I was refering to x86 assembly which has many instructions that are really complex arrangements or simplier ones. The compiler should be optimizing them into more primitive instructions, not the processor itself. Some of the single pseudo instructions take longer to execute after being translated by the processor than the sum of the primitives they are made up of.
what is comes down to is risc is a more 'sane' design. It doesn't leave optimization up to the processor, but the compilers and programmers on crack (programming in assembly). On that note, it is the x86 compilers attempting to make use of the more complex instructions that is becoming a real problem for x86. I understand where you are coming from, and I agree with you. I'm just saying that x86 is messy. There shouldn't be a dozens ways to accomplish one thing (with varying results) and the processor, being hardware, should deal with the most primitive code.
FYI, since you obviously never installed linux, most versions of linux have installers far easier to use than windows. not being ready for the masses applies to windows as well- the available linux GUIs are every bit as 'ready' as windows. No support?-only if you want a free version.
btw- i do love osx- its mature, stable, and user friendly, but it is still an uncustomizable proprietary os. Linux serves a wide range of consumer and corporate os needs.
(oh, and osx will not be available on white box intels)
i didn't say it wasn't common practice to use microcode- just that simplifying instructions down to basic load/store (or equivalent) should be done with the compiler. it shouldn't be the cpu's job to interpret complicated commands, but to process the end result.
that all said, i do agree with you- microcode is essential in processors as intricate as today's.
I believe Debian's apt is great for system-wdie upgrades, but if individual users want to install programs (ie, in their home directories) autopackage is the way to go. it'll allow you to install any autopackage in your home directory. What's even better is the package manager is contained in the package archive meaning there is no software to install to allow you to install autopackages. everyone should check this out. give it a shot by installing one of the autopackages available on the autopackage website. www.autopackage.org
The apple switch upset me too. The powerpc architecture is a *true* risc arch. The G5, which btw does keep up with the P4 just fine- even at a significantly slower clock speed (more on while the P4 is trash later), uses less than half as many transistors! How? No extra layer of circuitry built onto the chip to convert legacy CISC x86 instructions dow to the RISC architecture that actually executes the code. Intel may try telling you that this was done so how instructions are executed can be "changed" by a microcode upgrade, but the real reason is they couldnt give up there x86 architecture due to "the market". Such optimization should be done compiler side. I just want to see x86 die. Is that really too much to ask??? please don't answer that.
slightly longer answer. No, it won't and I'm sick of hearing this every time a new generation of consoles come around! Computers can be upgraded, there is a lot more room for ingame customization, higher resolutions, network gaming is a lot more mature... oh.. and yeah- the only way to play a first person shooter is with a mouse and keyboard!
This will definitely help adoption of the new processor. No doubt a linux kernel built for it will show up in good time. Plus I'm sure someone will build an x86 emulator for it to soften the move. Way to go IBM.
I would much rather see PCs using PowerPC chips than MACs using x86. Lets face it, x86 needs to die. Conceivably PowerPC chips would be cheaper to produce in large numbers than intels x86 offerings. Less complexity. Intel acheives its low prices through quantity.
I can definitely vouch for the importance of the people working under the CIO in decision making. We're the people they ask! I recently convinced my CIO to use Redhat Enterprise Linux 4 in our next product. Granted the other choice was also linux, my opinion matters.
exploding batteries won't stop me from buying my powerbook! but why won't their online store allow me to purchase one right now? anybody? I didn't think they stopped selling them..
well as far as SQL goes, the original project name WAS sequel. it is a predecessor to SQL.
Also, I advise you to stay away from gnu/linux if you hate pronouncing acronyms. Heck The unix community actually finds names for programs that contain the letters of the acronym to give them more pronouncable names. eg SAMBA for the unix SMB implementation.
You make a good point. For a PDA, 4GB is insane. I cannot think of, besides music and video, any reason your average consumer would need so much storage space on a PDA. Consider what they are designed for- enlightened day planners and adress books.
Google already has it available. As I write this I am using MACOSX Tiger with spotlight, and when I get to work tomorrow I'll have Beagle and Kat (gnome and KDE respectively) at my disposal. There is nothing revolutionary about this and its hardly news that m$ would be ripping this off.
