Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!cluster!metro!otc!gregw
From: gregw@otc.otca.oz (Greg Wilkins)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Integer Multiply/Divide on Sparc
Message-ID: <1249@otc.otca.oz>
Date: 11 Jan 90 01:27:56 GMT
References: <8840005@hpfcso.HP.COM>
Lines: 25

in article <8840005@hpfcso.HP.COM>, dgr@hpfcso.HP.COM (Dave Roberts) says:
> 	Now for some comments:
> 	(1) SPARCs will get multiply and divide.  This is from a guy at
> 	    Sun.  Coming soon to a SPARC station near you...

OK Sun Microsystems!  we know you out there listening.  How about an
official comment on this????     What about the ABI (application binary
interface) standard you guys are pushing.  Signing up all those
clone manufacturers etc etc.  So your going to spring a multiply
instruction on them and make it all out dated (when compared to the sun5???)

Even if it is not a new instruction but an integer co-processor, it
still needs to be included in the ABI.

Without an official yeh or nay on this one, nobody can have confidence in
Suns commitment to open systems and the ABI.


DISCLAIMER:  I do not know my employers opinion on these matters.

Greg Wilkins              ACSnet:gregw@otc.oz.au  igc nets:   igc:peg:gwilkins
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