Re: How many times must Apple make such DRASTIC architecture changes?

[Ilgaz Ocal <Ilgaz@spamcop.net>]

On 2005-06-12 19:27:06 +0300, Tim Cutts <timc@chiark.greenend.org.uk> said:

> In article <3gvoodFeggvnU5@individual.net>,
> Ilgaz Ocal  <Ilgaz@spamcop.net> wrote:
> > On 2005-06-11 01:04:34 +0300, Tim Cutts <timc@chiark.greenend.org.uk> said:
> >
> > > In article <3gr18rFcobl4U1@individual.net>,
> > > Ilgaz Ocal  <Ilgaz@spamcop.net> wrote:
> > > > We all miss something, this type of transition from one CPU family to 
> > > > other has NEVER happened in IT history.
>
> [ snipped my counterexamples ]
>
> > Hi
> >
> > I don't snip anything. The computers you mention are either pro 
> > workstations or servers.
>
> And that means they don't count?  You said (see above) "NEVER happened
> in IT history" which just is not true.  Even if you'd said "Never
> happened in Apple history" you'd have been wrong too.  The IBM PC is
> just about the only line of computers which *hasn't* changed CPU
> architecture much, and even then it has to a certain extent; the 386 and
> later are very different from what went before.

Its different. Servers does not upgrade every year, they have generally 
custom, in house written software which are traditionally written 
portable. . Professional workstation runs some very pricey software 
with support contracts too, nobody would dare to say "oh that cpu 
sucked anyway, lets move on" in professional software market. I am 
telling about ordinary home machines which are used for amateur video 
editing, gaming. Sadly some will lack Altivec etc since simply 
resources won'T be available to support 2 entirely different kind of 
CPUs.

> > Apple home computer is changing CPU family.
>
> For the second time.
>
> The point of all my counter examples is that it shouldn't matter.  If
> code is well written, and the OS programmin interface stays the same (as
> it will) all you need to do, for the majority of code, is recompile it
> on the new machine and it will all just work.
>
> Fear not!
>
> Tim

I understand what you mean and I am a bit pessimistic I guess.

Ilgaz