Dynabook hw cost

tim Rowledge tim at rowledge.org
Fri May 25 05:32:27 UTC 2007


On 24-May-07, at 8:49 PM, subbukk wrote:


>
> The fixed costs in hardware is so high now that it is economical  
> only if
> manufactured in large numbers. Therefore it is important to get 'it  
> right the
> first time'.
Not if you do it right and build highly programmable hardware. The  
only thing you have to fear then is someone discovering the secret of  
the Halt and Catch Fire instruction[1]


tim

[1] I worked with a chap at IBM who used a pair of 29116 bitslice  
cpus in a project. It was entirely possible to cause a tri-state bus  
contention that really would execute the HCF instruction. Amusing but  
expensive. Possibly a useful anti-theft mechanism?

--
tim Rowledge; tim at rowledge.org; http://www.rowledge.org/tim
Useful Latin Phrases:- Fac me cocleario vomere! = Gag me with a spoon!





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