# P1 - P7 .... What next?



## ejbragg (Dec 13, 2009)

Does anyone happen to know what the next Intel chip is supposed to be like?

About 8 years ago, I was living in downtown Indianapolis, and chatting with a cable guy who seemed to have some "inside info" via university professors in the family. Discussing my computer adventures, we got on the subject of the pentium chip, which seemed to light him up with info. (I had just upgraded to the "all new" Pentium 4 chip that had just become commercially available - this was 2002.) I don't know how true the following information is, but it does sound intriguing....

He said that as of the date of ... either the P3 or the P4 hitting the market, Intel already had all the design plans and prototyped Intel chips laid out, tested, and put on the shelf, just awaiting the slow cycling of the market to accept the influx of the new chips every couple years. Apparently, the early chips - the 286, 386, and especially the 486 and then the transition to the 586 (also known as the pentium 1), happened so fast that the public had begun just giving up on trying to upgrade. Basically frustrated, many were getting into the habit of purposely skipping one or two computer types and awaiting the next tier, which they then discovered they either couldn't afford, or couldn't understand, or both.

So they slowed the pace. They wanted all of America to have the time to "slide into" the newer technologies at a comfortable pace. Meanwhile, every newcoming chip had already been designed and was sitting on the shelf, aside from last minute modifications that would need to be made before manufacturing and market release. At the time, he said, "they have pentium chips all the way up to Pentium 7!" I didn't know whether to believe it at the time, because up until that point, no chip had kept its nomenclature for more than 4 phases. Why would they try to push it for 7? But in hind sight, this guy at least had this bit of information correct! But it gets better......

He said there's a very good reason for all this. The university of Indiana is supposeldly one of many universities working on and developing internet technologies. Because there's a mainvein of fiberoptic cable going right across the nation and literally underneath the university, they have access to much of the development of this whole new system. What he reported was that the Pentium project was actually planned to get people into the mode for using audio / visual technologies. The new chip after P7 will not be a P8. It will supposedly be something totally different, with a completely different basis, geared toward super high speed media. With 386 (I don't remember if this is the right number) lines of fiber optic cable going across the nation and connecting everyone, the new computers will be connecting everyone to everyone with a very large bandwidth capability. Large screen covering whole walls, much like that seen in "Space Odessey 2010" will allow you to see and hear your acquaintences as if they were in the room with you - not necessarily in 3-D, but you get the point. By this new technology, all security of the home is controlled by these new computers, which are always on the internet, 24/7. Phone calls, television, music - everything can be routed through this all new, and completely different system, which is supposed to "revolutionize" the way we work and live.

It all sounds neat, and ... also scary. But it doesn't sound too far fetched any more. One thing is for sure. The P7's are out, and only time will tell if the rest of his story is correct... !

:nerd:


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## spacedout (Dec 17, 2007)

ejbragg said:


> ...
> 
> He said that as of the date of ... either the P3 or the P4 hitting the market, Intel already had all the design plans and prototyped Intel chips laid out, tested, and put on the shelf, just awaiting the slow cycling of the market to accept the influx of the new chips every couple years. Apparently, the early chips - the 286, 386, and especially the 486 and then the transition to the 586 (also known as the pentium 1), happened so fast that the public had begun just giving up on trying to upgrade. Basically frustrated, many were getting into the habit of purposely skipping one or two computer types and awaiting the next tier, which they then discovered they either couldn't afford, or couldn't understand, or both.


Personally, I've always got whatever's available whenever I feel the need for a new machine, and kept running it until it proves inadequate for whatever reason (usually new software requiring a more powerful CPU). I've never really been fussed about what else is happening on the manufacturing front to any degree more than a casual interest in what I could expect to be available whenever upgrading comes around; I've certainly never felt a pressure to upgrade just becuase there's something new on the scene. That goes for pretty much anyone I know too. YMMV of course... 



> So they slowed the pace. They wanted all of America to have the time to "slide into" the newer technologies at a comfortable pace. Meanwhile, every newcoming chip had already been designed and was sitting on the shelf, aside from last minute modifications that would need to be made before manufacturing and market release. At the time, he said, "they have pentium chips all the way up to Pentium 7!" I didn't know whether to believe it at the time, because up until that point, no chip had kept its nomenclature for more than 4 phases. Why would they try to push it for 7? But in hind sight, this guy at least had this bit of information correct! But it gets better......


I don't really know much about CPU nomenclature and such (and I wasn't aware that the i7 chips are in the "Pentium" category - is that what you meant?), but this all sounds a little weird to me. If they had the chips (or the design thereof) available, why not just skip the intervening generations and release the most advanced one they had off the bat? I'm no marketing expert, but surely a chip that's ten years ahead of anyone else's would blow the competition (AMD) out of the water?



