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From: bcase@apple.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: D-machine helped spawn RISC
Message-ID: <6266@apple.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Sep-87 12:45:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: apple.6266
Posted: Thu Sep 17 12:45:48 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Sep-87 09:45:36 EDT
References: <347@erc3ba.UUCP> <478@esunix.UUCP> <2785@ames.arpa>
Reply-To: bcase@apple.UUCP (Brian Case)
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, USA
Lines: 37

In article <2785@ames.arpa> eugene@pioneer.UUCP (Eugene Miya N.) writes:
>Added note: the lastest copy of Computer has yet another CISC/RISC
>debate (this time including Mike Flynn).

Sigh.

>I don't think RISCs will
>disappear, they will become passe as a design fad.  I expect more
>specialized RISCs, tuned toward specific applications like signal
>processing but more general purpose than systolic arrays.  You won't see
>debate in this group in favor of CISC because too few software people
>read the group, and I don't mean programmers, I mean the kinds of people
>pushing tagged architectures, etc.

RISC will become passe as a design fad as soon as something comes along
to replace the compiler.  In other words, there the "passeness" of RISC
is nowhere in sight.  I agree that specialized RISCs will appear, but
that has nothing to do with RISC being a fad; rather it has to do with
the need for specialized processors and the ease with which RISC processors
can be specialized.  Arguements in favor of tagged architectures aren't
necessarily arguements against RISC.  See SOAR, SPUR, and SPARC.

>The group lacks balance.  You will
>know when CISC is dead when the 370 & the VAX disappear (I have this
>bridge...).  There isn't enough experience with ELI/VLIW/WISC and too
>few people (like count on one hand) know how to code these types of
>machines to make me confident this is the next fad.

You are right, there isn't enough experience, but that is true of every
new thing when it is new!  Compilers will (should) be the "people"
coding these machines.  Personally, I consider VLIW one of the very
few truly new ideas to come along (and in some sense, it isn't really
new).

>The Trace (machine) that I saw at least didn't crash (running U*x).

See?  It's a great machine!  :-)