NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/comp/sys/mac/misc/20748

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From: [e-mail] (GRUBB)
Subject: 'Mac & IBM Info-Version .91
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Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 21:41:51 GMT
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Mac & IBM Info-Version .91

Thank you all for your information.
The reason for this general data sheet is that people in both camps are not
clear or accurate about what they are saying about their machines.
This was part of the reason the Mac vs. IBM, Mac bigots, and similar threads
degenerated into a mess.  To help keep this organized please provide, if
possible, article citations for the information provided or corrected.
Note: this is a data sheet so let's keep the opinions to a minimum.  Also do
not just say it is incomplete, but give me the info to make it complete.

When completed, this data sheet will, I hope, enable us to make
convincing and intelligent comparisons between Mac and IBM.  Thank you.

Special thanks to [e-mail] (Chihuahua Charlie), bell-
[e-mail] (Peter Bell), [e-mail] (Carl B Jabido),
[e-mail] (Faisal Nameer Jawdat), [e-mail]
(Julian Harris), [e-mail], [e-mail],
[e-mail] (Matt Healy), [e-mail] (Nan Zou),
pwagner%us.oracle.com, [e-mail], [e-mail] (Wolfgang Strobl),
[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail] (Jay
C. Beavers), Lewis [e-mail], and [e-mail] for providing
informational corrections to this list.

The CPUs

Note: I am only showing the Motorola & Intel CPUs used in the Mac and
the main IBM machines. This is why, for example, the Motorola
68008 and 68010 are not listed: Apple never used these chips in the Mac.
Years only appear with dead CPUs and indicate first time used in a machine to
the last year used as a CPU.

IBM     ALU  Registers    External    cache    Features/
CPU                     bus  address           Notes
 8088   16      16       8     20      ?      {Died in 1989}
 8086   16      16      16     20      ?      {Ditto}
80286   16      16      16     24      ?      Protected Mode & segmenting
80386   32      32      32     32      ?      MMU & 32-bit Protected Mode
80486   32      32      32     32    one 8K   80386 & FPU
P5      32      32      64     36?     ?      RISC-like features,
                                              superscalar, Write-Back (386)


386sx   386 chip with 32 bit internal architecture, & 16 bit external.
386slc  low power version of the 386 with a chip cash. Used mainly
        in laptops.
486sx   486 with no built in FPU.
486dx2  same as 486 but the internal clock rate of the chip is
      doubled in comparison to the clock rate of the rest of
      the machine. (ex. a machine with a 50 Mhz dx2 has a
      chip that runs at 50 MHz, the rest of the machine runs
      at 25 MHz
486dx3  being demoed, 20/60 mHz, 25/75 mHz, and 33/99 mHz planned.
P5      Intel claims a performance of 100+ MIPS. It is to be out in the first
        quarter of 1993 [InfoWorld July 27, 92 & Vaporware 9/92].{We need to
        see this.}
PowerPC: The chip is out and rumor has it that IBM may build its PowerPC 601
EARLY 1993 (InfoWorld June 8 and 15, 92; MacWeek July 13, 92) It is also
rumored that the 601  machine will be four times as fast as a 50 MHz 486dx
running Windows.{could give P5 a run for the money with the programs of five
OSs that could run on this: DOS, Windows 3.x, OS/2, Mac OS, & UNIX (AU/X 4.0)
and its earlier release date.}

MAC     ALU  Registers    External    cache    Features/
CPU                     bus  address           Notes

68000   16      32      16     24        ?     {1984-1993}
68020   32      32      32     32        ?     {198?-1992}
68030   32      32      32     32        ?      MMU
68040LC 32      32      32     32     two 4K?   MMU & faster*
68040   32      32      32     32     two 4K    MMU & FPU
68050    development discontinued in favor of 68060
68060: {Anyone have the data for this?}
PowerPC: Chip is out and rumor is that the 601 machine will be three times as
fast as a Mac Quadra. Apple PowerPC 601 will be about a year latter then
IBM's.  Rumor is that Apple is planning to provide info to third party
developers to use this as an accelerator for present Nubus Macs [InfoWorld
August 3 and Vaporware 9/92]

