🚀 go-pugleaf

In <17fuahINN1tl@iraul1.ira.uka.de> |S| Norbert Juffa writes:
>Hi netters!
>
>I a recent article on coprocessors for 80x86 systems I posted to
>comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware I claimed that installing a math coprocessor
>does not speed up GUIs (MS-Windows, OS/2 Presentation Mgr, X-Windows),
>since these use only integer math internally. However, people have
>told me that some GUIs indeed use fp math for stuff like arc drawing
>and similar operations. Does anyone know for sure whether OS/2's GUI
>benefits by installing a coprocessor. Please send email, as I do not
>usually read this group. I'll post a summary of responses I get, if I
>get any. Thanx in advance!
>
>Norbert
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Norbert Juffa       email: S_JUFFA@IRAVCL.IRA.UKA.DE        Live and let live!
>
Norbert,

  Whenever this question is asked of the OS/2 developers, the answer is that
for optimal performance all PM operations use integer math.  Thus having a
numeric coprocessor it will not speed up the base OS/2 presentation services.

  Having said that, having a math coprocessor (especially a tightly coupled
one as implemented in the 486) can speed up OS/2 applications.  For example,
IBM's X-Windows server (PM screen interface for TCP/IP) achieves __dramatic__
performance gains when a math coprocessor is present.

Al Dunsmuir                       Internet: adunsmui@torolab6.vnet.ibm.com
CODE Development II + TEAM OS/2      Voice: (416) 448-3315
IBM Canada Laboratory Ltd, Toronto, CANADA

OS/2 V2: Why settle for anything less?