The really interesting design feature of this architecture is that the chips work very well in SMP. 4 chips can be placed together each rotated through 90 degrees so that their fast interconnects align.
Oxford University were doing a lot of work with FPGA systems but they were configured per application using a modified compiler. Their technique was something like:
// code runs normally ... #define OPTIMIZE ... // this code compiled to FPGA ... #undef OPTIMIZE
They were quoting 20x speed increases compared to a standard pentium. The downside is that initially you had to know in advance which bits of code required the speed increase.
From what I've read recently, chemical processes are a likely manufacturing route. Recent research on molecular transistors seems to suggest that this is not far off.I think 'mechanical' nano manufacturing is much less likely in the forseeable future.
I had a little chuckle when my brother introduced me to this 'new' concept. I've been working like this for a number of years. The key points to me are:
I posted this story a couple of hours ago but I'd still like to add my thoughts..
This is a good thing for Linux, but a better one for HP. Just when you thought they'd put all their eggs in the IA64 basket... Out pops Linux on 64-bit PA RISC and a nice new hardware revenue stream for HP.
IBM's Power 3 architecture due next year is similar to MAJC in this respect. They have opted for more parallelism at the thread level rather than instruction level. Two processors per chip with fast interconnect and large cache. The chips are designed to be clustered in fours.
It will be interesting to see which architecture wins out the SUN/IBM style or the Intel style. Judging by recent cases of marketing hype over innovation. I probably don't need to ask!
When I first worked at IBM we used PROFS/VM (pre Lotus Notes). Managers, secretaries and programmers all used BookMaster to write their documentation. This was based on SGML. We had less problems with viewing, printing and formatting than they do now. If someone wanted a copy of your doc, you simply sent them the source.
This reminds me of when I bought a Psion. The sales 'bot tried to tell me it was "100% windows compatible" because it was bundled with the PsiWin connectivity package.
When I asked what memory capacity the various models had he said "They never run out of memory because you can put these little cards in them".
The Markoff Text Generator should make interesting reading. This was the basis of a program that won first prize in the annual Turing Test competition a couple of years ago.
I'd post the URL but I think its gone to the great bookmark file in the sky
I remember looking at these sort of tests when I studied psychology briefly at college.
case 1: Psychopath Q: Do you ever feel like killing someone? A: No Q: Do you ever lie? A: No
case 2: Joe Normal Q: Do you ever feel like killing someone? A: Yes Q: Do you ever lie? A: Yes
Verdict: case 1 is perfectly normal case 2 is a maniac because he's telling the truth. Most people feel that way sometimes it doesn't mean they'll go out and do it. These tests only work for people that are already suspect.
Feel free to correct the above, it was a long time ago and I failed the course;-)
To my mind Dublin's focus is on Software and Support, many IT companies base their call centres there. Cambridge tends to attract technology based start ups that are research spin-offs
Of course Cambridge have their very own M$ presence now...
Your comment about IBM shying away from Java on their mainframes is just not true. When I worked at Hursley they were spending a lot of time and effort on Java, particularly on CICS. Java is seen as a good replacement for COBOL in the CICS environment. With multi-heap JVM's and some innovative garbage collection techniques they were expecting Java performance to be on a par with COBOL within 12 months.
Off topic I know but... I just hope Neuromancer doesn't end up like Johnny Mnemonic. A brilliant short story ruined by scrappy directing, hollywood plot line and wooden acting. I wish I'd never gone to see it.
Gibson reminds me of Philip K Dick. Not in terms of style but that feeling you get when you've finished the book. Rather than remembering the story as a sequence of events that make up the plot, you're left with an after image. A bit like a camera flash going off in your face.
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You can already run linux apps under AIX by re-compiling with a compatability library, but I don't think this is what they were trying to say.
I guess they meant linux instead of AIX. But as often happens with these articles, they confuse AIX (the OS) with RS/6000 (the HW).
I read it in microprocessor report several months ago. It was a very good article but the chip rotation really impressed me.