*68040LC is a 68040 without a working FPU, a varient of this to be used in the
Centris 610 due out on Feb. 15, 1993 (MacWeek 11/02/92).  Unclear as if a
68040LC will be used or Motorola will go and design a special chip.

in comparing the CPUs the list looks like this:

8088/8086 ~ 68000 {16-bit vs 16/24/32-bit chip (data path/address
lines/data and address registers.  The ALU is what determines the bit
classification chip so the 68000 is 16-bit despite the higher bits
of the External Address(24) and the Registers(32) Side note: the 8088/8086
bought the farm around 1989 and it looks like the 68000 goes out as a CPU in
February 1993 due to the fact System 7.0.X runs poorly on it.}

286        ~ 68020 {This is the poorest comparison since the hardware
segmenting in the 286 pulls it past the 68020 and to the 68030 class while the
16-bit of the 286 pulls it nearer the 68000. OS/2 1.0 though 1.3 all use the
protected mode of the hardware segmenting in the 286,  as does Windows 3.X.  I
think that this makes the 68020 fit better even though the 286 is 16-bit and
the 68020 32-bit. (hardware segmenting vs 32-bit.)
Side Note: the 68020 went out as a CPU with the end of the LC and the 286 is
almost gone as well.}

386       ~ 68030 {The MMUs, 32-bit nature of these chips and
their protected memory puts them roughly together.  AU/X 3.0 is
at present the only Mac OS to use the protected memory feature of
the 68030.}

486sx   ~ 68040LC {same as 486 and 68040 but without the FPU, used as
a low cost solution for people who do not need the FPU.}

486       ~ 68040 {two 32-bit microprocessors with built-in FPU, MMU, 8K
internal cache.  The cache is implemented as two 4K caches in the 68040
and one in the 486.  This is as far as that goes.}

P5        ~ 68060 {Both are planned to be superscalar but may flounder
against the earlier released PowerPC chip.  Too early to compare these.}
[PC Week Sept 7 & 14 on 68060]

PowerPC   = PowerPC {This is the only CPU to be used by both IBM and
Apple and is planned to run programs from DOS, Windows 3.x, OS/2 and Mac OS as
well as parts of these OS on top of the Taligent OS. {Prototype is PowerOpen
(AU/X 4.0)}

Hardware
Color Support/Display
Mac: All present Macs except the Classic and Powerbook 100 support the use of
32-bit color. This is done in ROM by 32-bit color QuickDraw, which allows
programs to use 32-bit color even if the monitor does not display it; older
machines that supported color (SE/30, II, IIX, and IIcx) had only 8-bit color
in ROM and needed a software patch to use 32-bit color. (MacUser Special 1993:
28-29)  To keep costs down and speed up most Macs have only 8 or 16 bit
display capability built in, and most of those can be expanded to display 24
bit color.  32-bit color QuickDraw allows an almost transparent capability to
display and edit X-bit images in Y-bit color (Where X and Y are 1, 2, 4, 8, or
32 in any combination) reguardless of monitor resolution {63 dpi (12" color)
to 80 dpi (full page grey)}.  This means that even though you can use only 256
or 32,768 of the colors at a time, all 16,777,216 colors are still avalible
and are simulated at lower resolutions by dithering. (This is the reason for
CLUTS, so the program knows which set of colors to use with a picture and what
32-bit colors the dithers really are.)

