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Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ncar!mephisto!gatech!galbp!samna!jeff
From: jeff@samna.UUCP (jeff)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386,comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Why do you need a 387 to run X11R3?
Keywords: X, 80387
Message-ID: <207@samna.UUCP>
Date: 14 Mar 90 14:58:44 GMT
References: <9868@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <20203@nuchat.UUCP>
Reply-To: jeff@samna.UUCP (Jeff Barber)
Followup-To: comp.unix.i386
Organization: Samna Corporation, Atlanta
Lines: 16

In article <20203@nuchat.UUCP> (Steve Nuchia) writes:
:In article <9868@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> (Craig Chase) writes:
:>I can see the fast cpu and RAM parts, but why the floating point?  I 
:
:Unfortunately, the 386 sysV unixes do their FP in the kernel by
:taking a trap on the unimplemented intruction.  This is _real_
:slow.  Slow enough that simple awk scripts can take hours to
:slog through a few hundred K of input.  Get the '87 -- its
:cheaper and easier than wishing you had until you do.

This is all very interesting but can anyone answer the question?

I.e. Does having an FP chip speed up X substantially (exclusive of
arc-drawing), and, if so, why?

Jeff