Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!brunix!doorknob!wsd From: wsd@cs.brown.edu (Wm. Scott `Spot' Draves) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Killer Micros and vectorized code Message-ID: Date: 15 Mar 90 08:38:57 GMT References: <51771@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV> <100598@convex.convex.com> Sender: news@brunix.UUCP Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science Lines: 33 In-reply-to: hamrick@convex1.convex.com's message of 15 Mar 90 00:24:35 GMT In article <100598@convex.convex.com> hamrick@convex1.convex.com (Ed Hamrick) writes: ... However, I believe that there are several key strategic reasons that larger, centralized/departmentalized computer systems will in the long run prevail over the killer micros: (1) A single computer user usually consumes CPU cycles irregularly. A user often will have short periods of intense computer activity, followed by long periods of low utilization. [ personal workstations' CPU's are underutilized compared to centralized CPUs ] This is true today, but I think it will change. Some (many?) applications can be distributed over a network of workstations. With the right software this can be nearly transparent to both the person getting the work done, and to those whose workstation's cycles are being "borrowed". ... Regards, Ed Hamrick (hamrick@convex.com) Area Systems Engineer CONVEX Computer Corporation Scott Draves Space... The Final Frontier wsd@cs.brown.edu uunet!brunix!wsd Box 2555 Brown U Prov RI 02912