IBM:  I need more information on this. According to Faisal Nameer Jawdat, PC's
have no internal definition of how the operating system interacts with the
video hardware, and leave it up to the OS and video hardware in question.  In
addition, according to Matt Healy, IBM never bothered to provide a standard
mechanism for software to determine what display mode is actually present. As
a result some modes are very hard to detect, and some of the "clone" graphics
cards are only partly IBM-compatible. {With no IBM equivalent of 32-bit color
QuickDraw, editing 32-bit pictures in 8-bit mode may be more difficult then on
the Mac.  Any conformation?}
Monitor types:
MDA
 original character-mapped video mode, no graphics, 80x25 text.
CGA (color graphics array)
 320x200 4 colors or 640x200 b/w, 16 color pallette, bad for the eyes.
EGA (enhanced graphics array)
 640x350 16 colors from 64 color pallette (and some lower res); some versions
 could run at 256 colors, bearable on the eyes.
VGA (video graphics array)
 320x200 at 256 colors, 640x480 at 16 colors, and some others, these two are
 the most commonly used.  All modes have a 256K color pallette, from a 18-bit
 CLUT (Color LookUp Table).  Monitors use analog input, incompatible with TTL
 signals from EGA/CGA etc.
MCGA (multi-color grpahics array)
 subset of VGA that provides the 320x200x256 mode but lacks the 640x480x16
 mode.  Common on the initial PS/1 implimentation from IBM.
SVGA (super VGA)
 At first no standardization which resulted in chaos, each manufacturer used
 their own implementation scheme,  either 512K (two years ago) or 1M (today),
 resolution of 800x600 and 1024x768 at 16 and 256 colors are common, newer
 ones (since last year) have the Sierra HiColor RAMDAC, giving 15-bit 32,768
 colors at 800x600, some of the very newer ones (23 month ago) can do 24 bits
 per pixel (usually at 640x480).  {a standard called VESA was established
 latter and is used in the newer units} Speedwise, too much variation, some
 very slow (Western Digital Paradise based, for example), some very fast (S3
 86C911 based, for example), some are so-so(like Tseng ET4000, a very popular
 chipset).  Some limiting factors: 8.33 MHz ISA bus, AT architecture where the
 CPU looks at the card through a 64K "window", etc.
Other standards not classified as SVGA:
8514/a:
 IBM's own standard, graphics accelerator with graphics functions like
 linedraw, polygon fill, etc. in hardware.  Uses interlacing.  Some clone
 implementations from ATI are the fastest video available today, though some
 models do not have interlacing.
XGA (eXtended graphics array)
 newer and faster than 8514/a, only available for MCA bus-based PS/2s, clones
 are coming out soon.  Max resolution at 1024x768x8b, same as 8514/a, also
 some 16 bpp mode.
XGA-2
 Accelerates graphics functions up to 20 times faster than standard VGA in
 Windows and OS/2, including line draws, bit and pixel-block transfers, area
 fills, masking and X/Y addressing. Has up to 65,536 simultaneous colors,
 Refresh rates up to 75 Hz, ensures flicker free, rock solid images to reduce
 visual discomfort, and is VGA compatable.  Up to 1280x1024 on OS/2.
TMS34010/34020: high end graphics co-processors, usually >$1000, some
                do 24-bit, speeds up vector-oriented graphics like CAD.

Network (Includes printing)
Mac
Harware: AppleTalk functionality (Includes LocalTalk) that needs $30
connectors.  Ethernet requires a card (PDS or Nubus) in most present machines
and the hardware support for each machine runs about $250-$300.
Software: AppleTalk, Ethernet, and Novell Netware.  The first two are provided
with each machine. {Server software is extra.}
Printing requires connection of the printer and the printer being selected in
the chooser.  Changing printers is by selecting a different name in the
chooser.

IBM
Harware: Appletalk (not widely used), Ethernet,  and TokenRing.
Software: Novell Netware, Banyan Vines, DECNet, Windows/Work Groups
Each of the MS-DOS networking schemes are, in general, totally incompatible
with the others. Once you have chosen one, you are pretty much locked-in to
that product line from then on.  Novell Netware is the biggest, especially in
corporate environments where it controls something like 80 percent of the
market.  In general, Netware is more powerful and offers better
control/management/security than AppleTalk, but it's designed around a
mainframe type set-up.
Printing {Looks like a mess. Need more info}
DOS/Windows
If it's a single user, then you plug the printer into the parallel port, and
don't worry about it. {Tweeking may be needed with poorly written software.}
Network Printing is not controlled by the system; it is mostly implemented by
the actual program, therefor performance varies from one software program to
the next; Windows 3.x can do a good job of showing "jobs" in the print queue,
but it always lists printers as "active"... even if they are not.
This becomes a problem if there are several incompatible printers on the same
net, because there's no way for software to reliably determine which printer
is active right now.
OS/2
Mac-like the os deals with the printers, with apps making calls to the OS.

