200-MHZ Pentium or 200-MHZ Pentium Pro -- which is right for your business? Special Article Supplement to Complement 6/10/96 Announcement.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 10, 1996--The following is written by Genevieve Ortegon, vice president of marketing, Advanced Logic Research, and Gary Bickal, marketing writer, Advanced Logic Research.

With Intel's recent introduction of the 200-MHz Pentium processor, the PC buying process has suddenly become significantly more complicated. At 200-MHz, the CPU speed of the venerable old Pentium now competes with Intel's premier Pentium Pro chip. To make matters worse, even some benchmarks have trouble discerning between the two high performance CPUs. What's a computer buyer to do?

In many ways, this situation echoes the early days of the i386 processor. At first, it was not uncommon to find 286 class processors offering equivalent CPU speeds. Popular DOS based applications, such as WordPerfect or Lotus 1-2-3, took little advantage of the new 386 processors.

As a result, the benefits of 32-bit 386 technology were not immediately apparent to the average user. Within a short time, however, dozens of applications began exploiting the power of the 386. And when Windows 3.0 came into play, 286 systems actually became a corporate liability. To be truthful, most 286 systems manufactured after 1988 were landfill candidates long before they were amortized.

Which is not to say that Pentium processor-based systems are necessarily headed for the same fate. In many business applications, Pentium technology could be sufficient for months or even years to come. And it's definitely hard to beat the price/performance ratio of today's low-cost 100- and 133-MHz Pentium processor-based systems.

But if you're thinking about purchasing a 200-MHz Pentium system, you probably have other considerations in mind. You're obviously more concerned about performance than price. And as a power user, you're more likely to want to use the latest applications and most powerful operating systems.

Given this criteria, which makes more sense...a 200-MHz Pentium system or a 200-MHz Pentium Pro system? To answer this question, you need to take stock of your applications and environment. The first issue to consider is your operating system. Do you use Windows NT, Novell NetWare 4.1 or another full, 32-bit operating system? Then your answer is simple. Go with a Pentium Pro system.

Thanks to a number of advanced processing techniques collectively known as dynamic execution, the Pentium Pro chip has a definite edge when it comes to handling 32-bit code. Its fast, integrated L2 cache increases the efficiency of this chip even more. And if you're planning on using one of these operating systems in a multiprocessor configuration, the reasons to go with a Pentium Pro chip are even more compelling.

Unlike the Pentium processor, the Pentium Pro chip has true multiprocessor support built-in. The result is enhanced scalabilty with less need for additional hardware.

Now if you're still using Windows 3.1, or just plain old DOS, and you never plan on upgrading, then by all means stick with the Pentium chip. You obviously value proven technology (no matter what the drawbacks) over enhanced performance.

And, quite frankly, these older operating systems won't take much advantage of the Pentium Pro chip's advanced features. Just bear in mind that many application vendors have already begun phasing out support for these older OSs, so you'd better be entirely happy with the applications and versions you're running now.

If you're running Windows 95, or planning on upgrading in the near future, the issue becomes a bit more complex. As a sort of hybrid operating system, Windows 95 strives to balance the performance of 16-bit and 32-bit applications.

If you run primarily 16-bit applications, then the Pentium Pro chip won't offer much benefit over the same speed Pentium chip. But run a 32-bit program under Windows 95, and you'll begin to see a definite difference.

Make it a graphics intensive program like Adobe PhotoShop 3.104, and the gulf in performance widens. When tackling PhotoShop's more complex filters, the Pentium Pro chip's performance is so impressive that seasoned art directors have been known to give up their Power Macs.

Which brings us to the issue of applications. As stated before, if you only plan on running older 16-bit applications, the Pentium processor could be your best. Keep in mind, however, that practically all of today's popular applications are now or will soon be 32-bit.

And we're not just talking high-end graphics programs like PhotoShop. Even routine business packages like Microsoft Office are now available in 32-bit configurations. So if application performance and robustness are at a premium, the Pentium Pro chip system is once again the obvious choice.

If you're completely happy with your old applications, then the need for the newer technology isn't so compelling. There is, however, one caveat to keep in mind. Microsoft has made no secret about the fact that it wants to make Windows NT Workstation the standard business operating system of tomorrow; it sees Windows 95 as a stepping stone to that goal.

If this transition does take place, and it takes place in your company, you'll probably end up wishing that you'd opted for Pentium Pro technology.

And then there are those applications that demand the power of a Pentium Pro Chip. For example, let's take a look at 3D Studio Max, the latest version of AutoDesk's 3D animation program. 3D Studio Max has to be run under Windows NT.

It also supports multiple processors, so by this criteria alone, you'd definitely want to consider Pentium Pro technology. But even if you choose to ignore these facts, you won't be able to ignore the performance gains offered by the Pentium Pro chip.

With a program like Max, the Pentium Pro chip can substantially reduce redraw and rendering times, shaving hours or even days off of large projects. The same goes for SoftImage, Microsoft's new Windows NT release of Hollywood's premier animation package.

So it really all comes down to short term cost savings versus long term performance gains. If growth and change are not an issue in your company, if you're firmly rooted in 16-bit operating systems and applications and you have absolutely no plans to upgrade within the next two or three years, then a 200- MHz Pentium processor based system will save you about a hundred dollars.

But if you're running, or will be running, 32-bit operating systems with 32-bit applications, then a Pentium Pro system is the obvious choice. The performance benefits - and therefore processing time saved -- will become more substantial as the years go by. And that original price difference will seem insignificant in retrospect.

CONTACT: Advanced Logic Research, Irvine

Genevieve Ortegon

Internet: [e-mail]

714/581-6770 (phone)

714/581-9240 (fax)

Web Site: http://www.alr.com