Exponential Unveils World's Fastest PC Microprocessor at 533MHz; Exponential X704 Microprocessor More Than Twice the Speed of Competitive Solutions; Elevates PowerPC and Macintosh Systems to New Levels of Performance.SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 1996--Exponential Technology, emerging as one of the industry's premier developers of high-performance microprocessor products and technologies, today announced the world's fastest PC microprocessor, the Exponential X704. The Exponential X704 is designed for high-end PowerPC-compatible systems. With a core clock speed of 533MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. -- more than twice the speed of any PC microprocessor solution currently available -- the Exponential X704 brings workstation-class processing power to PCs, raising the performance bar for personal computing Refers to users working on their own computers rather than a terminal to a mainframe. Sometimes, the term refers to using computers at home for work and/or entertainment in contrast to business use only. See personal computer. . "Today's announcement will cause the industry to stand up and take notice," said Satjiv Chahil, Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing, Apple Computer. "We think the Exponential X704 has the potential to redefine PC multimedia computing, and bring a major competitive advantage to the PowerPC platform See PPCP. (architecture, standard) PowerPC Platform - (PPCP, PReP - PowerPC Reference Platform, formerly CHRP - Common Hardware Reference Platform) An open system standard, designed by IBM, intended to ensure compatibility among PowerPC-based systems built by different and the Macintosh product family. This innovation should be especially attractive to power-Macintosh users who demand uncompromised performance for their high-end graphics and multimedia applications." Driven by users' insatiable appetite for faster PC performance, the Exponential X704 is specifically designed to meet the extraordinary processing demands of compute-intensive applications -- including desktop publishing desktop publishing, system for producing printed materials that consists of a personal computer or computer workstation, a high-resolution printer (usually a laser printer), and a computer program that allows the user to select from a variety of type fonts and sizes, , image processing image processing Set of computational techniques for analyzing, enhancing, compressing, and reconstructing images. Its main components are importing, in which an image is captured through scanning or digital photography; analysis and manipulation of the image, accomplished , Web page creation, video editing See nonlinear video editing and video editor. , digital animation, and high-end graphics/multimedia applications. The Exponential X704 not only meets, but exceeds these demands, offering a level of PC performance unmatched by competitive solutions currently available. At 533MHz, the Exponential X704 unleashes the power of the most demanding professional Macintosh/PowerPC applications -- including Adobe Photoshop See Photoshop. , Illustrator, Premiere and AfterEffects aftereffects after npl → Nachwirkungen pl , and Macromedia FreeHand A full-featured vector drawing program for Windows and Macintosh from Adobe, which acquired it in 2005 from Macromedia. It combines a wide range of drawing tools with special effects. FreeHand was first available on the Mac and was originally Aldus Freehand from Aldus Corporation. -- allowing users to do more in less time for increased productivity. "At 533MHz, Exponential's microprocessor really screams," said Mark Kirstein, Group Manager, PC Market Services of In-Stat, a semiconductor market research firm based in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Exponential's innovative BiCMOS microprocessor technology and impressive product roadmap gives them a substantial advantage in the highly competitive semiconductor industry." The Exponential X704 microprocessor will enter volume production in the second quarter of 1997. System announcements are also expected in the second quarter of 1997. A Sustainable Advantage Exponential believes it is the first start-up semiconductor company to aim from its inception for a performance leadership position in the microprocessor market. Exponential's microprocessor design is based on an innovative approach to a semiconductor manufacturing technology called "BiCMOS." Exponential's BiCMOS design uses a well-established "bipolar" process, known for its ultra-fast speed, to form the core logic of the microprocessor. A more common "CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. " process is used for on-chip memory. Exponential's unique BiCMOS approach enables PC manufacturers to build and deliver competitively priced, high-performance systems years before competitive solutions can reach similar microprocessor speed levels. (Please see Exponential's BiCMOS Technology white paper for more information.) "With the announcement of our 533MHz microprocessor, Exponential is firmly establishing a position of leadership within the industry," said Rick Shriner, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , Exponential Technology Exponential Technology was a vendor of PowerPC microprocessors. The company was founded by George