Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!caip!think!husc6!panda!genrad!decvax!tektronix!reed!iscuva!jimc From: jimc@iscuva.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: 386 PC vs Sun Message-ID: <265@iscuva.UUCP> Date: Mon, 13-Oct-86 14:57:16 EDT Article-I.D.: iscuva.265 Posted: Mon Oct 13 14:57:16 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 17-Oct-86 07:48:42 EDT References: <1028@tekigm2.UUCP> <264@iscuva.UUCP> <1068@tekigm2.UUCP> Reply-To: jimc@iscuva.UUCP (Jim Cathey) Organization: ISC Systems Corporation, Spokane, Wa. Lines: 41 In article <1068@tekigm2.UUCP> timothym@tekigm2.UUCP (Timothy D Margeson) writes: >>series, they have different architectures ... different object code... As I >I did get it right. Intel 8086 series processors are in no way software >compatible with 8080 processors (try running ANY 8080 code on an 8086 based >machine hardware). Sorry if my point wasn't clear, but it was primarily that the things have the same architecture (especially if you ingore segmentation [we should all be so blessed]), and by implication that an 8080 program (or 8008 program) can be mechanically translated to the newer machine, WHERE IT WILL LOOK NEARLY THE SAME. i.e. the only arithmetic will be done in A, and that much register shuffling must be done, and that there is little that can be done about this. Now, I think Intel did a wonderful job on the 8080 (and I prefer it to the 6800), and their 8051 is nearly a work of art. BUT when they refused to expand the addressing range of the 8086, and instead provided segmentation so that existing programs' structures (as in 8080 CP/M) could be maintained I think they made their big mistake. Programmers have been lamenting this ever since. I can live with accumulator based machines, and I can live with base registers (what 8086 segmentation regs are mostly used as), but I cannot tolerate not being able to directly address the entire range of the machine. Supposedly the 80386 finally provides this. I just wonder what other little hurts are there so that it can run older code. As for running 8080 code on an 8086, I thought every user of BASICA did that! :-) -- +----------------+ ! II CCCCCC ! Jim Cathey ! II SSSSCC ! ISC Systems Corp. ! II CC ! Spokane, WA ! IISSSS CC ! UUCP: ihnp4!tektronix!reed!iscuva!jimc ! II CCCCCC ! (509)927-5757 +----------------+ "With excitement like this, who is needing enemas?"