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From: gillies@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Don Gillies)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: 64-bits, How many years?
Message-ID: <1991Feb18.163010.31688@m.cs.uiuc.edu>
Date: 18 Feb 91 16:30:10 GMT
References: <9102171510.AA24745@lilac.berkeley.edu>
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Lines: 20


Re: Is 64bits too much -- how many years?

In 1940's, main memory was about 1K*48bits (about 2^13 bytes).  In the
1990's, main memory of a fairly big machine is 256Mbytes (2^28 bytes).
That's a 15 bit increase in 50 years.  So we conclude that because
64-28 = 36, it will take 120 years to outgrow the 64-bit address
space.  By then, the technology for handling the "out of address
space" problem will be a lost art.  Luckily, we will all be dead by
then...  Also, I bet a 64-bit address space will take a fusion reactor
power plant to supply enough energy.....


Don Gillies	     |  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
gillies@cs.uiuc.edu  |  Digital Computer Lab, 1304 W. Springfield, Urbana IL
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"UGH!  WAR! ... What is it GOOD FOR?  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!"  
	- the song "WAR" by Edwin Starr, circa 1965

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