From: Robert Feldt <feldt@...>
Date: 2004-08-22T15:56:57+09:00
Subject: Re: ruby, actors, continuations, Kernel#callcc


>BTW: Since you mentioned FPGAs (and yes, I think FPGAs represent the 
>future of high performance computing since they allow you to map 
>compuationally intensive algorithms into hardware for maximum performance 
>[though, we still need better tools for mapping the algorithms]), you 
>might be interested in the $99 Spartan III starter kit from Xilinx 
>(http://www.xilinx.com) - it includes a board with a 200K gate FPGA and 
>software for programming it.  I just got mine today and am looking 
>forward to playing with it (tinker toys for adults ;-) - it's amazing 
>that you can get something like that now for $99, I recall working 
>on an ASIC back in '89 that only had 2K gates and it wasn't 
>reprogrammable.  Back then a 200K ASIC would have been a very high-end 
>design done by a large company with tens of thousands (if not hundreds of 
>thousands) of dollars worth of workstations and design tools and FPGAs 
>were only just becoming available with maybe 1K gates.  
>
>  
>
Tell me you're planning a Ruby2FPGA compiler! Talk about edge vs other 
langs... :)

/Robert