Compaq Computer Corp yesterday confirmed that it is considering PowerPC as a complementary architecture to iAPX-86. It is not yet committed to doing PowerPC products and believes they will only be appropriate as servers, Gary Stimac, senior vice-president and general manager of systems said. He believes that the volumes that can be achieved mean that only two microprocessor architectures, iAPX-86 and PowerPC will survive, with the R-series perhaps continuing as a boutique product, and Compaq’s decision on using PowerPC will depend on users; the company would likely run NT and Unix on it – he did not mention Macintosh System, despite talk that Apple Computer Inc has been wooing Compaq. He pointed out that if Compaq does design PowerPC machines, it will have to create a completly new architecture from its next-generation iAPX-86.
