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To: nihil who wrote (70516)	1/5/1999 2:20:00 AM
From: Paul Engel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Nihil - Re: "Isn't it true that one OS can be more easily implemented on one cpu (Linux on PII) than it can on on another (Linux on 8086?). " The case you cited is a straightforward example. An 8086 - a 16 bit CPU with only 1 Meg of addressable memory, and that memory must be broken down into 64 KiloByte Segments - makes it difficult to implement "serious" operating systems. Handling data across segment boundaries is/was a real trick and slows down system performance. The Pentium II, which is a real 32 bit CPU (with 16 bit Virtual Modes) makes it A LOT EASIER to implement OS's such as Linux/UNIX. Each segment in the 32 bit mode is 2^32 long (4 GigaBytes). Re: "Software people tell me that x86 is a dog that always seems to be having its last day. It is said to have about 40% overhead that requires Intel and the others to work exra hard to compete with RISC" The CISC vs RISC battle ended , realistically, in 1993 when the Pentium was introduced. Its integer performance was nearly as good (at 66 and 100 MHz) as most RISC chips at the time. Its FPU was improved over 486 designs and quite adequate, but still behind HP, Sun ans IBM FPU units. However, once Intel hit with 120 MHz Pentiums, the RISC obituary was being written. SUN seem to be the only real game in town. Every other RISC maker (HP, IBM, SGI, Intergraph) -if they still exist - is now a customer for Intel x86 CPUs. When MERCED arrives....we will all be a little bit older. Paul