Re: [9fans] tech writer humor

[ron minnich <rminnich@gmail.com>]

On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 5:45 PM, erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net> wrote:
> ah yes, that clears it up
>
>        19.4.22
>        APICID
>        This register uniquely identifies an APIC in the system. This register is not used by
>        OS'es anymore and is still implemented in hardware because of FUD.

So, my interpretation following the discussions: some over-zealous
hardware guy at Intel believes this register is no longer needed
because the OS should use BIOS services. Any OS that does not use BIOS
services is suffering from FUD, not a real need. I call bull****.

The BIOS services work well enough, of course, on most mainboards.
Intel mainboards, however, frequently screw the BIOS services and
tables up, such that the OS either can not boot or needs to poke
around the hardware and use, e.g., this register to find out what's
really going on. I'm pretty sure that there is a qualifying instance
of irony in here, though I'm relucant to say so since it's an overused
term.

It's another case of the Intel hardware designer disconnect from the
Intel mainboard designers and, following that, Intel's occasional
disconnect from reality ... I hit this all the time. (as do others;
one person I know was told by Intel that the _MP_ table on his
mainboard would get fixed only if the customer was willing to pay for
it. Nice.)

thanks

ron