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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!rutgers!im4u!milano!baxter
From: baxter@milano.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: *Why* do modern machines mostly have 8-bit bytes?
Message-ID: <5032@milano.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Aug-87 11:20:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: milano.5032
Posted: Thu Aug  6 11:20:21 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Aug-87 10:57:13 EDT
References: <142700010@tiger.UUCP> <2792@phri.UUCP> <8315@utzoo.UUCP> <699@elmgate.UUCP>
Sender: baxter@milano.UUCP
Organization: MCC, Austin, TX
Lines: 15
Summary: Data General 2200?? What's that?

In article <699@elmgate.UUCP>, ram@elmgate.UUCP (Randy Martens) writes:

> By the way, if I am not mistaken, the Data General Nova 2200 of yesteryear 
>  used a 10 bit byte.  And a nine bit tape.  This was weird
> 

As a survivor of the Data General 16 bit machines, I am puzzled to hear
about the "yesteryear Nova 2200".  I never heard of it... all the DG
machines had 16 bit-wide memories, especially the DG 1200 series, which
is the only thing which comes close to "2200".  I assume Randy has
a parity error in his memory, but it seems to be disabled.

-- 
-- Ira Baxter     Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation / STP
(512) 338-3795    3500 West Balcones Center Drive, Austin, Texas -ecgro