In a new installment on computer history, [Bradford Morgan White] takes us through the sordid history of Cyrix, as this plucky little company created the best math co-processors (FasMath) and then a range of interesting x86-compatible CPUs that would give competing x86 CPUs a run for their money. Even though Cyrix played by the rules of licensing agreements, Intel would keep suing Cyrix repeatedly since the 1980s well into 1990s, for a total of seventeen times until Cyrix counter-sued for patent violations in May of 1997.
This case was settled between Cyrix and Intel, with a cross-licensing agreement established. Unfortunately these mounting legal costs and the stresses of keeping up with the competition (i.e. Intel) was proving too much and Cyrix was sold off to National Semiconductor, who wasn’t enthusiastic about competing with Intel. After this Cyrix got split up into Geode (sold to AMD) and Cyrix Technologies (sold to VIA). Interestingly, VIA’s x86 patent licenses and patents ended up being the foundation of Zhaoxin: a joint venture between VIA and Shanghai’s government which produces x86 CPUs for primarily the Chinese market.
We looked at the Cyrix Cx486DLC processor a while ago, and why their 386 upgrade options were perhaps not that great. Their later CPUs have however left a strong legacy that seems to endure in some way to this day.
Weitek math coprocessors were the fastest https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/3167/index.html
Getting sued by Intel is simple: pose a threat to their profits. Literally, that’s all you have to do. Intel has lied and cheated every day of it’s existence all in the name of higher profits. It’s finally coming around to bite them and it’s long overdue.
The 486DLC-40 was a fine piece of silicon, I think, despite the criticism of the day.
Because it provided an upgrade-path to rock-solid, cool-running and trouble-free am386DX-40 systems.
Back in the early 90s, the 386DX-40 platform was very mature and sufficiently quick, also thanks to 40 MHz FSB.
It also had BabyAT mainboards that were extra ordinary compact and highly integrated.
We haven’t seen such a form-factor until microATX again, I think.
8008 was not even created by Intel!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8008#:~:text=The%208008%20architecture%20was%20designed,implemented%20and%20manufactured%20by%20Intel.
And AMD invented x64 and Intel’s offering Itanium was terrible, so Intel had a bought a licence from AMD to produce x64.
Now AMD is the biggest seller of PC’s CPU’s (for now)
None of this matters though because as Angelina Jolie said in the film “Hackers, “RISC architecture is gonna change everything.”.
ARM agrees!
At the other end of the spectrum… Cyrix once sued Intel over the Pentium PRO.