28 -0800 (PST) Return-Path: Received: (from majordomo-owner@localhost) by cthulhu.engr.sgi.com (980427.SGI.8.8.8/970903.SGI.AUTOCF) id IAA09617 for linux-list; Wed, 20 Jan 1999 08:46:13 -0800 (PST) mail_from (owner-linux@relay.engr.sgi.com) Received: from odin.corp.sgi.com (fddi-odin.corp.sgi.com [198.29.75.194]) by cthulhu.engr.sgi.com (980427.SGI.8.8.8/970903.SGI.AUTOCF) via SMTP id IAA09903 for ; Wed, 20 Jan 1999 08:46:11 -0800 (PST) mail_from (eak@detroit.sgi.com) Received: from dataserv.detroit.sgi.com by odin.corp.sgi.com via ESMTP (951211.SGI.8.6.12.PATCH1502/951211.SGI) for id HAA21084; Wed, 20 Jan 1999 07:23:15 -0800 Received: from mail128.detroit.sgi.com (mail128.detroit.sgi.com [169.238.128.42]) by dataserv.detroit.sgi.com (980427.SGI.8.8.8/970903.SGI.AUTOCF) via SMTP id KAA02937; Wed, 20 Jan 1999 10:23:13 -0500 (EST) Received: from detroit.sgi.com (cx1.detroit.sgi.com [169.238.130.4]) by mail128.detroit.sgi.com (950413.SGI.8.6.12/950213.SGI.AUTOCF) via ESMTP id KAA00059; Wed, 20 Jan 1999 10:23:11 -0500 Message-ID: <36A5F3DE.C94A0FA1@detroit.sgi.com> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 10:18:54 -0500 From: Eric Kimminau Reply-To: eak@detroit.sgi.com Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.51C-SGI [en] (X11; I; IRIX 6.2 IP22) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: dmanddmer CC: linux@cthulhu.engr.sgi.com Subject: Re: [Fwd: linus.linux.sgi.com] References: <36A51517.A24C2BEB@hiwaay.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-linux@cthulhu.engr.sgi.com Precedence: bulk Warning! Danger! FUD. FUD. FUD. dmanddmer wrote: > > Btw, I heard a rumor that the memory in the VPC is custom or unique > memory. Is this true? How much of the VPC, besides the obvious, is not > industry standard? If SGI is attempting solely to require customers to > be able to buy any upgrades ONLY from SGI, then SGI has shot itself in > the foot again. It did not work for Apple, it didn't work for Unisys, > it didn't work for Intergraph. In short, it hasn't worked for anyone. > > David M. It is not a rumor. It is fact. The ram being used in the VPC is like the memory in no other PC (that I know of) being manufactured today. You know that SGI has pioneered several mainstream simm/dimm technologies? In fact we hold the patents on a couple I believe. I'll leave it as an excercise to the curious to find out which ones. When you see the size of the 40 pin dimms we use in the VPC and then realize the density they are capable of in less than half the space of currently available dimms, perhaps you will reconsider your position. Every time SGI introduces new ram technology, very shortly Kingston or some other chip vendor starts making them and they are always cheaper than what you can get from SGI directly. Then they start appearing in all the "standard" generic clones. Every new platform we have announced since the Indy has used ram technology that noone else was really using. We use the best technology to gain the highest levels of performance. You can buy Octane and O2 ram at WalMart now, for chrissakes. A quick search for "SGI O2 memory" on any search engine will show you a hundred or so hits. VPC will take a little bit, but you can be sure there will be 3rd party memory sources. How much of the VPC is standard today? large portions. dual PCI bus (get that from a clone) (and what does it cost to get it on a Sun?), the CPU's, serial port, fire wire interfaces, parallel port, video in and out, digital audio with all the standard ports, etc. The important parts, the parts that blow the doors off of every other same-ol, same-ol generic clone PC isn't industry standard, YET. How about you take this elsewhere, please. EAK. -- ---------1---------2---------3---------4---------5---------6---------7 Eric Kimminau eak@detroit.sgi.com Field Technical Support SGI 39001 W. 12 Mile Rd. Farmington, MI 48331-2903 Vox:(248)848-4455 Fax:(248)848-5600 VNET:6-327-4455 "I speak my mind and no one else's." "I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, try to keep up..." http://support.sgi.com