Same issue with other 1980s custom hardware like mini-super scientific computers. It would take 3+ years for a new hardware generation. Intel or Motorola would

Same issue with other 1980s custom hardware like mini-super scientific computers. It would take 3+ years for a new hardware generation. Intel or Motorola would have at least three generations in that span and nearly catch up for a fraction of the engineering cost. Companies like Convex, Masspar and Thinking Machines rarely made it to their 3rd hardware generation.