Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!peregrine!elroy!ames!ncar!umigw!umbio!dnelson
From: dnelson@umbio.MIAMI.EDU (Dru Nelson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Long and short integers
Message-ID: <986@umbio.MIAMI.EDU>
Date: 22 Nov 88 23:25:23 GMT
References: <8811221659.AA15060@hub.ucsb.edu>
Lines: 37

in article <8811221659.AA15060@hub.ucsb.edu>, bfox%eagle@HUB.UCSB.EDU (Brian Fox) says:
> 
> 
>Most, I dare say ALL computers use what is called Most Significant Bit,
...
>of the the number respectfully.  The MSB is store in the highest memory
>location, because it is bigger.  And the LSB is stored in the lowest memory
...
>I hope this answers the senders question.
> 
> Hah!  That's pretty funny.

I agree, I would hate to see this guy program an Apple II in machine
:-)

] Some deleted lines [

> 
> When a computer CPU (brain) is manufactured, the designer makes a decision as
> to which `end' of a byte is going to contain the MSB.  This decision is
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> Brian Fox

Actually, every CPU designer recognizes the most signifigant bit on
the left.  As you said earlier, it is because that is the way the
number systems are set up.  However, the only difference is where the
most signifigant byte is stored.  As you already stated, ththe 65xx series
the most signifigant byte is lowest in memory.  On 68xx and others the least
signifigant byte is lowest in memory.  The msb and lsb are always
in the same position.

p.s.  that was a good explanation.
-- 
Dru Nelson                    UUCP: ....!uunet!gould!umbio!dnelson
Miami, Florida                 MCI: dnelson
                          Internet: dnelson%umbio@umigw.miami.edu