On 18 Feb 98 at 13:47, Bob Wright wrote:

> There is one other argument to be made for upgrading to the
> PentiumII boards and it rests on the future of chip upgrades.
>
> If you are intending to make the most of your upgrade dollars
> for future expansion, it might also be wise to consider the newer
> chips online for the PentiumII, (Slot One), connector.  Intel has
> been talking about the 400mhz to 500mhz chips, (I have even
> seen predictions of much faster chips relatively soon), for this
> Slot One connector.

  Intel has also been talking about Slot Two.  I'd hate to be telling
people they could buy a 233 or 266 today on the assumption that
they'll be able to upgrade to a 400 next year, only to have Intel
decide that no, they can't after all.  [Intel keeps insisting that
the 400-500 MHz CPUs they're planning are for a different market from
the current crop.  They've tried to splinter the market before, not
very successfully, but they still believe they can make money that
way.]
  Intel clearly regards every OverDrive sale as a lost opportunity to
sell a completely new system, and prices them accordingly.  While
hopes of future upgradability might be a selling point on current
systems, that's not something Intel feels much incentive to deliver
on.
  I honestly do hope you're right about this, but I'd be glad of
something more confidence-inspiring than just wishful thinking.  [If
you've seen Intel make some clear commitment on this point (that I've
apparently missed), please direct me to it.]

David G