From Steven.D.Ligett@Dartmouth.EDU  Ukn Jul  7 13:32:06 1993
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Message-Id: <5378907@prancer.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 07 Jul 93 13:29:15 EDT
From: Steven.D.Ligett@Dartmouth.EDU (Steven D. Ligett)
Subject: on the motherboard?
To: riscy@pyramid.com
Sender: riscy-request@pyramid.com
Reply-To: riscy@pyramid.com
Status: RO
X-Status: 

Any single item will be cheaper to implement on the motherboard.  It will not
be cheaper to implement *everything* on the motherboard, however.  Ethernet
is cheap and simple to implement - at least it was back in '87, when I last
did so.  I can't expect that it is harder now.

For me, being simple to do is not a reason to put it on the motherboard.  The
data rates are modest, and it's not universally wanted, so I say leave it
off.

My budget for the whole computer is about $1600.  I break that down as
follows:

box        $100  (PC box, w power supply)
monitor     500  (decent monitor)
RAM         240  (8 MB)
disk        200  (170 MB disk)
kb, mouse   100  
PCB         100
CPUs        120  (20 mhz 3051 & 3041)
video       120
pals         60
skts, etc.   60  (sockets, leds, connectors, crystals, 
                  diodes, caps, resistors, etc.) 
          -----
          $1600

That leaves me $0 for all the other features on the board.  I want a boot
rom, and SCSI, and serial ports.  Something has to give.  I hope to save some
here and there over these estimates, but I can't afford much of a wish list.

If you have $3000 to spend, then your list can be longer, but in that case,
it doesn't matter so much if it saves you $25 to put a feature on the
motherboard, anyway.

 
