[rescue] Another fine business decision for us axp-lovers

[Joshua D. Boyd]

I hate it when they call a 32bit chip 64bit just because it sits on a
64bit bus.  It is almost as bad as calling a 32bit machine a 64bit machine
just because it has a 64bit video chip.

--
Joshua Boyd

On Mon, 25 Jun 2001, Zach Malone wrote:

> Hello,
>     Im not certain whether they are limited or not.  However, there are a
> large number of articles on the web about how the G4 is a 64 bit processor.
> I did not find any thing on earlier PPC processors, it could be that they
> are 32 bit chips on a 64 bit bus, as upon closer inspection of the everymac
> site it has them listed as 64bit bus systems.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joshua D. Boyd" <jdboyd at cs.millersville.edu>
> To: <rescue at sunhelp.org>
> Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 3:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [rescue] Another fine business decision for us axp-lovers
> 
> 
> > I don't remeber seeing 64bit registers though when I was poking around PPC
> > assembly, so how do they justify calling it 64bit?
> >
> > Darn it, now I'm going to have to dig up some PPC ASM info.
> >
> > OK, so a brief skim reveals 32int registers, and 32float registers.
> > That's nice.  It has 32bit instructions.   That's also nice (albiet
> > standard for RISC machines I'm told).  OK, from one tutorial I'm reading
> > (http://www.lightsoft.co.uk/Fantasm/Beginners/Chapt1.html), it says that
> > doubles can only be handled through the FPU.  That would seem to indicate
> > that general registers are only 32bit, but still looking for specific
> > confirmation.
> >
> > OK, further down the same page, it said that the general registers are
> > 32bits wide.
> >
> > So, we have 32bit instructions, and 32bit general registers.  Just like
> > x86.  We also have 64bit FPU registers, also like x86.  And we have a
> > 128bit bus.  Well, I know that Socket7 chips have a 64bit bus, I don't
> > remeber if that was expended on the P6 core or not.
> >
> > So, what justifies calling a PPC in an Apple a 64bit machine?
> >
> > Or, is the PPC just being throttled like a 386 in 16bit mode?
> >
> > --
> > Joshua Boyd
> >
> > On Sun, 24 Jun 2001, Zach Malone wrote:
> >
> > > Hello,
> > >     Apple does in fact use 64 bit CPUs, all the PowerPC chips from the
> 601
> > > up are 64bit.  The G4 is a 64bit core with a 128bit bus (from what I
> hear,
> > > it may truly be 128bit, but since it is a modified G3 I doubt it).
> Check
> > > out www.everymac.com, they list specs on every macintosh model back to
> the
> > > Mac 128k, and all the PowerPCs are listed as 64bit.
> > >     Zach
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Joshua D. Boyd" <jdboyd at cs.millersville.edu>
> > > To: <rescue at sunhelp.org>
> > > Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 1:27 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [rescue] Another fine business decision for us axp-lovers
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hold up a second.  SGI is also heading towards Intel.
> > > >
> > > > And Apple doesn't really sell 64bit machines (well, they show no signs
> of
> > > > making a 64bit OS, and from my understanding, the PPC can be 64bit,
> but
> > > > the ones Apple uses aren't).  On the bright side, you forgot IBM.
> They
> > > > make 64bit PPCs and Power chips.  And IBM should be around a long
> time.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Joshua Boyd
> > > >
> > > > On Sun, 24 Jun 2001, Zach Malone wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I thought it was funny reading the article on the Register about how
> > > Intel
> > > > > is thinking about buying Digital from Compaq.  So thus far, the list
> of
> > > 64
> > > > > bit RISC manufacturers which are going to Intel consists of HP, and
> > > > > DEC/Compaq.  At least we still have Sun, SGI, and Apple, though only
> Sun
> > > and
> > > > > Apple seem to produce nice workstations for a reasonable price.
> > > Supposedly
> > > > > Sun will be releasing UltraSPARC IIIs @ higher clockspeeds soon.
> > > >
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> > >
> >
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