[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: a note on extended addressing lisp for 20's



The idea under consideration is to ditch the current format
completely, rewrite the whole assy. language kernel (much
smaller than Maclisp's), and use two-word cons cells.  The 
comparison shouldn't be made between this and a standard 
pdp10 lisp, but between this and another "big" lisp (say on VAX).
such a lisp would need a similar amount of physical memory
for a similar list structure (unless cdr-coded [is NIL cdr-coded?]),
and we would regretfully leave behind the innocent days of our
youth when everything could fit into 18 bits (or 16, or 12, ...).
--JoSH
ps: to clarify: the question is, "Is there any compelling reason
why, given you need a large address space lisp, not to write one
for a 20 (as opposed to, say, a VAX, assuming that you would have
to start fresh either way)?"