Re: Is backward compatibility with x86 architecture holding back CPU functionality?

From: MitchAlsup@xxxxxxx
Date: 26 Sep 2005 08:28:20 -0700

Casey Hawthorne wrote:
> Is backward compatibility with x86 architecture holding back CPU
> functionality?

No, not really; since the days of the 486; x86 designers have added
about 300 instructions; gone from 32-bits to 64-bits, added 64-bit MMX
and 128-bit SSE instructions, and a host of other non instruction
related functionality.

> Hopefully, the OS's would be rewritten faster than the applications

The is no evidence that software can be moved forward as fast as
hardware, and considerble evidence that it cannot.

.

References:
- Is backward compatibility with x86 architecture holding back CPU functionality?
  - From: Casey Hawthorne

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