Taylor and Jim Blomgren in 1993. The company's plan was to use BiCMOS technology to produce very fast processors for the Apple Computer market. . "Our innovative BiCMOS process clearly differentiates our product from competitive solutions." "In addition, the unique combination of personnel we have assembled with expertise in microprocessor design and bipolar technology truly sets Exponential apart within the industry, giving us a long-term competitive advantage," Shriner said. Licensed PowerPC Architecture Designed to provide high performance while maintaining compatibility with established industry specifications and standards, the Exponential X704 is fully compatible with all existing PowerPC/Macintosh applications. With its unparalleled processing power, the Exponential X704 will unleash the full power of these applications, giving users a robust PC productivity tool. In addition, the Exponential X704 is fully compatible with existing PowerPC hardware standards, including the 60X system bus, and is also compatible with evolving industry standards, including the Common Hardware Reference Platform Common Hardware Reference Platform - PowerPC Platform (CHRP (Common Hardware Reference Platform) A specification that was intended to make the PowerPC a standard platform. Also known as the PowerPC Reference Platform (PPCP), it defined minimum hardware requirements such as ports, sockets, bootstrap ROM and cache. ). This allows PC manufacturers to easily design and incorporate Exponential X704-based systems into their existing product lines, while minimizing the implementation costs normally passed on to consumers. Industry Support for Exponential In addition to Apple, Exponential has also received wide support from IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) and Motorola, the remaining members of the AIM alliance (a consortium of companies guiding the direction of the PowerPC platform), as well as other key players in the PowerPC industry: "IBM congratulates Exponential on their development of a new PowerPC microprocessor," said Ron Black, Director of PowerPC Microprocessor Business, IBM Microelectronics. "The Exponential microprocessor is clear proof of the strength of the PowerPC architecture." "We think it is a positive step that microprocessor designers like Exponential can take PowerPC technology in a different, new direction," said Phil Pompa, Director of Marketing, Motorola RISC RISC in full Reduced Instruction Set Computing Computer architecture that uses a limited number of instructions. RISC became popular in microprocessors in the 1980s. Microprocessor Division. "It will help grow the applications leadership already achieved by the PowerPC architecture." "Today's announcement marks an important step in the evolution of the PowerPC platform," said Steve Kahng, President and CEO, Power Computing Not to be confused with the extant computer hardware company also called Power Computing. Power Computing was a short-lived manufacturer of Apple Macintosh-compatible computers. Corporation. "Exponential's high-speed microprocessor brings a great advantage to the platform and will enable Power to continue our track record of leading-edge MacOS performance." "Exponential's microprocessor promises to raise the performance bar for desktop computing," said Peter Mehring, General Manager and Vice President of Research and Development at UMAX Computer Corporation. "This announcement should be of special interest to users who need powerful system performance for their compute-intensive graphics and multimedia applications, but aren't willing to pay workstation-class prices." Pricing and Availability The Exponential X704 will be priced at the $1,000 price point for large volume production orders. The Exponential X704 will also be available in 500MHz and 466MHz versions, providing PC manufacturers with the flexibility to offer consumers several PC solutions. Exponential Technology Exponential Technology is committed to delivering high performance microprocessor products using innovative design techniques and process technologies. The company's high-speed, bipolar logic, BiCMOS microprocessor devices are specifically designed to meet the critical processing requirements of compute-intensive applications. Exponential intends to deliver breakthrough computing power that is cost-effective and maintains compatibility with industry-standard technology. Exponential was founded in June 1993 and is located in San Jose. Led by industry veterans Gordon Campbell
Gordon Muir Campbell and Rick Shriner, Exponential has secured $17 million of financing from Apple Computer Corp., Venrock Associates, Nazem and Co., Woodside Fund, Itochu, Innotech, and various individual investors. Reader Contact Information Readers who want more information about Exponential can call 408/441-6050 or visit the Exponential World Wide Web site at http://www.exp.com. -0- Note to Editors: Exponential and Exponential X704 are trademarks of Exponential Technology, Inc. PowerPC is a registered trademark of International Business Machines, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CONTACT: Exponential Technology Rick Bergman, 408/441-6050 rickb@exp.com or Copithorne & Bellows PR George Millington, 408/988-2100 george.millington@cbpr.com |
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