Macs

[Michael Haney]

On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 1:11 AM, Christopher Chan >
> Cyrix? Wait...x86 system on a CHIP? One chip doing everything?
>

Yeah, I think it called Cyrix.  There were some desktop systems with
that chip sold in the mid to late 90's but they didn't sell too well.
They were seriously underpowered compared to regular PCs.  Packard
Bell was one company that planned to sell systems with that chip.
Look here:  http://news.cnet.com/Packard-Bell-to-use-Cyrix-chips/2100-1001_3-211455.html

A few companies also used the MediaGX which Cyrix also developed which
put CPU, sound and video on the same chip.  Compaq, Packard Bell and a
fledgling eMachines sold low-cost PCs using the MediaGX chip.  Cyrix
later merged with National Semiconductor in 1997 and by 2000 the
company that had been Cyrix was gone.  The MediaGX didn't do to badly
sales wise and opened the door for other low-cost CPUs like the
Celeron, Duron, VIA's netbook CPUs and the Atom.

One of the last surviving pieces of technology that Cyrix developed
lives on as the AMD Geode processor, an ultra-low power (consuming on
0.9 volts)  x86 compatible CPU.  AMD bought the Geode CPU technology
rights from National Semiconductor sometime before 2000 and unveiled
their version in 2006.  Some Geode versions borrow technology from the
MediaGX chip also.

Hercules, of Hercules video card fame, has a netbook out that uses the
AMD Geode CPU.  Here's the URL:
http://www.hercules.com/uk/ecafe/bdd/p/84/ecafe-trade-ec-800-h20g-s/

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Michael "TheZorch" Haney
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