Talk about mistaken impressions....

     Just because Intel and the Japanese suppliers were dumping commodity
     Flash Memories at prices below commodity EPROM devices, now everyone
     thinks that Flash on a micro is cheaper than EPROM.

     As for "Flash" = "electrically eraseable"; don't blame us.  Until the
     industry press like EDN decide to be more precise in their technical
     details or at least review press releases before they are printed, the
     marketing folks at our competitors will be able to put a "spin" on
     technology. Everyone else will have to follow along or be left behind
     the noise.

     Rgds, Brian.


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Query - Programming the FLASH PIC16F84-04 ?
Author:  William Chops Westfield <billw@CISCO.COM> at Internet_Exchange
Date:    12/9/96 10:08 PM


    Microchip is under the (mistaken, I think) impression that "Flash" is
    a generic term for "electrically-erasable".

Nonsense.  Microchip is under the impression that "flash" is a more
marketable buzzword than EEPROM, and that they can get away with calling
their chips "flash microcontrollers" to compete with the likes of Atmel, TI,
and Motarola; regardless of the details of the underlying electronics.

I think they're probably right.

It would be an interesting case of poetic justice if Intel's lawyers showed
up on their doorstep claiming infringement of the flash patents...

 :-)
BillW