Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!lamaster
From: lamaster@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Hugh LaMaster)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Standard Un*x H/W architecture (was: MAC 88000)
Message-ID: <11956@ames.arc.nasa.gov>
Date: 18 Jul 88 15:19:12 GMT
References: <261@hodge.UUCP> <370STORKEL@RICE> <607@riddle.UUCP> <11783@ames.arc.nasa.gov> <980@garth.UUCP>
Reply-To: lamaster@ames.arc.nasa.gov.UUCP (Hugh LaMaster)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 25

In article <980@garth.UUCP> smryan@garth.UUCP (Steven Ryan) writes:

>Not wishing to take sides, but some people like ones complement, and some
>people like different floating point formats. By the way, where is the IEEE
>standard for 128 bit floating point for Cray, ETA, and 180s? Will we one day

>Be careful about standarising things--they lock you into the problems of
>the past and out of the solutions of the future.

Glad you asked.  The reason that you need a standard is because "The network 
is the computer."  IF your network really functions that way, and, IF you
have large amounts of binary data that moves between machines (HINTS:
graphics, flow fields, etc.), THEN you have to have a binary data standard.
The inconvenience of the standard being "wrong" in some cases is greatly
outweighed by all the conveniences and efficiencies.  

One may just as well ask:  Why only 50Hz and 60 Hz power (and wouldn't one
standard be even better?) ?  Why not have every appliance use its optimal
frequency - maybe 47 Hz is ideal for drills, 53 Hz for washing machines.

-- 
  Hugh LaMaster, m/s 233-9,  UUCP ames!lamaster
  NASA Ames Research Center  ARPA lamaster@ames.arc.nasa.gov
  Moffett Field, CA 94035     
  Phone:  (415)694-6117