64 bit Alpha AXP -vs- 32 bit computers

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Article #11041

#11041

From: Stephen Kneuper
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 16:20

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A debate is occuring at my site (and within my mind) regarding 64 bit
versus 32 bit computing.

I'm trying to figure out why I want to go to a 64 bit machine Alpha
AXP system instead of continuing to run 32 bit machines (RS6K, Sun).

Outside of the numerical analysis issues, the only other issues I see
are:

1.  64 bit ints allow the easy support of files larger than 2 Gbytes.

2.  64 bit ints allow the construction of filesystems larger than 2
Gbytes.

I do know some vendors (convex) have addressed these issues within a
32 bit architecture; Sun allows >2GB filesystems, if memory serves.
Have I missed any other obvious (or not!) programming or system
administration issues?

-- 
Steve Kneuper                                kneuper@chpc.utexas.edu - Internet
Sr. Operating Systems Specialist
University of Texas System (mailcode 78700)  kneuper@uthermes - BITNET
Center for High Performance Computing        (512)471-2472

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From: kneuper@chpc.utexas.edu (Stephen Kneuper)
Subject: 64 bit Alpha AXP -vs- 32 bit computers
Message-ID: <1992Nov17.162014.6506@chpc.utexas.edu>
Organization: The University of Texas System CHPC
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 16:20:14 GMT
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