Aaron - Regarding Paltform Independent NT/OS
Any software that runs on a CPU has to execute instructions in the NATIVE code of that CPU. For simplicity, Windows NT, most likely written in C or C++, is COMPILED by Microsoft into Intel/x86 instructions. It can also be compiled into Alpha instructions, which are entirely different binary instructions. Each version requires NT application software compiled in the same instructions as the OS it runs on.
For NT to run the SAME SOFTWARE on ALL machines, NT would have to be written to INTERPRET and EXECUTE instructions in some intremediate level, or high level, langauge.
This has been done before - UCSD Pascal, with its p-code interpreter. And Java is essentially attempting the same thing - with Java "Byte Code" being the common distribution binary, and every piece of hardware running a "Java virtual machine" - a fancy name for a Java interpreter. (Java compilers are also being written - but these are CPU/platform specific).
The operative word here is "interpreter". The OS (be it NT, JVM, or UCSD pascal) will have to TRANSLATE the intermediate byte code instructions into the native machine instructions of the host processor, and then EXECUTE these native instructions.
In essence, two operations are required to perform one operation - translation and execution.
In principle, this can all be done. Apple did a great effort in making the PowerPC run 68000 code - albeit SLOWLY.
The price - SPEED and FAILURE to make use of any one machine's unique architectural features.
So, the penalties are severe.
The incentives would be what? What can any other architecture/CPU do that Intel CPUs cannot due today (or will not be able to do tomorrow).?
Microsoft wants to sell MIILIONS of copies of NT every year. What CPU sells in these quantities? The PowerPC probably sells one or two million, SPARC sells about a million (+/-), Alpha sells about 100,000 to 200,000 (my guess) and Pentiums sell about 45,000,000 (That is 45 million).
Very simply put - what platform will allow Microsoft to sell many millions of copies of their OS?
Please don't answer Nintendo or Sega.
Paul |