Nice to see lateral thinking is alive and well!
The really interesting design feature of this architecture is that the chips work very well in SMP. 4 chips can be placed together each rotated through 90 degrees so that their fast interconnects align.
If Darwin runs on x86 (which I think it does), there's nothing to port. It should already run on Crusoe.
// code runs normally
...
...
// this code compiled to FPGA
...
They were quoting 20x speed increases compared to a standard pentium. The downside is that initially you had to know in advance which bits of code required the speed increase.#define OPTIMIZE
#undef OPTIMIZE
How about the Psion series 7. This would seem to meet your requirements.
From what I've read recently, chemical processes are a likely manufacturing route. Recent research on molecular transistors seems to suggest that this is not far off.I think 'mechanical' nano manufacturing is much less likely in the forseeable future.
I had a little chuckle when my brother introduced me to this 'new' concept. I've been working like this for a number of years. The key points to me are:
- no-one 'owns' their own code
- peer review early in the cycle
- test sooner rather than later
- end user involvement
- shared responsablity (?)
The words 'open-source' spring to mind...This is a good thing for Linux, but a better one for HP. Just when you thought they'd put all their eggs in the IA64 basket... Out pops Linux on 64-bit PA RISC and a nice new hardware revenue stream for HP.
The-cynical-but-fond-of-risk-Linux-userI spent a year in Guilford one week.
Guildford: closed on Wednesdays.
By standard I meant de-facto. I don't use the stuff myself when I can help it, but many many people do.
It will be interesting to see which architecture wins out the SUN/IBM style or the Intel style. Judging by recent cases of marketing hype over innovation. I probably don't need to ask!
When I first worked at IBM we used PROFS/VM (pre Lotus Notes). Managers, secretaries and programmers all used BookMaster to write their documentation. This was based on SGML. We had less problems with viewing, printing and formatting than they do now. If someone wanted a copy of your doc, you simply sent them the source.
This reminds me of when I bought a Psion. The sales 'bot tried to tell me it was "100% windows compatible" because it was bundled with the PsiWin connectivity package.
When I asked what memory capacity the various models had he said "They never run out of memory because you can put these little cards in them".
*bangs head on counter and walks out of shop*The Markoff Text Generator should make interesting reading. This was the basis of a program that won first prize in the annual Turing Test competition a couple of years ago.
I'd post the URL but I think its gone to the great bookmark file in the sky
I remember looking at these sort of tests when I studied psychology briefly at college.
;-)
case 1: Psychopath
Q: Do you ever feel like killing someone?
A: No
Q: Do you ever lie?
A: No
case 2: Joe Normal
Q: Do you ever feel like killing someone?
A: Yes
Q: Do you ever lie?
A: Yes
Verdict:
case 1 is perfectly normal case 2 is a maniac because he's telling the truth. Most people feel
that way sometimes it doesn't mean they'll go out
and do it.
These tests only work for people that are already suspect.
Feel free to correct the above, it was a long time
ago and I failed the course
To my mind Dublin's focus is on Software and Support, many IT companies base their call centres there. Cambridge tends to attract technology based start ups that are research spin-offs
Of course Cambridge have their very own M$ presence now...Your comment about IBM shying away from Java on their mainframes is just not true. When I worked at Hursley they were spending a lot of time and effort on Java, particularly on CICS. Java is seen
as a good replacement for COBOL in the CICS environment. With multi-heap JVM's and some innovative garbage collection techniques they were
expecting Java performance to be on a par with COBOL within 12 months.
Daniel.
Off topic I know but... I just hope Neuromancer doesn't end up like Johnny Mnemonic. A brilliant short story ruined by scrappy directing, hollywood plot line and wooden acting. I wish I'd never gone to see it.
Gibson reminds me of Philip K Dick. Not in terms of style but that feeling you get when you've finished the book. Rather than remembering the story as a sequence of events that make up the plot, you're left with an after image. A bit like a camera flash going off in your face.