[Info-vax] OT: IA-128 ???

[Neil Rieck]

On Oct 14, 9:10 pm, Arne Vajhøj <a... at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
> Neil Rieck wrote:
> > I hope you guys are correct that this phrase represents a MS s/w
> > project. However, the use of the phrase IA-128 makes me wonder if
> > we've seen a glimpse of something coming from Intel.
>
> > JF:
>
> > Way back in the early 1980's, a DEC instructor told the class that
> > processor bit size was related to the programmer's view of the general
> > purpose registers. For example, even though the 8088 had an 8-bit
> > memory buss, it was (internally speaking) a 16-bit processor. Even
> > though the 6502 had a few instructions that treated two 8-bit
> > registers as a 16-bit pair, it was an 8-bit processor.
>
> > Obviously things changed when AMD invented AMD64
> >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD64
> > which forced Intel to respond in kind with similar 64-bit extensions
> > (a true 64-bit extension of the GP regs) called x86-64 and/or IA-64.
>
> > I'm not saying that this is Intel's intention, but Intel could develop
> > a CPU with 128-bit regs without changing the buss interface unit
> > (BIU).
>
> The general accepted definition of a X bit computer is the size
> of addresses not the size of registers.
>
> There are good practical reasons why they often are identical,
> but they do not have to be.
>
> Even a VAX has somewhat 64 bit general register because q operations
> could use Rn and Rn+1.
>
> Arne

Instructors at DEC (Kanata, Bedford, Maynard) in the early 80's didn't
agree with this point of view. At that time, PDP-11 connected to
memory via anywhere between 18 and 22 bits (depending upon the model)
but this product line was considered a 16-bit system because of the
width of the registers. Likewise with VAX, we saw lots of schemes to
address more memory (well over 40-bits IIRC) but VAX was always
considered a 32-bit system.

Now to be fair, in those days there was more honesty in marketing.
Today, marketing people seem to be willing to say anything to promote
sales in their own company.

NSR