Re: is it sensible to think of an extended address Lisp for the DEC-20?

[Rindfleisch at SUMEX-AIM]

In response to the message sent   9 Dec 1980 2209-EST from HEDRICK@RUTGERS

I think it is very worthwhile to develop extended adr space LISP's for
20xx's.  Based on current projections, we at SUMEX feel that the next
five years or so will be hallmarked by a pragmatic, heterogeneous
approach to meeting AI computing needs and that work will proceed using
20xx's, VAX's, and personal machines of various kinds.  There are
clearly a number of (highly visible) projects started to develop and
explore alternatives to large central 20's to achieve better solutions
to adr space limits, man/machine interactions, cost-effective
dissemination of AI pgms, etc.  This is all healthy and research dollars
flow readily to explore such new things as they should.  Still, most
active places are buying more 2060's to meet immediate capacity needs
and to take advantage of the beautiful stock of existing software.  No
alternative large machine appears on the near horizon (< 3 yrs).

I am uncertain about the amount of effort required to convert systems
like INTERLISP or MACLISP to use 20-style extended addressing.  I've
followed a number of pointers leading to Alice Hartley at BBN who is
reputed to have spent 6-9 mo. looking at the INTERLISP problem and
finally to have given up (she has not answered my msg asking for details
so I can't confirm this).  Some LISP providing a good programmer
environment and also (at least projected to be) available on VAX's and
some flavors of personal machines must be adaptable to use extended
addressing on the 20.  Such a system could get very popular very
quickly...

Tom R.