[Info-vax] rx2800i2 sales/support window changes

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2014-02-14 00:03, JF Mezei wrote:
> On 14-02-13 11:14, Shael Richmond wrote:
>
>> The bigger issue is whether we can get the required performance from the emulator when stepping back from Integrity.  Also we have to deal with license issues.
>
> Considering VMS is limited to Tukwila tech (which is already a few years
> old), I suspect that x86 emulated solutions will be competitive quite
> soon in terms of performance (if not already).

Good point about emulators maybe targeting newer than Tukwila.
However, speedwise it might take a while. Have you seen much speed bumps 
in x86 in the last five years?

> The danger is that if an IA64 emulator is done, it will emulate Poulson
> which is not compatible with VMS. We know that existing Alpha emulators
> are compatible with VMS.
>
> That leaves the rethorical question of whether a x86 emulating Alpha
> instruction set would yield better/equal/worse performance than the same
> x86 emulating the IA64 instruction set.

IA64 will probably be worse, because the frickin' instruction set is 
horrible. Alpha is way cleaner, which will allow an emulator to spend 
less time pretending to do weird shit.

	Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol