[Discuss] Unix date beyond 2057

[Deryk Barker]

John Blomfield wrote:
..........
> Back in the 1960's I used a Ferranti computer with a 40 bit CPU and 
> then an ICL with 48 bit words.  I was most disappointed when this was 
> replaced by an IBM 7090/94 with 32 bit words 
Actually I think you'll find it was 36.
> but this was soon replaced by a CDC 6600 and 7600 with 60 bit words.
Ah the CDC6600! The first superscalar architecture: well ahead of its 
time. BTW which ICL machine was that? The 1900 series was a 24-bit 
machine, the 2900 was 32.
> According to Wikipedia,
>
> "IBM System 370, could be considered the first rudimentary 128-bit 
> computer as it used 128-bit floating point registers."
Put not thy trust in Wikipedia....:-)
>
> It all gets a bit confusing because sometimes references are to memory 
> word length and sometimes to integer registers in the CPU and 
> sometimes to floating point arithmetic units.  In 32 bit CPU machines 
> greater precision is achieved with software at the cost of speed.
Which has always been an option. The 'bit'ness of a CPU should always 
refer to the (integer) register length. Anything else is obfuscation.