Author: Georg v. Zimmermann
Date: 16:31:45 11/14/00
Go up one level in this thread
On November 14, 2000 at 18:47:37, Enrique Irazoqui wrote: >On November 14, 2000 at 12:16:20, Robert Hyatt wrote: > >>On November 13, 2000 at 17:24:16, Christophe Theron wrote: >> >>>On November 13, 2000 at 15:27:41, Marc van Hal wrote: >>> >>>>On November 13, 2000 at 14:58:59, Bob Durrett wrote: >>>> >>>>>Today, the wealthy or lucky have multiprocessor computers and can use the new >>>>>programs being discussed here. But is this a precursor to a major advance in >>>>>home computers anytime soon? When? >>>>> >>>>>I just recently purchased a 1 GHz single-processor PC. Generally, I plan to >>>>>replace my computer after about five years, or maybe sooner if there is a big >>>>>difference sooner. >>>>> >>>>>So, to pick a specific date, how about five years from now, 2000 + 5 = 2005 ? >>>>> >>>>>Will multiprocessor PCs then be commonplace on the consumer market, priced so >>>>>the ordinary person can afford them? More importantly, what will the chess >>>>>software look like then? >>>>> >>>>>For example: Will the chess programs for multiprocessor PC computers be >>>>>designed to perform different tasks or functions on the different processors, or >>>>>will the processors just be "bunched together" to make the computer look like a >>>>>really fast single-processor computer? >>>>> >>>>>Also: Do the current crop of chess engines use the processors for different >>>>>tasks? >>>>> >>>>>Answers or speculations "are hereby solicited." >>>> >>>>For the same money you purchased your 1gig cpu and board you could have bought a >>>>celeron multiproccesor motherboard with 2 x 500Mhz >>> >>> >>> >>>Which would perform worse at chess (and probably at anything else) than the 1GHz >>>computer he has just bought. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>>But ok it is treu that buying this kind of hardware is extremely expensive for >>>>the comon man >>>>I doubt that in the future more programs will use multiprossecor tasks but what >>>>you do see is that all the hardware gets it's own prossecor like video and audio >>>>card and so on >>>>It also is not so that if you use 2 x 1gig cpu on a multi poccesor you get a >>>>speed of 2 gigs so not as fast as a single cpu computer of 2 gigs >>> >>> >>> >>>That's right. >>> >>> >>>I don't think multiprocessor computers will be the norm in the future. The trend >>>in personal computing is going in another direction. >>> >>>Have a look at: >>> http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/nm/20001113/tc/comdex_microsoft_dc_1.html >>> >>> >>> >>> Christophe >> >> >>You have said this before. Yet it directly contradicts what I see happening >>at both Dell and Gateway. They are selling _many_ dual-processor machines. >>Not to mention the dual-cpu motherboard market which is continually strapped >>for parts due to demand. > >This may apply to the US, but not to Europe, or at least not to Spain. It is >true that here I see more and more ads about duals and quads from HP, IBM and >Siemens, but directed exclusively to enterprises. Nobody I know has a dual, and >the shop that has been building mine, the biggest shop in the province, had no >experience at all about them, which by the way doesn't make me feel very >confident. > >I have no idea about what is the future in computers and I wonder if anybody has >it. In my case it was a rather simple decision. If I wanted to play comp-comp I >had 2 options: 2 fast single machines or a fast dual for the same money. The >dual will do the same for comp-comp, but it will be faster for other things, >so... > >And now for what I always wanted to know and I never dared to ask: what does SMP >stand for? > >Enrique Symmetric Multi-Processing ( I think ) Georg :)
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