Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uunet!auspex!guy
From: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Architecture questions
Message-ID: <4057@auspex.auspex.com>
Date: 12 Sep 90 23:20:30 GMT
References: <2531@l.cc.purdue.edu> <4043@auspex.auspex.com> <20597.26ed1035@psuecl.bitnet>
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 8

>Typically you only use 8 bits of your 32 or 64 bit registers/data bus when
>manipulating text. Obviously you can add instructions to improve this
>situation, and there are several examples in the real world of this being
>done. (The Am29000 and the -gasp- Intel chips come to mind).

Or you can *not* add them, and just do it anyway.  I seem to remember
the 29K having an instruction to test any of the bytes in a word for
zero; other systems do this in software - does the 29K do it faster?