[Openmcl-devel] OpenMCL Versions

[Hamilton Link]

Phil makes a good point and I'd normally be inclined to agree, but I am 
guessing that the openmcl user base will be moving to Core 2 faster than 
an intel 32-bit port will happen, particularly since everyone already 
knows that 64-bit will be supported and at least for the moment 32-bit 
isn't.  I'm going to be jumping from my various PPC systems straight 
into the 64-bit intel world, as has Gary, and I suspect if people want 
intel32 support they need to start making more noise than they have so 
far.  Which seems less likely to me since now they can just buy a Mac 
Pro or wait a bit for Merom laptops.

64-bit isn't as important as the number of registers and other things, 
and iirc those differences more than the address space are what make an 
intel32 port no small amount of hassle compared to the 64-bit port (GB 
could shed more light).  Certainly this hassle has so far offset the 
concern of increased memory usage and executable size, which aren't a 
big deal at least IMHO.

If I was a betting man I'd wager Clozure wouldn't snub a paying customer 
with vested interest in 32-bit intel support, but for that kind of money 
most of this list could buy 64-bit systems.

h

Phil wrote:

>I've got a 64-bit capable G5 but have never bothered to fire up 64- 
>bit OpenMCL partly because much of what I'm doing right now is Cocoa- 
>related (which isn't currently 64-bit) and partly because I'm  
>skeptical that I'd see any benefit without data sets that require it.
>
>I think 32-bit Intel would be of wider general interest right now as  
>64-bit would only run on a subset of shipped Intel systems, 32-bit  
>would run on all of them.   (Obviously, I'm not referring to the  
>subset of apps that need 64-bit today.)  Longer term, 64-bit may be  
>the way to go assuming that OpenMCL could realize a performance gain  
>that offsets the increased executable size and memory usage.
>
>On Aug 14, 2006, at 12:31 PM, Hamilton Link wrote:
>
>  
>
>>   OSXIntel32 has no users and probably not a huge interest  
>>compared to
>>   OSXIntel64, which has no users but will probably interest more and
>>more people;
>>    
>>
>
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