jc@atcmp.nl (Jan Christiaan van Winkel) (12/11/90)
> In article <1758@unix386.Convergent.COM> dtynan@unix386.Convergent.COM (Dermot Tynan) writes: [About GUI's needing lot's of MIPS/GIPS] >> *terrible*. Even with 280 GIPS, I can't see this kind of thing changing. Doesn't the term MIPS stand for Meaningless Index of Processor Spe.. oops I mean Million Instructions Per Second? If so, why are people talking about GIPS when they mean 1000 MIPS? (this would imply Giga Instructions Per Second, implying Mega Instrinstructions per second, but this is bad syntax (I think.) Perhaps a mix from megaflops and gigaflops?) When we mean 1000 MIPS, this is 1 Billion Instructions Per Second So I propose: Let's call 1000 MIPS: 1 BIPS JC BTW: in Dutch, a BIPS is someone's behind in children's language... :-) -- ___ __ ____________________________________________________________________ |/ \ Jan Christiaan van Winkel Tel: +31 80 566880 jc@atcmp.nl | AT Computing P.O. Box 1428 6501 BK Nijmegen The Netherlands __/ \__/ ____________________________________________________________________
davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM (Wm E Davidsen Jr) (12/11/90)
In article <818@atcmpe.atcmp.nl> jc@atcmp.nl (Jan Christiaan van Winkel) writes: | So I propose: Let's call 1000 MIPS: 1 BIPS Let's not. MIPS is meaningless, but widely used. There are not that many processors around which need the scale factor yet. By my benchmarks you can count them on the fingers of one foot. Multiprocessor machines with multiple vector units may, on benchmarks, hit 1000 MFLOP, but I don't think there's a need for GFLOP yet anywhere but in ad copy, either. -- bill davidsen (davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM -or- uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen) VMS is a text-only adventure game. If you win you can use unix.
tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner) (12/12/90)
:) |When we mean 1000 MIPS, this is 1 Billion Instructions Per Second | |So I propose: Let's call 1000 MIPS: 1 BIPS :) of course, in the UK, 1 billion = 1000000 million , i.e. 10**12 ;)
tjo@its.bt.co.uk (Tim Oldham) (12/14/90)
In article <780021@otter.hpl.hp.com> tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner) writes: >| >|So I propose: Let's call 1000 MIPS: 1 BIPS > >:) of course, in the UK, 1 billion = 1000000 million , i.e. 10**12 ;) Not so. We changed the definition some time ago to 1000 million. Tim. -- Tim Oldham, BT Applied Systems. tjo@its.bt.co.uk or ...uunet!ukc!its!tjo Well, you'd have a corporate siege mentality, too.
jbuck@galileo.berkeley.edu (Joe Buck) (12/15/90)
In article <780021@otter.hpl.hp.com> tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner) writes: |> >|So I propose: Let's call 1000 MIPS: 1 BIPS Since MIPS stands for Meaningless Indicator of Processor Speed, would BIPS stand for Bogus Indicator of Processor Speed? -- Joe Buck jbuck@galileo.berkeley.edu {uunet,ucbvax}!galileo.berkeley.edu!jbuck
tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner) (12/17/90)
|Not so. We changed the definition some time ago to 1000 million.
Not not so (not**2 so :). The 1987 OED lists billion as one million million.
The latest Chambers also defines million as a million million in both the UK
and France (since 1948)!
I agree common usage is 10**9, and personally I prefer 10**9. But in the UK
the _definition_ is 10**12.
Since benchmarks are moderatelty meaningless anyway, I find it mildly pleasing
that pepole can't even agree on the definition of the number syatem!davidb@brac.inmos.co.uk (David Boreham) (12/20/90)
In article <780022@otter.hpl.hp.com> tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner) writes: >|Not so. We changed the definition some time ago to 1000 million. > >Not not so (not**2 so :). The 1987 OED lists billion as one million million. >The latest Chambers also defines million as a million million in both the UK >and France (since 1948)! > >I agree common usage is 10**9, and personally I prefer 10**9. But in the UK >the _definition_ is 10**12. > >Since benchmarks are moderatelty meaningless anyway, I find it mildly pleasing >that pepole can't even agree on the definition of the number syatem! Granted. However I've spent 25 years living in the UK and have _NEVER_ heard anyone using billion to mean 10**12. Anyway, there are perfectly good, recognised and well-defined prefixes for the purpose. For example ``Megapound'', ``Gigadollar'' ``Femptopenny''. David Boreham, INMOS Limited | mail(uk): davidb@inmos.co.uk or ukc!inmos!davidb Bristol, England | (us): uunet!inmos.com!davidb +44 454 616616 ex 547 | Internet: davidb@inmos.com