🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <00965E8C.5E07CBC0@vms.csd.mu.edu> 2760carpente@vms.csd.mu.edu (METALLICA) writes:
   This question has been bugging me for a while and so I finally decided to post
   it.  The new chip from DEC (Alhpa) is going to run Windows NT along with VMS
   and UNIX.  If a 'Alpha' PC is running Windows NT, will this PC be faster than a
   'Pentium' PC running Windows.  I mean, are these CPU's comparable...?  I am
   assuming that the Alpha PC will be better and faster... Any comments..
   Benchmarks..  

Don't know if the Alpha is for real yet (haven't seen an Alpha PC on
display at the PC dealer around the corner, but then I didn't see a
Pentium either) so no benchmarks, just a bit more speculation:

Let's assume an Alpha runs a typical compiled C program three times
faster. It's then going to be a lot slower emulating a x86 CPU than
an equivalent x86 CPU, the difference is more likely 1:10 than 1:3.
Windows applications spent a lot of their CPU cycles outside the
application context inside the Windows runtime environment (GDI etc.).
On an Alpha port of NT that is going to be Alpha code (= native, no
emulation). Whether the application as a whole is faster on an Alpha
or on a Pentium machine then depends on the application. It's like a
386sx with a good graphics accellerator vs. a 486 with a dumb SVGA
card: Some applications will feel faster on one, some on the other.

If Microsoft does things right, Alpha vs. x86 should be of no
importance to you as a developer. A recompile should be sufficient to
port an application.

As to DEC competing with Pentium in prices: I believe that when I see
Alpha motherboards sold around the corner for under $1000.
---
Thomas M. Hoberg   | Internet: tmh@first.gmd.de
1000 Berlin 41     |           tmh@cs.tu-berlin.de
Wielandstr. 4      |
Germany            | BITNET:   tmh@tub.bitnet 
+49-30-851-50-21   |