I like drupal. I started messing around with it at work in my spare time. Threw it on my home page (http://www.uwcreations.com/ but have yet to do anything meaningful with it. I love how it works though, and it seems infinitely configurable.
it is anticompetitive and unethical for microsoft to pressure their customers, like HP into not using competitor products by dangling threats like higher prices over their heads. It is a business reason, but an illegal one.
keep in mind also, that "evolution" happens in leaps. When a mutated offspring from a species, out of randomness develops a features that makes them better suited for their environment (natural selection). examples, Giraffes have long necks (because ones born with shorter ones could not reach food and their gene lines died out), salmon in the north pacific are smaller now then they were 25 years ago. the large ones got caught in fisher nets, smaller ones slipped out and went on to reproduce smaller fish. Mankind is no different, social natural selection, financial success, etc garrantee strong bloodlines will continue, be it physical or mental prowess.
Sun is microsoft's new pawn in the server market. Microsoft's excuse not be be labeled a monopoly if/when they become a bigger force in the server market. By keeping Sun alive, microsoft will have a controlled competitor in the market. Exactly what microsoft turned apple into years ago by buying nonvoting stock in apple. does anyone else see this?
I don't know if Mozilla Lightning will allow you to do that, but KDE's kontact (Combines KDE's Kmail, Address book, Calander, Notes, Journal, Aggregator, etc) does do all of the above. I believe the last several releases of it put it leaps and bounds over any other Personal Information Manager. Spam filters, antivirus filters, and hell it even reminds you to attach a file to your email if you refered to attaching a file in the email!;) I encourage everyone running KDE out there to give it a shot.
and it continues to amaze me how ugly code can become when developed in a corporate environment. since it si being developed by a team, inhouse, the 'need' to keep it clean, readable and portable dimishes. clean, organized code is a side effect of software, such as konqueror/khtml developed over the internet.
There should be a law that nullifies your patent if you choose to ignore infringements until the project using your patent proliferates. On the same note, exemption should be given to the patent infringer if the holder of the patent decides to use the infringing product in one of their own products!
Isn't this just common sense?? Has everyone in our government gone crazy?? this country has wayy too many f*cked up IP laws. No wonder inferior products continue to dominate.
Some KDE projects have a very similar contribution system set. Kontact (email/groupware client) has a link to it under the help menu where you can "shop" for new features. Features are requested and people can donate to certain features. Once the price has been met on a feature development on it will start. Perfect for companies that would like to see certain features in Kontact. In fact, I'd encourage more companies to switch to Linux/KDE/Kontact for at least those machines that are primarily used for email/internet/word processing. the amount of money they would save on M$ Outlook licenses would be more than enough to request any 'missing' features. That said, I believe Kontact to be a very complete Outlook killer.
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what is comes down to is risc is a more 'sane' design. It doesn't leave optimization up to the processor, but the compilers and programmers on crack (programming in assembly). On that note, it is the x86 compilers attempting to make use of the more complex instructions that is becoming a real problem for x86. I understand where you are coming from, and I agree with you. I'm just saying that x86 is messy. There shouldn't be a dozens ways to accomplish one thing (with varying results) and the processor, being hardware, should deal with the most primitive code.
btw- i do love osx- its mature, stable, and user friendly, but it is still an uncustomizable proprietary os. Linux serves a wide range of consumer and corporate os needs.
(oh, and osx will not be available on white box intels)
why would i want to turn my beautiful Powermac g3 running OSX tiger into a p4 based windows box???
that all said, i do agree with you- microcode is essential in processors as intricate as today's.
I believe Debian's apt is great for system-wdie upgrades, but if individual users want to install programs (ie, in their home directories) autopackage is the way to go. it'll allow you to install any autopackage in your home directory. What's even better is the package manager is contained in the package archive meaning there is no software to install to allow you to install autopackages. everyone should check this out. give it a shot by installing one of the autopackages available on the autopackage website. www.autopackage.org
The apple switch upset me too. The powerpc architecture is a *true* risc arch. The G5, which btw does keep up with the P4 just fine- even at a significantly slower clock speed (more on while the P4 is trash later), uses less than half as many transistors! How? No extra layer of circuitry built onto the chip to convert legacy CISC x86 instructions dow to the RISC architecture that actually executes the code. Intel may try telling you that this was done so how instructions are executed can be "changed" by a microcode upgrade, but the real reason is they couldnt give up there x86 architecture due to "the market". Such optimization should be done compiler side. I just want to see x86 die. Is that really too much to ask??? please don't answer that.
slightly longer answer.
No, it won't and I'm sick of hearing this every time a new generation of consoles come around! Computers can be upgraded, there is a lot more room for ingame customization, higher resolutions, network gaming is a lot more mature... oh.. and yeah- the only way to play a first person shooter is with a mouse and keyboard!
sure, windows inspired a hobby of mine. fixing windows boxes. ;)
This will definitely help adoption of the new processor. No doubt a linux kernel built for it will show up in good time. Plus I'm sure someone will build an x86 emulator for it to soften the move. Way to go IBM.
