Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!uwvax!astroatc!johnw From: johnw@astroatc.UUCP (John F. Wardale) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Size of SysV "block" (really: what's the word?) Message-ID: <362@astroatc.UUCP> Date: Mon, 20-Jul-87 21:30:05 EDT Article-I.D.: astroatc.362 Posted: Mon Jul 20 21:30:05 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 22-Jul-87 06:04:46 EDT References: <2792@phri.UUCP> <6705@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP> <524@ollie.UUCP> <2799@phri.UUCP> Reply-To: johnw@astroatc.UUCP (John F. Wardale) Organization: Astronautics Technology Cntr, Madison, WI Lines: 39 Summary: The trouble with trybles (and words) hansen@mips.UUCP (Craig Hansen) writes: > A word is whatever you say it is, whether 12, 16, 18, 32, 36, or 64 bits. > Has anyone seen a good name used for three 8-bit bytes? I've been using > "tri-byte", but could see it being shortened to "trite" or "tryte." Just call it a word! roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) asks: > machine with a 24 bit word (have there been any?) YES! ----------- Harris Corp. made (makes?) 24bit computers. They were great bang/$ for mini's (and semi-super-minis) of a few years ago. 24 bits ints (+/-8,388,608) were fine, and the floats were 48 bits which was usually 7 sig-figs, and faster/cheaper than 64 bit floats. Word (24 bit) addressed. Accessing byte was horrid!! Converting FORTRASH (sp?) was hard when the original coded (semi-validly) assumed sizeof(real) == sizeof(integer) (please excuse the mixed notation) #includeJohn W - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Name: John F. Wardale UUCP: ... {seismo | harvard | ihnp4} !uwvax!astroatc!johnw arpa: astroatc!johnw@rsch.wisc.edu snail: 5800 Cottage Gr. Rd. ;;; Madison WI 53716 audio: 608-221-9001 eXt 110 To err is human, to really foul up world news requires the net!