[geeks] memtest86 question (are correctable ECC errors, errors?)

[Jonathan C. Patschke]

On Wed, 26 Sep 2007, Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:

>> If anything, this illustrates why ECC should be a mandatory
>> requirement for anything other than a gaming/media-playback system.
>
> Parity was standard in PC type computers until RAM being $50 a
> megabyte prevented people from buying Windows.

Yeah, but regular parity memory wasn't nearly as useful as ECC/SECDED.
It just halted the system when it found a one-bit error, and wouldn't
even see errors of multiple numbers of bits.

> Compaq to stoped using parity RAM which cut memory costs by about 11%.
>
> Apple NEVER used parity RAM except for some IIcx/IIci systems sold to
> the U.S.  Millitary.

And the IIfx, IIRC.  I always gave them (and their customers) grief
about the lack of parity memory.

I'll gladly pay a premium for ECC on any machine I care about; memory's
cheap enough these days, and virtually every memory controller on the
market supports it.

-- 
Jonathan Patschke     )  "So far, 99% of illegal activity has been caused
Elgin, TX            (    by criminals."
USA                   )                                    --David Willis