Re: Have you read this?

["Tracey MacKenzie" <spanner@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>
> You are missing the point:
> 1) The CPU has one of the most powerful FPUs around
> 2) The use of this FPU can be disabled in software by setting
> a bit in the MSR (Machine State Register).
> 3) This 'disable' bit is set (at least on the low-end models)
>
> So, the customer is paying for hardware that he has,
> but cannot use it. An interesting issue is to what
> models this apply. Only low-end, or all, or what?
>
> BTW, the FPU can be enabled again in software...
>

Leif,

I recognise that the customer gets a piece of hardware with certain
characteristics, but based on the model he pays for, he pays for a certain
performance. Given the cost to develop and build the plant to manufacture
these chips, it is more cost effective to apply a one size fits all aproach
to production and then charge as though different models were manufactured
when selling the product.

IBM has to amortize the cost of develping these chips across all sales, so
it's kind of not exactly correct (IMO) to speak as though the cost of the
processor remains the same across all models. I would figure that there
might be some kind of under the covers financial equailisation so that the
nominal cost of a processor internally to IBM is different across machine
models. This is reflected in the pricing and what the customer gets.

Look at the absence of floating point on the low end from the perspective of
the customer who buys a car without the factory fitted radio. Not a great
analogy, but do you get my drift ?

Cheers
Evan Harris

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