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From: jesup@pawl22.pawl.rpi.edu (Randell E. Jesup)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: More than 32 bits needed where?
Message-ID: <401@imagine.PAWL.RPI.EDU>
Date: 21 Feb 88 05:06:02 GMT
References: <235@unicom.UUCP> <28200089@ccvaxa> <3104@watcgl.waterloo.edu> <3671@diku.dk> <1638@gumby.mips.COM>
Sender: news@imagine.PAWL.RPI.EDU
Reply-To: jesup@pawl22.pawl.rpi.edu (Randell E. Jesup)
Organization: RPI Public Access Workstation Lab - Troy, NY
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In article <1638@gumby.mips.COM> earl@mips.COM (Earl Killian) writes:
>In article <3671@diku.dk>, keld@diku.dk (Keld J|rn Simonsen) writes:
>> There is a problem with C that long ints are usually not more
>> than 32 bits, even if the hardware is capable of doing 64 bits
>> adds and subtracts. This I foresee to cause severe problems for
>> C-based accounting software! Comments?

	So who says that long can't be 64 bits?  Last I knew, it had to be
minimum 32 bits (ANSI, I think), and had to be greater than or equal to
int.  If this software uses longs, just recompile.

>However, lest I appear to be arguing against 64-bit support, let me
>first say that, in my opinion, every architecture designed after the
>early 90s will be a 64-bit architecture.  Even PCs will probably use
>64-bit architectures by the end of the 90s.  64 bit addresses and
>integers are too important.

	I doubt it.  Maybe a few will, but PC's?  No way.  64-bit architectures
have few or no advantages for PC work, even most mini work.  Supercomputers
MIGHT decide they need it, but they mostly deal with FP stuff anyway.
Remember, when you go to 64 bits EVERYTHING gets MUCH larger on the chip.
this means larger chips, lower yields, more pins, etc, etc.  Also, ALU's
get slower.  In a CISC, you might see some double-register operations, with
multiple passes through the ALU, but not native.

	When I see a PC with a gig of memory on it, actually USED, I might
reconsider.

     //	Randell Jesup			      Lunge Software Development
    //	Dedicated Amiga Programmer            13 Frear Ave, Troy, NY 12180
 \\//	beowulf!lunge!jesup@steinmetz.UUCP    (518) 272-2942
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