From: Adam Wilkinson (adam_at_tiamat.umd.umich.edu)
Date: Sun Jul 03 1994 - 15:30:47 EDT
In message Fri, 1 Jul 1994 14:14:59 -0800 (PST),
"John Kim" <jokim_at_chs.cusd.claremont.edu> writes:
> In message Fri, 1 Jul 1994 08:13:45 -0700 (PDT),
> Randal Whittle <whittle_at_chaph.usc.edu> writes:
>
>
>>> about a 9600 level. Of course, I have one of those antique TP700's
>>> with a 16550AFN serial port :) ^^^^^
>>>
>
>
>> Does anybody have a clue why IBM would put 16550 UARTs in their
>> early 700 series ThinkPads but not in the 750's?!!!! This is
>> ANGERING! :(
>
> The 700 and 720 were MicroChannel Architecture machines. All MCA machines
> have 16550 UARTs (as well as other features that make multitasking go more
> smoothly). The 750 was in a way a concession to the market's continuing
> use of ISA - it is an ISA machine. I guess too many people complained
> they couldn't run Linux on the Thinkpad 7xx. :)
>
> I think the real reason is that the docking station for an MCA machine
> could only take MCA cards (unless you plunked down more money for an
> adapter). Enough people complained they wanted to use ISA cards so they
> got their wish.
>
> Personally I think they should've stuck with MCA. I doubt they're selling
> *that* many docking stations, especially at the price they charge.
Actually, machines based on the ISA achitecture are easier, faster and
cheaper to design and build, regardless of whether or not a docking station
is used.
Adam Wilkinson
adam_at_tiamat.umd.umich.edu | "The first time it's research. the second
usfmcltc_at_ibmmail.com | time is just engineering!" - Cliff Stoll
Compuserve: 75470,71 | (author of "The Cuckoo's Egg"
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Thu Jan 23 2003 - 09:52:23 EST