34 lines
1.2 KiB
HTML
34 lines
1.2 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN">
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<HTML>
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<HEAD>
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<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
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<TITLE>Brief Introduction to Alpha Systems and Processors: What is Alpha</TITLE>
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<LINK HREF="Alpha-HOWTO-2.html" REL=next>
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<LINK HREF="Alpha-HOWTO.html#toc1" REL=contents>
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</HEAD>
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<BODY>
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<A HREF="Alpha-HOWTO-2.html">Next</A>
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Previous
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<A HREF="Alpha-HOWTO.html#toc1">Contents</A>
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<HR>
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<H2><A NAME="s1">1. What is Alpha</A></H2>
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<P> "Alpha" is the name given to Digital's 64-bit RISC architecture. The Alpha
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project in Digital began in mid-1989, with the goal of providing a
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high-performance migration path for VAX customers. This was not the first RISC
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architecture to be produced by Digital, but it was the first to reach the
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market. When Digital announced Alpha, in March 1992, it made the decision to
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enter the merchant semicondutor market by selling Alpha microprocessors.
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<P>
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<P> Alpha is also sometimes referred to as Alpha AXP, for obscure and
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arcane reasons that aren't worth persuing. Suffice it to say that they are one
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and the same.
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<P>
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<HR>
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<A HREF="Alpha-HOWTO-2.html">Next</A>
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Previous
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<A HREF="Alpha-HOWTO.html#toc1">Contents</A>
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</BODY>
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</HTML>
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