Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!ptsfa!ihnp4!laidbak!gerryg
From: gerryg@laidbak.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Processing
Message-ID: <1044@laidbak.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18-Apr-87 17:21:08 EST
Article-I.D.: laidbak.1044
Posted: Sat Apr 18 17:21:08 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Apr-87 07:52:21 EST
References: <505@sw1e.UUCP> <110@hippo.UUCP> <6123@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Reply-To: gerryg@laidbak.UUCP (Gerry Gleason)
Organization: LAI Chicago
Lines: 30

In article <6654@bu-cs.BU.EDU> bzs@bu-cs.UUCP writes:
>I simply mean what I said. That other than the increasingly smaller
>percentage of number crunchers out there (smaller because the computer
>using population is growing [eg. PCs] and not in the cruncher area) we
>won't have applications for the majority of users which will utilize
>all those cycles (remember folks, I'm talking like 100MIPs desktops.)

>To put it another way, you have no proof (not getting stuffy here)
>that what's required to do natural language is more cycles. It seems
>plausible, but why aren't there any good software systems running on
>Crays (eg, or pick your favorite appropriate high-end box.) I'm just
>saying it's not obvious the lacking thing is cycles.

If you are saying that there are current machines which have enough
cycles to do natural language processing, but we need some major
breakthroughs in software; I agree completely.  Of course by the time
that happens, we will probably have pc's with as much or more power
as present day super-computers.  I suspect architectural advances will
also play an important role; for example, connection machines, etc.

I really like the idea of connection machines.  In a few years, they will
probably be commodity products like DRAM's are today.  Which reminds me,
I have a draft of Hillis' connection machine paper, and I am interested
in learning about more current work.  If anyone can give me pointers to
papers, etc. I'd appreciate it.  I am especially interested in how the
communication chips work, and algorithms, programming, languages, etc.

Thanks in advance.

gerry gleason