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From: stevem@auscso.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: C machine
Message-ID: <759@auscso.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Dec-87 23:16:17 EST
Article-I.D.: auscso.759
Posted: Thu Dec  3 23:16:17 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 6-Dec-87 22:00:39 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: Austin UNIX Users Group, Austin, Tx.
Lines: 24
Keywords: C, Lilith (sp?), In Progress?

A year or so ago I read about a machine called the Lilith (sp?) that
was developed in Switzerland.  From what I read it seemed that this
machine had been developed with Modula 2 applications in mind.  I was
also led to understand that, because of this design, the machine could
execute compiled Modula programs much faster than any general purpose CPU 
in the same word-size/clock-speed class.

If this is true, I would like to know if anyone out there is working
on a similar machine designed to work more efficiently with C programs.
It seems that this would be the ultimate UNIX machine, eliminating the
need for assembly patches to the kernel.  It could run a completely 
portable version of UNIX and be very quick about it.

If there are problems inherint in the design of C that make such a machine
impossible I would like to know what these are.  If there are no such
problems then why in the world haven't I heard about it?  I read all of 
the UNIX literature I can get my hands on and it seems that someone would
have noticed the potential of such a machine by now.


p.s. I've noticed alot of people putting trademark notices in their  
     notes whenever they use the word UNIX.  I hope I won't be taken
     away in the middle of the night by the secret phone police for 
     not doing so myself. 8-O