Author: Tony Werten
Date: 02:23:25 06/16/02
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On June 15, 2002 at 10:38:33, Robert Henry Durrett wrote: > >It is noteworthy that the Fritz programmers saw fit to produce a pocket version >of their larger Fritz program [engine + GUI]. Whatever it was that motivated >those programmers to do that perhaps ought to apply to the amateur chess >programs and programmers too. A small correction. Pocket Fritz contains the Shredder engine, not the Fritz engine. Tony > >Note the thread on Hiarcs8. That thread seems focussed mainly on the speed >aspect, but it highlights the idea that the "size" of a computer may need to be >considered when optimizing the design of any chess program. > >For the handheld computers, the processors may be different enough from >processors on large computers that a different approach to programming might be >required to obtain optimal [or reasonably near-optimal] performance on this >CLASS of computer. > >It is interesting [to me, at least] to speculate on the extent to which the >chess programmers rely on computer size considerations when designing their >programs. > >A trivial example is the issue of hash table size. A few versions back, >[5.3.2?] the Fritz people published a formula for optimal hash table size. The >optimal size depended on how the program was to be used [Ex: Bullet chess >versus overnight analysis of a position] and the speed of the computer. This >formula may or may not still be valid for Fritz. Whether or not it ever was >correct for non-Fritz computers is an open question. > >Obviously, if the computer were too small to provide the optimal hash table >size, then the program would perform less well when compared to performance with >the correct hash table size. > >It seems reasonable to assume that the manufacturers of the handhelds had to >make many compromises, other than speed reduction, to come up with a workable >"handheld" design [compromises in hardware and operating system, and perhaps in >compatible compilers, too]. > >Each of these compromises could be examined, one at a time, to see it's impact >on chess program performance. In cases where the impact is negative and >significant, it would then be logical to look at the chess program itself to see >if changes could be made in the program to minimize the adverse impacts. > >For the sake of completeness, one might also wonder whether or not the small >size had any software benefits relative to the desktops. It seems unlikely that >there would be any such advantages. [Agree?] > >This topic should distinguish between engine issues and GUI issues. It is >obvious that numerous GUI mods are required. But what about the engines >themselves? > >Bob D.
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