Expansion
Mac:  All Macs since the Plus have a SCSI interface and SIMM memory expansion.
PDS: Avalible in the SE and all present Modular Macs.
NuBus: Supported in all Modular Macs except the LC, LCII, and Performa 400.
The SE/30 could be adapted to use this as well.
CPU expansion is handled either through the PDS or the NuBus.

IBM:  {need more info}
Memory expansion is through parity-checked SIMMs, same as special Mac IIcis or
by memory boards. {Parity SIMMs are more expensive then 'normal' SIMMs and
their importance is at present questionable with error correction in OS and
other parts of the hardware avalible.}
Side Note: to find the number of SIMMS that a full x-bit chip requires to run
at full speed, divide x by 8.  So, 16-bit requires two SIMMS, 32-bit requires
four, and 64-bit requires eight SIMMS. One way to get around this is to halve
the data path, but this can half the speed of the machine so its a trade off.
{LC II uses a 32-bit chip but a 16 bit data path so only 2 as opposed to 4
SIMMS are required; the 386sx is the IBM equivalent.}

HD Interfaces:
MFM (?), RLL (Run Length Limited)
 hard drive only interfaces, and only used in smaller (2 60mb) hard drives.
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)
 currently the most common standard, and is used for medium sized drives. Can
 have more than one hard drive
ESDI (Enhanced Storage Device Interface)
 generally considerred better than SCSI in many ways but not common enough for
 practical consideration. Can have more than one hard drive
SCSI
 not too wide spread yet, generally not bundled with systems, except as add-
 on. Can support up to 7 devices per SCSI controller. One problem:  here's no
 exact specifications for the controller so incompatibilities result.

BUS interfaces {More info please, this is Greek to me.}
ISA
 dominant factor, but it's showing its age.  Uses edge-triggered interrupts,
 can't share them, hence comes the IRQ conflict. Limited busmastering
 capabilities. 8 and 16 bit, though most cards aren't bandwidth
 limited. (COM ports, LPT ports, game ports, MIDI card, etc.) Most ISA
 motherboard designs these days have memory on a 32 bit path direct to the
 processor.
MCA
 IBM's 16 and 32-bit bus; anything can talk to anything, as fast as the two
 components involved can handle it. Never took off because it was incompatible
 with ISA and EISA.
EISA
 microchannel, is 32 bit, runs at 8.33 mHz and has the ability to self-
 configure cards like MCA.
PDS (Processor Direct Slot)
 was an acronym for proprietary implimentations of Local Bus in the early days
 before VLB existed.
VESA Local Bus (VLB)
 The standard of Local Bus. VLB is limited to three slots and doesn't
 allow bus mastering and is basically a cheap man's EISA or MCA.  Can run at
 high speeds (CPU clock rate, 25/33 MHz), hugh bandwidth
 (~130 MB/sec), which makes it ideal for video I/O (and disk I/O).
PCA
 Intel's version of Local Bus that is intended to totally replace ISA/EISA/MCA
 Not going anywhere, presently.

OSes {assumes full installation [print drivers, fonts, Multifinder, etc.]
and multiple application use.}

