[twoodfin]

Growing up with the tech press in this era, “commodity RDRAM” is a funny phrase to read!

As I recall, the partnership between Intel and Rambus was pilloried as an attempt to re-proprieterize the PC RAM interface in a similar vein to IBM’s microchannel bus.

[rowanG077]

Why is it funny. You could just go to a computer store and buy RDRAM.

[twoodfin]

It wasn’t a commodity! It was a single-owner proprietary technology. You needed a license from Rambus to manufacture it. And at least at the time it commanded a premium price over true commodity DRAM.

People on Slashdot got really worked up when Intel signed a deal with Rambus to make RDRAM the only supported technology on Intel x86—from which they relatively quickly backtracked.

Anandtech (sniff) of course has great contemporary background:

https://www.anandtech.com/show/545

[deaddodo]

"Commodity" meaning "something that could be bought at the store".

[twoodfin]

From the Rambus store!

[deaddodo]

Ok