Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!lll-tis!ames!ptsfa!hoptoad!academ!uhnix1!sugar!peter
From: peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Why is SPARC so slow?
Message-ID: <1295@sugar.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 87 02:14:57 GMT
References: <1078@quacky.UUCP> <8809@sgi.SGI.COM> <6964@apple.UUCP> <1156@winchester.UUCP>
Organization: Sugar Land UNIX - Houston, TX
Lines: 17

Ah, benchmarks.

Here's something to consider when you start believing benchmarks.

The Commodore-Amiga can approach the equivalent of 10 MIPS for certain
logical operations on arrays, if one codes a tight loop using the Blitter
(a special purpose processor that does BitBlt operations).

The only non-graphics algorithm that does anywhere near this that I have
heard of is a 20-generation-per-second 320-by-200 LIFE program.

Of course the machine as a whole doesn't do anywhere near even a single
MIP for general purpose work. It's just a 68000, after all.

So think of that next time you believe benchmarks.
-- 
-- Peter da Silva  `-_-'  ...!hoptoad!academ!uhnix1!sugar!peter
-- Disclaimer: These U aren't mere opinions... these are *values*.