[Info-vax] Goodbye VAX

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 1/2/2022 3:48 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2021-12-31, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>> On 12/31/2021 5:58 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>>> Today is the last day for VAX systems unless you have a permanent licence.
>>>
>>> It was a good architecture for its time, but I doubt we will ever see
>>> something like it again. The world has moved very much to a 2-mode KU
>>> architecture approach (with operating systems designed to match)
>>
>> Sounds likely. If not counting hypervisor mode!
>>
>>>                                                               and
>>> also very much away from the CISC approach with all the complex
>>> instructions in hardware that VAX had.
>>
>> VMS is being ported to a CISC architecture.
>>
> 
> Very true, but that is a legacy architecture however.

But one that is doing pretty well.

>> x86-64 got some pretty complex instructions (math, AES, vector etc.).
> 
> Yes, but I think of those types of instructions as more like specialist
> addons and not as part of the original core architecture.

It has evolved a lot over time. From 16 to 32 to 64 bit. And
added a dozen bundles of extra stuff (extensions) over the
years.

But they are there now and they are used.

Arne