[geeks] New SGI workstation

[Bjorn Ramqvist]

Eric Dittman wrote:
> 
> NSK is migrating from MIPS to Itanium.  That would leave SGI as the only
> company using MIPS CPUs for their servers and workstations. It may be that
> continuing development of the high-end of the MIPS processor line may be
> cost prohibitive with only SGI using them.

Not that SGI is in any way involved with the lower-end processors any
more, but MIPS certainly can live it's life outside SGI too. Cisco and
other manufacturers are using MIPS CPUs in their gear. Like, for
instance, last time I checked out our Cisco 6509 switch it had two MIPS
R8k CPUs...

Anyway, that doesn't count for the development costs for higher-end
numbercrunchers like the (now) R16k or R18k lines. If (when?) NSK moves
away from MIPS, SGI will be just like Sun is now and how DEC was before
- developing new (own) processors and let someone else manufacture them.

/Bjorn