Risc vs Symbolics (was: Poor Sun timings, as competition...)

[lgm@iexist.att.com]

    Date: Wed, 15 Aug 90 10:47 CDT
    From: Tom Shepard <shepard@MCKENZIE.S&C.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM>

	Date: Tue, 14 Aug 90 05:48 EDT
	From: RWK@fuji.ila.com (Robert W. Kerns)

	    Date: Mon, 13 Aug 90 19:08 CDT
	    From: lgm@iexist.att.com

	    3) Continuous alert operation for extremely long periods of time.  This
	    requires incremental garbage collection of all memory, including
	    compiled functions etc. 
 
	Why?  This is only needed if you're dynamically creating
	compiled function objects and then discarding them.  Most
	"continuous alert" applications aren't likely to do that;
	it's sort of incompatible with their mission to invoke
	the compiler a lot...

    The Metering System can show where your application is consing; you then
    do away with the need, or use something like resources to do explicit
    storage management.  You'll have to look at more than your own
    application in order to be able to run without the GC.  How big are your
    "extremely long periods of time"?

Sorry, running without GC is out of the question.  I'm trying to sell
Common Lisp/CLOS as much easier to program than C++, and reliable GC is
the one indisputable advantage I have!

My "long periods of time" are on the order of months or years.

Is this a demanding application?  Of course!  That's why the current
systems cost so much to build.


	Lawrence G. Mayka
	AT&T Bell Laboratories
	lgm@iexist.att.com

Standard disclaimer.