Newsgroups: comp.arch
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: 64 bits
Message-ID: <1990Aug8.215735.4197@zoo.toronto.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <5539@darkstar.ucsc.edu> <13285@yunexus.YorkU.CA> <30728@super.ORG> <13667@cbmvax.commodore.com> <40644@mips.mips.COM> <1990Aug8.042631.7093@nlm.nih.gov>
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 90 21:57:35 GMT

In article <1990Aug8.042631.7093@nlm.nih.gov> states@tech.NLM.NIH.GOV (David States) writes:
>>	... 64-bit integers & pointers, not just 64-bit
>>	datapaths, which micros have had for years in FP).
>
>Maybe, but aside from address generation and floating point, what are
>people going to do with all those bits?  Setting aside address arithmatic,
>most of the time you don't need 32 bit integers and lots of work involves
>bytes or smaller (character strings etc.).

You've just answered your own question.  They'll use 64 bits for the same
thing they use 32 bits for:  address arithmetic.  Making integers and
pointers the same size will be primarily a concession to badly-written
programs (which *know* the two are the same size) and marketing (which
wants to be able to say "64 bits!" without qualifications).
-- 
The 486 is to a modern CPU as a Jules  | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
Verne reprint is to a modern SF novel. |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu   utzoo!henry