Mac
6.0.7: Requires 2 MB and HD floppy and features a GUI, sudo-multitasking
       (MultiFinder), standard program interface, & standard stereo sound
       support (snd). Has a 8MB RAM barrier and is a 24-bit OS. Some third
       party products allow 14MB of Virtual Memory as long as real
       RAM is below 8MB.
6.0.8: 6.0.7 with 7.0.0 print drivers
6.0.8L:  System 6 for new Macs that require System 7.
7.0.1: Base requirements: 2MB, 40MB Hard Drive, and a 68000; to run well:
       4 MB, a 80 MB Hard Drive, and a 68030. It has 6.0.7 features
       and AIC (between computers), built in network support, Virtual Memory
       in machines with MMU{1.6 times real RAM for least noticeable speed
       degradation on a IIsi}, & drag and drop. Can access up to 1GB of true
       RAM and 4GB of virtual memory and is both a 24 and 32-bit OS.
7.1.0: 7.0.1 with WorldScript support and less RAM usage then
       7.0.dot.[MacWeek Aug 24 & Sept 14 and PC Week Sept 7]
       {The intaller has a bug that when upgrading from 7.0.X it keeps the old
       fonts from 7.0.X inside the system file.  This can eat up any RAM
       benifits and cause other problems.}
AU/X 3.0(Unix): Needs 8MB of RAM{12-20MB suggested}, a 160MB hard drive, and
       something the power of a 68030 or 68040 to run.  32-bit OS.
PowerOpen(AU/X 4.0): Rumor is that it is ahead of schedule to the point it
       COULD be out by the end of this year.  Planned to run on 386,486,
       68030, 68040, and PowerCP chips. [MacWeek 13 July] 32-bit OS.

IBM
DOS 5.0: Has a 640K barrier with its own memory manager, a 1 MByte barrier
       with third party memory managers.
DRDOS 6.0: same as DOS 5.0 with some extras (like built-in data compression)
       and memory management enhancements. Still has 640K/1Mb barrier.
Window 3.1: runs on top of DOS.  Breaks 640K and 1M barriers but still has to
       deal with DOS file structure.  Base requirements 1 MB, floppy and a
       286; to run well 2MB, Hard Drive, and 386sx. Rumor of a 16 MB RAM
       barrier on some machines.
Windows for Workgroups:  intermediary between Win 3.1 and Windows NT.  It is
       basically Windows 3.1 with network support.
Windows NT:  The beta release takes about 50M of disk space (including the
       swap file), and requires 8-12 MB of RAM, which is what the final
       version is expected to require as well.  Rumor mill is that the final
       version is not to be available before Oct 1993
       (InfoWorld May 25 and July 6, Vaporware 07/92 and 08/92.) Also PC Week
       Sept 28 points to a 3rd or 4th quarter 1993 release date.  Some people
       see a July 4 release date (InfoWorld November 16, 1992)
OS/2: Unix like features and unix like requirements; 8 MB of RAM,
      a 60MB hard drive (uses 17-33MB on HD), and 386 CPU. Has to use a
      virtual swap file to use more then 16 MB RAM on ISA systems. IBM plans
      to use Taligent's OOPS in future versions of this.
      (InfoWorld October 26, 1992) 32-bit multithreaded, multitasking os.
AIX:  IBM's UNIX system, planned to be a subset of Taligent OS and PowerOpen.
Mac 7.0: {Maybe} Apple has System 7.0 running off Intel Chips and is looking
         at making this version available for IBM. {Another wait & see}
         (ComputerWorld November 2, 1992)
PowerOpen(AU/X 4.0): Rumor is that this could be the OS for IBM's PowerPC 601
      due out in early 1993 (Apple's PowerPC 601 is not due out until Jan
      1994.)  {Supports the theory of Apple planning to be both a hardware and
      software company.}

Price issue: Apple has dropped prices for dealers 15% to 20%
[MacWeek 17 August] and the Preforma line is out.
IBM is planning cheap machines as well:
A 25 MHz 386SLC model with a 60 MByte hard drive and color VGA for less
than $1,200 is planned after September 14.[MacWeek 17 August] These changes
will in the LONG term change the price issue. Too early to tell though.


Bibliography notes
VAPORWARE is available in the digest/vapor directory on Sumex(36.44.0.6) and
is by Murphy Sewall, From APPLE PULP H.U.G.E. Apple Club (E. Hartford) News
Letter  $24/year, P.O. Box 18027, East Hartford, CT 06118.
Phone #: "Bit Bucket" [phone] {"These are rumors folks; we reserve
the right to be dead wrong!"}


Corrections to the information are welcome

"Eliminate the impossible and what ever remains, no matter how improble,
is the truth" -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle through Sherlock Holmes

"The Computer is your friend"--Parinoia RPG