Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen
From: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM (Wm E Davidsen Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Computers for users not programmers
Message-ID: <3204@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>
Date: 15 Feb 91 13:27:06 GMT
References: <4772@mindlink.UUCP> <1991Feb13.180108.13480@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov> <2933@charon.cwi.nl> <1991Feb14.153747.26911@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>
Reply-To: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.com (bill davidsen)
Organization: GE Corp R&D Center, Schenectady NY
Lines: 25

In article <1991Feb14.153747.26911@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov> xxremak@csduts1.UUCP (David A. Remaklus) writes:

| Now an architecture question.  It seems kind of silly to run certain
| utilities on a CRAY.  Even though it can execute a compile or grep or
| edit or etc. very fast, the vector unit sits idle for the time the
| processor spends performing these functions.  Probably worst of all is
| the interupt rate generated by some of these functions.  Especially since
| the CRAY has one of the worst process context switch times in the industry.
| Is this a necessary evil in order to get effective use of a CRAY or
| wouldn't offloading this work to more 'appropriate' (the definition is
| left to the reader) platforms within that ellusive seamless environment
| be better?

  When the seamless environment comes along... We had this argument with
the people who run the Cray2 we use. They really didn't want to support
character at a time interrupts for our portable screen editor. Their
argument was that "it doesn't make good use of the machine." Our reply
was that we weere not interested in making good use of the machine, we
were unterested in making good use of the PhD's who use it. And having
them moving files to a VAX to edit one line, then back to compile, is a
poor use of them.
-- 
bill davidsen	(davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM -or- uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen)
  "I'll come home in one of two ways, the big parade or in a body bag.
   I prefer the former but I'll take the latter" -Sgt Marco Rodrigez