Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!microsof!fluke!ssc-vax!uw-beaver!cornell!hal From: hal@cornell.UUCP Newsgroups: net.arch Subject: Re: uP architecture - (nf) Message-ID: <4745@cornell.UUCP> Date: Sun, 3-Jul-83 11:47:03 EDT Article-I.D.: cornell.4745 Posted: Sun Jul 3 11:47:03 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 4-Jul-83 15:39:50 EDT References: <1660@utcsrgv.UUCP> Lines: 21 One of the articles in this conversation said something like "I don't understand why they [the 8008-8080 designers] didn't do a better job. After all, much was known about computer architecture at the time." Well, yes, but... How many good chip designers are also good computer architects? Perhaps there are some now, but back when the original microprocessors were built, probably very few people were good at both. The original microprocessors remind me a lot of early computer designs before very much was known about computer architecture. The hardware folks put together something that could execute instructions, then left it to the software folks to see if they could figure out how to use it effectively and come up with good code generators for compilers in spite of the instruction set. There are VERY few examples of good computer design. The only encouraging thing is that there is more awareness of how hard it is to do it right, and that a really good design must take into account lots more than circuits. Hal Perkins uucp: {decvax|vax135|...}!cornell!hal Cornell Computer Science arpa: hal@cornell bitnet: hal@crnlcs