In more bad news for Intel Corp, Advanced Micro Devices Inc yesterday became the first to launch an 80286 microprocessor with all the support circuitry necessary to build an AT-alike apart from the memory chips integrated with the CPU on a single chip. Aimed particularly at the portable computer market, the new part is the first of many such devices expected from various manufacturers – Intel itself is known to be working on a version of the 80386SX as part of its Genesis project for more highly integrated versions of its microprocessors. Intel’s own highly integrated 80386SX will include 80387SX maths co-processor, cache memory controller, small cache and peripheral logic, and possibly a VGA-compatible graphics circuit with the CPU on one chip. All of which makes life harder for the support chip set specialists led by Chips & Technologies Inc, which is expected to hit back with its own reverse-engineered iAPX-86 parts integrated with its own peripheral chip sets. Advanced Micro has two versions of its new part, based on its own – legal – 80286 part, one for laptop computers, the other for desktops, but no speed, price or availability details had reached us when we closed for press.
