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From: steve@edm.UUCP (Stephen Samuel)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: 64 Vs 32
Message-ID: <144@edm.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Apr-87 17:34:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: edm.144
Posted: Wed Apr 29 17:34:15 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 3-May-87 05:41:29 EDT
References: <3810013@nucsrl.UUCP> <28200016@ccvaxa> <1316@ames.UUCP> <1109@aw.sei.cmu.edu>
Organization: Unexsys Systems Inc., Edmonton,AB.
Lines: 24
Summary: If you have >32bits of address then use >32bit pointers!

Consider the history of the 8086 family: Many people claimed that the segmented
memory was just fine until people actually started to USE (and need) more than
256K of memory for a program.  Suddenly: the fact that you couldn't easily have
arrays >64k started to irk people.

 If you have programs that actually USE >2G memory, then I can assure you that
most of that memory is gonna be in the form of HUGE arrays and people will be
rather pissed off to find that they can't be kept in one piece without a
performance loss (with arrays THAT big, you'll want all the performane you can
GET!

In a similar vein: Although I can ALWAYS use the extra MIPS, for the time being:
(I just HATE having to wait 5 seconds for a compile!!! :-] -- actually-- when
there's 2meg of code tocompile, it all ads up) It's a slightly different
case for memory: With the exception of graphics, I have very few programs where
I actually USE >1meg, or so of memory.  For home use, 2G real is gonna be lots
of room for a long time coming. Even current state of the art uniprocessors
would take a couple of minutes just to INITIALIZE 2G, much less USE it.


-- 
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 Stephen Samuel 
  {ihnp4,ubc-vision,seismo!mnetor,vax135}!alberta!edm!steve