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From: eugene@pioneer.arpa (Eugene Miya N.)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Benchmark standard machine
Message-ID: <3291@ames.arpa>
Date: Tue, 3-Nov-87 12:44:41 EST
Article-I.D.: ames.3291
Posted: Tue Nov  3 12:44:41 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Nov-87 00:40:49 EST
References: <861@winchester.UUCP> <2993@phri.UUCP> <864@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <3802@sol.ARPA> <3285@ames.arpa> <18966@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Sender: usenet@ames.arpa
Reply-To: eugene@pioneer.UUCP (Eugene Miya N.)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 41
Keywords: benchmarks

In article <18966@amdcad.AMD.COM> tim@amdcad.UUCP (Tim Olson) writes:
>In article <3285@ames.arpa> eugene@pioneer.UUCP (Eugene Miya N.) writes:
>| In article <3806@sol.ARPA> crowl@cs.rochester.edu (Lawrence Crowl) writes:
>| >Of course, 780's are becoming scarce.  We may have to pick another machine just
>| >to keep the base machine readily available.  Suggestions?
>| 
>| Yes, the Cray X-MP.
>| Arguments removed (but included an analogy to "Atomic clocks").
>Another problem: it is not a very common computer.  Nearly everyone who
>is doing some serious benchmarking at least has access to a VAX.
>If it weren't for the memory restrictions and porting problems, I'd vote
>for the IBM PC with specified compilers -- common as dirt (also *runs*
>as slow as dirt, but that's a different matter ;-)

Minor correction, readers who have net access have access to a VAX.
There are several major benchmarking efforts inside IBM based
and other organizations (some in Europe as well) who don't use
or have VAX access.  I won't argue their significance.

My analogy to atomic clocks is very important.  The NBS researches and
keeps accurate time for a variety of reasons.  You can say you will
standardize (democratize) on the VAX or the IBM PC, but this would be
akin to taking the little gift MacClock I have sitting on my desk
and designating it THE "second," an example of "Gold plating" metrics
[John Simpson, "Foundations of Metrology," J. NBS Research].
"Official time" is not such a measure.  If we treated the Meter and the
(Micron) so casually, I seriously doubt we would have microelectronics.
That would be the least of the world's problems.  Sure, you should
have your VAXen and PCs, but standards are not defined simply by quantity.

I would argue that to improve future computer architectures,
we will have to take a view of refining time similar to improving
linear measurement.  I won't argue anymore about this issue, because
frankly, I'm cynical since most people don't really care.

P.S. the MacClock is running 20 minutes fast after 3 months.  
From the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers:

--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@ames-aurora.ARPA
  "You trust the `reply' command with all those different mailers out there?"
  "Send mail, avoid follow-ups.  If enough, I'll summarize."
  {hplabs,hao,ihnp4,decwrl,allegra,tektronix}!ames!aurora!eugene