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Name: Aaron Oberlander
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Around 1993
Question:
Hello, I would just like to find out if I am right or not. Is the reason that the new (586) is called the P5, because they could not patent the number (586)? Therefore, they called it the Pentium 5, or something like that. Thanks again.


Replies:
The reason that Intel has broken with the x86 numbering scheme and named their new microprocessor the Pentium is because the name Pentium can be trademarked. With competitors such as Advanced Micro Devices and Cyrix calling their somewhat compatible chips 386s and 486s, Intel has decided to use the name Pentium to replace the x86 numbering scheme. Now, computer buyers will not need an "Intel Inside" sticker to know that the computer they are buying has an Intel microprocessor.

Daniel Lee Luchinski


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