From: Tom Pollard <tomp@...>
Date: 2007-01-24T12:12:59+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby for massively multi-core chips?


On Jan 23, 2007, at 10:57 AM, M. Edward (Ed) Borasky wrote:
> I think it's time I posted my "we've been here before" rant about  
> concurrency and massively parallel computers on my blog. :) For  
> starters, do a Google search for the writings of Dr. John  
> Gustafson, who is now a senior researcher at Sun Microsystems. :)

SUN'S GUSTAFSON ON ENVISIONING HPC ROADMAPS FOR THE FUTURE
http://www.taborcommunications.com/hpcwire/hpcwireWWW/ 
05/0114/109060.html

[...]
You may recall that Sun acquired the part of Cray that used to be  
Floating Point Systems. When I was at FPS in the 1980s, I managed the  
development of a machine called the FPS-164/MAX, where MAX stood for  
Matrix Algebra Accelerator. It was a general scientific computer with  
special-purpose hardware optimized for matrix multiplication (hence,  
dense matrix factoring as well). One of our field analysts, a well- 
read guy named Ed Borasky, pointed out to me that our architecture  
had precedent in this machine developed a long time ago in Ames,  
Iowa. He showed me a collection of original papers reprinted by Brian  
Randell, and when I read Atanasoff's monograph I just about fell off  
my chair. It was a SIMD architecture, with 30 multiply-add units  
operating in parallel. The FPS-164/MAX used 31 multiply-add units,  
made with Weitek parts that were about a billion times faster than  
vacuum tubes, but the architectural similarity was uncanny. It gave  
me a new respect for historical computers, and Atanasoff's work in  
particular. And I realized I shouldn't have been such a cynic about  
the historical display at Iowa State.
[...]

I can see why you're a fan. ;-)

Tom