Re: [COFF] [TUHS] Genix / early 80's VM variants

Re: [COFF] [TUHS] Genix / early 80's VM variants

[Tony Finch]

[ COFF not TUHS ]

Clem Cole <clemc@ccc.com> wrote:
> On Sun, May 9, 2021 at 3:58 PM Larry McVoy <lm@mcvoy.com> wrote:
>
> > National couldn't get it together to produce bug free chips or maybe
> > we'd all be running that, pretty nice architecture (in theory).
>
> I've always wondered if a Nat Semi NS32016 based system running in a PC/AT
> form factor had appeared that was priced like a PC/AT if that might have
> had a chance.

Acorn Computers made an odd machine consisting of a BBC micro with a 32016
second processor in a box. (It didn't run a unix-like OS, I'm afraid.) The
32016 was one of the CPUs that inspired the ARM, because its performance
was so terrible: it was not able to make good use of the available memory
bandwidth. (There wasn't a 68000 second processor because its interrupt
latency was too bad to drive the "tube" interface.)

http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/Computers/ACW.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Computers#New_RISC_architecture

Tony.
-- 
f.anthony.n.finch  <dot@dotat.at>  https://dotat.at/
Malin, Southeast Hebrides: Cyclonic 4 to 6. Slight or moderate in
southeast, moderate or rough in northwest. Showers. Good, occasionally
poor.

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