[Coco] TRS-80 Color Computer: Wikipedia Article

[jdaggett at gate.net]

Frank

I wont argue that Motorola pricing was higher. I would argue that the MC6800 pricing would 
be a better comparison to the 6502 rather than the MC6809. The 6800 and 6502 have similar 
function and instruction sets. By 1981 the 6502 and 6800 were very similar in pricing while 
the 6809, a much more pwerful processor, was definitely higher in price. A more comparable 
chip to compare the MC6809 to was the 8080A chip. That was the chip and the market that it 
originally competed against.

Peripheral chips were a means of shifting profit to. An MPU without peripheral chips did 
nothing. For every processor you had to have three or more peripheral chips in order to make 
a computer. MOS Tech appeared to go that way. 

One thing that may have kept the MC6809 prices up was that it was not the high runner that 
Motorola may have really wanted. The 68000 showed that, along with the lack luster showing 
of the MC6809 based EXORCISER/EXORset computers. The MC68K versions seemed to 
do a bit better and HP and Apple were using more of the 68K chips in product than what 
even Radio Shack was with the COCO lines. The 68K series of processors found their way 
into intrumentation from LeCroy Oscilliscopes to many of HP's test equiptment and early 
industrial computers. 

I don't think that the 6809 series ever got beyond a 6 inch wafer or beyond 0.75 micron 
technology. I know that Motorola was still using 4 inch wafer fabs even as late as 1988 for 
production. I know the MC6809 has at least three different mask ID numbers and the 
MC6809 has at least four mask ID numbers. Why because I have chips with three different 
mask ID numbers. That does indicate changes to the chip either in technology change like a 
die shrink, a wafer size increase to lower unit costs, or even enhancements to improve yields 
that would also affect per unit cost. So Motorola was at least trying to improve profits or 
maintain profit margins on the 6809 up to it cancellation date.   

just some thoguhts.

james 


On 28 Nov 2009 at 8:27, Frank Swygert wrote:

> 
> I checked my small cache of books I DID save, and found a 1986 BYTE
> magazine. Don't know why I saved it, but inside is a nice four page JDR
> Microdevices ad! 6809s were $5.95 each, 6502s were $2.79... just over half
> price!! That should put an end to THAT debate! Oddly, the support chips
> were all similarly priced for both processors. Maybe that's where MOS
> Technology made up for the processor price..