Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!mac
From: mac@uvacs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.arch
Subject: Virtual flies
Message-ID: <1268@uvacs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 28-Apr-84 15:05:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: uvacs.1268
Posted: Sat Apr 28 15:05:40 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 29-Apr-84 09:13:50 EDT
Lines: 12

As many have pointed out, MULTICS allowed files to be treated as memory.
However, separate files were in separate segments.  Memory was two
dimensional rather than a simple linear vector -- segment X offset.

The tendency there as well as in the iAPX432, etc. is in the opposite
direction.  Instead of treating main memory as a simple linear memory it's
broken into small objects with lengths, operations, access rights, etc.
attached.  It's usually not possible to acquire a pointer into a piece of
such an object.  The piece must be addresses as object|offset.  In
SmallTalk (& LOOM) the object must be asked (politely) to accept or deliver
some value.  This may involve arbitrary computation.  Such objects don't
resemble traditional memory very much.