> He said there's a very good reason for all this. The university of Indiana is supposeldly one of many universities working on and developing internet technologies. Because there's a mainvein of fiberoptic cable going right across the nation and literally underneath the university, they have access to much of the development of this whole new system. What he reported was that the Pentium project was actually planned to get people into the mode for using audio / visual technologies. The new chip after P7 will not be a P8. It will supposedly be something totally different, with a completely different basis, geared toward super high speed media. With 386 (I don't remember if this is the right number) lines of fiber optic cable going across the nation and connecting everyone, the new computers will be connecting everyone to everyone with a very large bandwidth capability. Large screen covering whole walls, much like that seen in "Space Odessey 2010" will allow you to see and hear your acquaintences as if they were in the room with you - not necessarily in 3-D, but you get the point. By this new technology, all security of the home is controlled by these new computers, which are always on the internet, 24/7. Phone calls, television, music - everything can be routed through this all new, and completely different system, which is supposed to "revolutionize" the way we work and live.


Surely there would have been some kind of public announcement about this kind of technology? Even if it won't be available for years...



> It all sounds neat, and ... also scary. But it doesn't sound too far fetched any more. One thing is for sure. The P7's are out, and only time will tell if the rest of his story is correct... !


Scary isn't the word from my point of view. Just for starters, what happens during a power failure - the locks on my front door fail? That's before the inherent risks of having home security controllable over the internet... :yikes:

I dunno, I'm no expert, but it still seems pretty far-fetched to me... hope I don't end up eating my words soon :dumbcrazy:


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## immortalgropher (Feb 16, 2010)

None of that sounds shocking to me at all. I wouldn't put it past intel/MS.


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## spacedout (Dec 17, 2007)

Just yesterday said:


> Surely there would have been some kind of public announcement about this kind of technology? Even if it won't be available for years...


Seems I spoke too soon - I just got an announcement of sorts in an email this morning...

Intel reveals 50GB/second interface

It's not a CPU, but it's certainly a game changer. :rubeyes:


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## ejbragg (Dec 13, 2009)

spacedout said:


> I don't really know much about CPU nomenclature and such (and I wasn't aware that the i7 chips are in the "Pentium" category - is that what you meant?), but this all sounds a little weird to me. If they had the chips (or the design thereof) available, why not just skip the intervening generations and release the most advanced one they had off the bat? I'm no marketing expert, but surely a chip that's ten years ahead of anyone else's would blow the competition (AMD) out of the water?
> 
> Read more: P1 - P7 .... What next? - Pro Audio Forums - ProAudioShack.com :


Yes, it's a good argument, but here's why that approach doesn't work... well, this is MY philosophy....

If you release something way ahead of its time, nobody will be interested in it because they aren't yet ready for it. Or rather, not _enough_ mass interest is involved to get it off the ground. In fact, by slowly releasing the technology in phases, they are assured the ability to steer the masses exactly where they want them to be when they think (project that) their "mothership" will be ready to land.

In advanced technologies, if the technological advances planned by the developers is released to manufacturing companies too soon, a war and chaos results from fierce competition, everyone trying to develop far-fetch and widely differing applications in attempt to find their own market within the the new technologies. Obviously, Intel has the authority to swing the world the direction it wants to go, but even _they_ suffer if they don't time it right, because to have a solid platform with solid sales, they must keep the "core mass" in the same boat for as long as possible... until that boat begins to sink (no longer offering profits) When people seem ripe for change is when the next big idea is released and everyone jumps on the more attractive boat with new bells and whistles. This approach also allows enough time for other (smaller) companies to invent new ideas along the way, which either fizzle out or, if seem to explode in popularity, are bought out by these big corporations. The ones that fit the "master plan" get integrated into it. The ones that drive everyone against the grain are quickly buried. They have the muscle to do it.

Well, that's my version of the truth. What's yours?


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## ejbragg (Dec 13, 2009)

spacedout said:


> Seems I spoke too soon - I just got an announcement of sorts in an email this morning...
> 
> Intel reveals 50GB/second interface
> 
> It's not a CPU, but it's certainly a game changer. :rubeyes:


Woah! Nelly!!

The link gave me chills! that was a blast of confirmation for me! But we'll see for sure when the resulting new computers are released....


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## spacedout (Dec 17, 2007)

ejbragg said:


> Well, that's my version of the truth. What's yours?


I don't know anymore... let's go stick it to the man!!! addle:


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## ejbragg (Dec 13, 2009)

:sneeky: Can we FIND "the man"?

By the way, I never answered your question about the "i7" being the equivalent of the "P7" ... actually, I don't _have_ an answer. It seems that the P7 "idea" _may have_ been translated, and perhaps changed along the way, into the i7, since a single chip to handle it all would get very warm, indeed. This image jokingly conveys the underlying problem with a "P7" - the speed of the processor.

 

(Source link)

Possibly, this is so - and this was my guess when I started the thread, obviously. But now you have me questioning my assumption. but it would make sense to split up the load into several different processors that can communicate and simultaneously do their jobs.

.... which kind of makes me wonder about the future of motherboards. Will they become ever more efficient by having the main chips chopped smaller and smaller and spread across them? Will they become ever smaller and more in number such that they become more like microscopic entities, laid side by side and simply cooled by the ambient air? Can such a technology come into place that you merely need to cut off as much "power" as you need from a sheet and install it in whatever device you want to control? Sort of like "plug and play" computer brains?

... have to stop eating stuffed egg plant for lunch.


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