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Non Gaming Discussions => Off-Topic => Topic started by: videoholic on May 14, 2002, 03:48:37 AM

Title: NASA buying chips on EBay
Post by: videoholic on May 14, 2002, 03:48:37 AM

This is pretty funny.  NASA is actually going around and trying to buy all the 8086 chips it can find.  It seems that parts of the shhuttle are run on the chipset that was popular 10+ years ago.  It says in the artical that they are scouring Ebay to get as much stuff as they can so that if a chip fails they will have backups.  Pretty interesting.  They just need to build a new ship.  I can\'t believe how old those things are.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/12/technology/ebusiness/12NASA.html?ex=1021867200&en=73a55b2711fa74bf&ei=5038&partner=ASAHI

Title: NASA buying chips on EBay
Post by: mm on May 14, 2002, 04:04:23 AM

i got two sitting in a coffee can on my shelf
i wonder how much they would pay me for em

:)

Title: NASA buying chips on EBay
Post by: Coredweller on May 14, 2002, 08:18:50 AM

I thought modern x86 cpus were backward compatible with those things...?  Are they just buying them because they\'re cheaper than Pentiums?  I guess if they tried to order some newer chips, Intel would find some way to charge them $5,000 a piece for them.  :laughing:

Title: NASA buying chips on EBay
Post by: Bobs_Hardware on May 14, 2002, 08:34:02 AM

good thing they are taking precautions in case a chip fails..

so if the shuttle falls to the ground and everyone dies in a firey death.. they can replace the chip..

Title: NASA buying chips on EBay
Post by: THX on May 14, 2002, 09:10:02 AM

Why don\'t they overcloack the 8086.  OC = teh win!!!

Title: NASA buying chips on EBay
Post by: Titan on May 15, 2002, 01:49:06 PM

Why don\'t they just put in a new computer system?