I would much rather see PCs using PowerPC chips than MACs using x86. Lets face it, x86 needs to die. Conceivably PowerPC chips would be cheaper to produce in large numbers than intels x86 offerings. Less complexity. Intel acheives its low prices through quantity.
I can definitely vouch for the importance of the people working under the CIO in decision making. We're the people they ask! I recently convinced my CIO to use Redhat Enterprise Linux 4 in our next product. Granted the other choice was also linux, my opinion matters.
exploding batteries won't stop me from buying my powerbook! but why won't their online store allow me to purchase one right now? anybody? I didn't think they stopped selling them..
well as far as SQL goes, the original project name WAS sequel. it is a predecessor to SQL. Also, I advise you to stay away from gnu/linux if you hate pronouncing acronyms. Heck The unix community actually finds names for programs that contain the letters of the acronym to give them more pronouncable names. eg SAMBA for the unix SMB implementation.
You make a good point. For a PDA, 4GB is insane. I cannot think of, besides music and video, any reason your average consumer would need so much storage space on a PDA. Consider what they are designed for- enlightened day planners and adress books.
i think i speak for everyone reading this when i say, IDIOTS! (insert Napoleon Dynamite vocal inflection)
Google already has it available. As I write this I am using MACOSX Tiger with spotlight, and when I get to work tomorrow I'll have Beagle and Kat (gnome and KDE respectively) at my disposal. There is nothing revolutionary about this and its hardly news that m$ would be ripping this off.
I like drupal. I started messing around with it at work in my spare time. Threw it on my home page (http://www.uwcreations.com/ but have yet to do anything meaningful with it. I love how it works though, and it seems infinitely configurable.
it is anticompetitive and unethical for microsoft to pressure their customers, like HP into not using competitor products by dangling threats like higher prices over their heads. It is a business reason, but an illegal one.
keep in mind also, that "evolution" happens in leaps. When a mutated offspring from a species, out of randomness develops a features that makes them better suited for their environment (natural selection). examples, Giraffes have long necks (because ones born with shorter ones could not reach food and their gene lines died out), salmon in the north pacific are smaller now then they were 25 years ago. the large ones got caught in fisher nets, smaller ones slipped out and went on to reproduce smaller fish. Mankind is no different, social natural selection, financial success, etc garrantee strong bloodlines will continue, be it physical or mental prowess.
Sun is microsoft's new pawn in the server market. Microsoft's excuse not be be labeled a monopoly if/when they become a bigger force in the server market. By keeping Sun alive, microsoft will have a controlled competitor in the market. Exactly what microsoft turned apple into years ago by buying nonvoting stock in apple. does anyone else see this?
I don't know if Mozilla Lightning will allow you to do that, but KDE's kontact (Combines KDE's Kmail, Address book, Calander, Notes, Journal, Aggregator, etc) does do all of the above. I believe the last several releases of it put it leaps and bounds over any other Personal Information Manager. Spam filters, antivirus filters, and hell it even reminds you to attach a file to your email if you refered to attaching a file in the email! ;) I encourage everyone running KDE out there to give it a shot.
and it continues to amaze me how ugly code can become when developed in a corporate environment. since it si being developed by a team, inhouse, the 'need' to keep it clean, readable and portable dimishes. clean, organized code is a side effect of software, such as konqueror/khtml developed over the internet.
Hmm, slows things down on occasion, opens your system to attack.. its a feature! go figure.
There should be a law that nullifies your patent if you choose to ignore infringements until the project using your patent proliferates. On the same note, exemption should be given to the patent infringer if the holder of the patent decides to use the infringing product in one of their own products! Isn't this just common sense?? Has everyone in our government gone crazy?? this country has wayy too many f*cked up IP laws. No wonder inferior products continue to dominate.
Some KDE projects have a very similar contribution system set. Kontact (email/groupware client) has a link to it under the help menu where you can "shop" for new features. Features are requested and people can donate to certain features. Once the price has been met on a feature development on it will start. Perfect for companies that would like to see certain features in Kontact. In fact, I'd encourage more companies to switch to Linux/KDE/Kontact for at least those machines that are primarily used for email/internet/word processing. the amount of money they would save on M$ Outlook licenses would be more than enough to request any 'missing' features. That said, I believe Kontact to be a very complete Outlook killer.