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Date:      Thu, 10 Apr 1997 16:20:33 -0400 (EDT)
From:      Chuck Robey <chuckr@glue.umd.edu>
To:        Stephen Roome <steve@visint.co.uk>
Cc:        Dave Alderman <dave@persprog.com>, hardware@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Re: Pentuim or Pentuim Pro ?
Message-ID:  <Pine.OSF.3.95q.970410161940.3473A-100000@skipper.eng.umd.edu>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.91.970410154122.23602M-100000@bagpuss.visint.co.uk>

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On Thu, 10 Apr 1997, Stephen Roome wrote:

> > Not for FreeBSD.  The basic interprocessor communications is done by the
> > APIC hardware, of which there are two flavors: Intel's patented APIC
> > design, and everyone else's OpenApic.  Only trouble is, all the existing
> > motherboards, and FreeBSD's software, support Intel's APIC design, not
> > OpenApic.  I'm not aware that there's any support in any OS for OpenApic,
> > or in any motherboard that's available.
> 
> 
> So, basically that nothing is going to be multiprocessor 
> unless either.
> 	1) Someone rewrites/patches/whatever each OS with OpenApic support.
> 	2) It's an Intel chip ?
> 
> If so, this is as bad news as Socket-1 for the market.. (is there an 
> International Monopolies/Mergers commition to stop Intel putting everyone 
> else out of the market ?)

Worse than that, even the motherboards don't support Open Apic designs.
Can't get there from here.

----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
Chuck Robey                 | Interests include any kind of voice or data 
chuckr@eng.umd.edu          | communications topic, C programming, and Unix.
9120 Edmonston Ct #302      |
Greenbelt, MD 20770         | I run Journey2 and picnic, both FreeBSD
(301) 220-2114              | version 3.0 current -- and great FUN!
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------




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