|
"Undocumented Feature" (2/16/98)
|
 
|
| | |
Another day, another Pentium flaw. But this one's a little different-- it doesn't just affect the Pentium, but every x86-based chip in existence. A Newsbytes article reports that a company called "Intelligent Firmware" has uncovered a serious performance bug that could slow down an x86-based chip by as much as 70%. A full description of the problem, as well as a demonstration, is available at Intelligent Firmware's web site.
Apparently the bug is triggered when a large amount of data is read into the processor at once-- which is, unfortunately, exactly the way that Intel tells programmers to do it. A workaround appears to be to read in the data in nonsequential chunks. Programmers can rework their code with this method and avoid the performance hit. If the bug had been documented early on, then compilers for the x86 could have used the same workaround.
The interesting thing is, this flaw actually makes us at AtAT more impressed with Intel. I mean, we're certainly not electrical engineers or anything, but everything we've seen indicated that Intel's done a hell of a job squeezing every last teensy bit of performance possible out of its antiquated x86 architecture. (Remember how the RISC-based PowerPC was supposed to completely smoke the CISC-based Pentium? The fact that it's taken this long to really start happening is a testament to Intel's genius.) So now we find out that in many cases those Pentiums are actually running slower than they should be? Hmm. That's mighty impressive indeed. Of course, we suppose it'd be more impressive if the bug weren't there in the first place, but hey.
| |
| |
 |
SceneLink (458)
|  |
 |
|
And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
| | | |
|
| |
|
 | | The above scene was taken from the 2/16/98 episode: February 16, 1998: One of the shadowy figures eyeing the CEO spot is caught for a fleeting second in a searchlight beam, and revealed to be a certain VP at IBM; could he be scheming to send Steve packing? Meanwhile, Scott McNealy doesn't quit his day job but jokes about the Netscape takeover rumors anyway, and yet another Pentium bug rears its ugly head...
Other scenes from that episode: 456: I Stay, He Goes (2/16/98) Just days after Apple officially stated that there was "no news to report" on the CEO search (despite a Heidrick & Struggles exec saying that an appointment was likely within 30-45 days), Mac OS Rumors comes through with the rumor that heading up Apple's short list is James A... 457: From the Home Office... (2/16/98) The rumors of Sun's imminent buyout of Netscape continue to spread unabated, despite a certain CEO's recent foray into stand-up comedy. According to a CNET article, Scott "Just Call Me Letterman" McNealy had a top-ten list of his own, which he unveiled at a Churchill Club dinner a few days ago...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
|
|
