I just noticed the scheduled delivery/installation/completion of a 7400-Cray equivalents machine in around 1997:
2) 196.1 - (APR-1994) [CSS] Central Security Service,National Security Agency Headquarters,Fort George G Meade,Maryland,US,postmaster@dockmaster.ncsc.mil 1) TMC CM-5/512 44.8 (2.8 @ 32 cpus) 2) Cray C916-1024 35.52 = 2.22 * 16 cpus 3) Cray C916-1024 35.52 = 2.22 * 16 cpus 4) Cray C916-1024 35.52 = 2.22 * 16 cpus 5) Cray Y-MP/8E-256 8 = 1 * 8 cpus 6) Cray Y-MP/8E-256 8 = 1 * 8 cpus 7) Cray Y-MP/8E-256 8 = 1 * 8 cpus 8) Cray Y-MP/8E-256 8 = 1 * 8 cpus 9) Cray M98-4096 ~ 7.01 10) Cray 3/2-64 [-4Q96] 5.73? 11) NSA SMPP-2/2M [+4Q96] 7407.05? ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^
Note also that poor Seymour Cray's Cray-3 (from Cray Computer, *not* Cray Research, as you all must surely know) is not very competitive with the various hypercubes and other parallel machines (like Intel's Paragon and Thinking Machine's CM-5, both closely matched at around 90-100 Cray equivalents). I think this means the end of mostly uniprocessor machines, even if made out of GaAs. But the "NSA SMPP-2/2M" is intriguing. Speculatively (_very_), I wonder if this is the "million processor" (or 2 million, if that's what the "2M" means) machine researchers have talked about. (Danny Hillis said at Hackers '90 that he hoped to see this built.) I wonder who the contractor is? Food for thought. (And just what will the NSA SMPP-2/2M use for its food?) --Tim May -- .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-688-5409 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^859433 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."