jshaver@APG-5.ARPA.UUCP (05/13/87)
I still think that most of the personal computers including Apple, PC AT's and clones are not big enough to handle an Ada Compiler. I believe that some of my friends at Fort Huachuca here are talking about limited versions of Ada on the Intel 310. A full up Ada will require a mini, not a micro. John
ELORANTA@BRANDEIS.BITNET (05/14/87)
Ada for apple? I think someone mentioned seeing ada advertised for apple...
But I'm sure that it's subset of ada or something, has anyone seen a GOOD
ada compiler yet? In some mainframes it used to be if 3 users were running
ada at the same time, the system sould crash...
Memory&speed of apple II makes it quite impossible to have FULL ada compiler
running. But who needs ada anyway???(except defence dep.)
Jussi Eloranta.
User Consultant,
Brandeis Univ.steven@pearl.berkeley.edu (Stephen the Greatest) (05/14/87)
Who wants Ada anyway? Strong type-checking is for people with weak memories. - Stephen
ranger@ecsvax.UUCP (Rick N. Fincher) (05/19/87)
In article <8705131249.aa17025@SMOKE.BRL.ARPA>, jshaver@APG-5.ARPA (John Science Fiction & Resume Service Shaver) writes: > the Intel 310. A full up Ada will require a mini, not a micro. > Why the only thing a mini can do that a micro cant't do (as well) is support multiple users. The //gs can go up to 8 MB of memory. Even 64K machine can do significant amounts with overlays, although slowly. Anyone who makes a blanket statement about a particular program requiring a mini to run just doesn't understand how computers work. A friend of mine just got out of the Air Force. In her job she converted the Air Force's s complete logistic system from an old system to a new one. The old system was a Univac. It had 32K of vacumum tube memory. The old PDP 11 and Data General Nova "minis" has between 32K and 128K of RAM. C and Unix were developed on a PDP-11. These machines had operating systems that allowed paged memory management. Most micro operating systems don't support this, but good compilers support overlay systems that give much of the same functionality. A compiler is just a program, so there is no reason why a large compiler can't be broken down into overlays, use intermediate files and other techniques to compile long programs on a micro. The long programs can in turn be br oken down to run on a limited memory machine. Prodos 16 on the //gs can manage memory and bring code segments in from disk automatically when needed, if you are short of memory. But with up to 8 meg, chances are you waon't run short. Sounds like you have been talking to a mini-mainframe fanatic. These folks like to spread stories around about micros not beinfg able to handle this task or that. I guess they think it helps keep their job secure. After all If a cheap micro that you can run yourself will do the job , why buy an expensive mini, build a machine room to house it, pay someone to run it and pay 5 digit figures for the priviledge of running the operating system, annually, not to mention the cost of application software whiu which is usually inferior to micro software anyway. No thanks, I'll keep my Apple. Rick Fincher ranger@ecsvax
rob@array.UUCP (Rob Marchand) (05/22/87)
In article <3176@ecsvax.UUCP>, ranger@ecsvax.UUCP (Rick N. Fincher) writes: > In article <8705131249.aa17025@SMOKE.BRL.ARPA>, jshaver@APG-5.ARPA (John Science Fiction & Resume Service Shaver) writes: > > the Intel 310. A full up Ada will require a mini, not a micro. > Why the only thing a mini can do that a micro cant't do (as well) is support > multiple users. The //gs can go up to 8 MB of memory. Even 64K machine ............ > operating system, annually, not to mention the cost of application software > which is usually inferior to micro software anyway. > No thanks, I'll keep my Apple. > Rick Fincher > ranger@ecsvax When I was doing my Master's course work, I recall reading about an implementation of Prolog (which can be a real memory monster for long unification searches) on an Apple II+, using two Disk II floppy drives for Virtual Memory! Whew! Page out....(go for lunch)....Page In, Page Out .... (go for supper)... etc..... Can you imagine how much fun this would be for something that used up stack space (I'm talking Prolog stack here) like there was no tommorow? Was an interesting article 'though. (can't remember authors or title just offhand...) Yep, I guess we're just spoiled now... -- Rob Marchand UUCP: {watmath,mnetor}!utzoo!dciem!array!rob Array Systems Computing Phone : +1(416)736-0900 Fax: (416) 736-4715 200-5000 Dufferin Street Telex : 063666 (CNCP EOS TOR) .TO 21:ARY001 Downsview, ON CANADA M3H 5T5