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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!zrm
From: zrm@mit-eddie.UUCP (Zigurd R. Mednieks)
Newsgroups: net.arch
Subject: Re: BBN C machine? - (nf)
Message-ID: <575@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Aug-83 21:22:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-eddie.575
Posted: Wed Aug 10 21:22:20 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Aug-83 05:52:18 EDT
References: <198@ucbcad.UUCP>
Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 15

The BBN C Machine is a re-microcoded IMP. The architechture had to be
compatible with some nightmarish gizmo from the dark ages. On the other
hand, if ten bit bytes don't ruin your day, being able to microcode C
subroutine calls might be a win.

I hope their lisp machine is nothing like their C machine. It is
considerably more difficult to make an architechture run lisp reasonably
than it is to run C. Though, if they use some og these spare bits for
tagging locations by type (cdr, hidden pointer, etc.) they may be able
to come up with something that has some advantage of a general pupose
mini. They will have a hard time mactching the software environments of
Lisp Machine Lisp and Interlisp-D, though.

Cheers,
Zig