CompuServe Messages

Ana, AFG> that's (PCI) what all of us need! More durable technologies. AFG> I think that PCI will drive PCs to the next century….. MCA is "more durable" than ISA but nobody cares. No one uses it's peer-to-peer communications accross the bus. Remember all they're "multi-lane highway" propoganda that everyone yawned over? PCI offers no advantage to the average user, even most power users. Indeed PCI now (well, real soon now…) supports higher speed transfers than VLB, but all VESA has to do is tighten up the spec a little and it could run at higher speeds and on wider buses (Fast VLB? Wide VLB?) too. In my opinion VLB has a big lead over PCI because it's here now — every MB manufacturer already makes it. PCI will have a hard time catching up. There aren't even any disk devices that can take advantage of the full speed of the VLB today (and probably won't be for several years). There's no pressing need for a faster bus since there are no disks that can take advantage of it. Even memory (except of course high speed SRAM {$$$}) and video, the fastest "devices", can't take full advantage of the VLB. All of them force wait states on the bus because they're too slow. In short, if you want to buy something today (and probaly for the next year or so) that will run all your PC software, VLB is the way to go. If PCI catches on in a year or two or three you can get a new machine then. John.