Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!samsung!noose.ecn.purdue.edu!mentor.cc.purdue.edu!pop.stat.purdue.edu!hrubin From: hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Is programming still allowed? Summary: The instruction set and instruction timing should be available Message-ID: <2140@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> Date: 2 Dec 90 14:04:59 GMT References: <8319@star.cs.vu.nl> <531@newave.UUCP> Sender: news@mentor.cc.purdue.edu Lines: 29 In article <531@newave.UUCP>, john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III) writes: > In article <8319@star.cs.vu.nl> sater@cs.vu.nl (Hans van Staveren) writes: > > Is it reasonable to assume that if you buy computer hardware from a > > supplier that the information needed to program that hardware should be > > available to you? > > NO, this is not a reasonable assumption. Many systems are sold to perform > a specific task and the details of the implementation might be a strictly > held secret. Another reason for keeping the implementation details secret > is to allow them to make changes or upgrades to the system without fear of > breaking existing applications. > > This is one of those cases where common sense != business sense. It is possible that if some hardware is being used only for a communications channel, or display purposes, or to run a rigid office system, or a specific type of automation, this may be the case. POSSIBLY this may be the case for a specialized military computer, or in a situation where a programmer with brains is not going to be available. But if one even wants to do text-processing with a sufficiently unusual character set, or even slightly unusual numerical procedures, this is not the case. I can see situations where access to the operating system can lead to a breach of security, but this is not the same as not allowing people to make intelligent use of the machine. -- Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399 Phone: (317)494-6054 hrubin@l.cc.purdue.edu (Internet, bitnet) {purdue,pur-ee}!l.cc!hrubin(UUCP) Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com