[geeks] Re: Inventories and Wish Lists (again)

[roosmcd at dds.nl]

> >   -Acorn RiscPC600 with ARM610 and X86, runs RISC/OS and DOS/windows 
> >     (my only SMP machine, even if it has 2 different processor
> architectures,
> >      they're still on the same bus and share the memory :)
> 
> That's not really SMP.  You might try calling it ASMP.  The S stands for 
> Symetric, which different families of processors certainly are not.

"(1) Short for Symmetric Multiprocessing, a computer architecture that provides 
fast performance by making multiple CPUs available to complete individual 
processes simultaneously (multiprocessing). Unlike asymmetrical processing, any 
idle processor can be assigned any task, and additional CPUs can be added to 
improve performance and handle increased loads. A variety of specialized 
operating systems and hardware arrangements are available to support SMP. 
Specific applications can benefit from SMP if the code allows multithreading. 

SMP uses a single operating system and shares common memory and disk 
input/output resources. Both UNIX and Windows NT support SMP. "
 
 OK, the hardware supports SMP, but not the software. Maybe if I change the x84 
card for an ARM card, but I think I saw somewhere that such a configuration 
wasn't supported.

> > Newer machines (with exception of SGI's) aren't just so much fun anymore.
> You left Symbolics, Pixar, and Stardent off your wish list.  How dare you.

 And those Intergraphs with clipper processors :). But isn't the Pixar just 
some glorified video-editing box? Do they have their own processor?

  regards,
   Michiel