[cctalk] Re: mainframe vs mini

[Paul Koning via cctalk]

> On Mar 12, 2023, at 3:01 AM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> 
> wrote:
> 
> On 3/11/23 14:34, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
>> On 3/11/23 13:28, Paul Koning wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> Dijkstra said as much when he evaluated the 1620 for possible use by the TU 
>>> Eindhoven -- a big problem is that it was unable to handle arbitrary 8-bit 
>>> data.
>> 
> 
> Perhaps I need to elaborate on my earlier response for those not
> familiar with the 1620.
> ...
> There is no stack,but there is a single register that holds a single
> return address when a Branch-and-transmit instruction is executed.
> There is a single instruction that branches to the location held in that
> register; the register itself is not addressable.
> ...
> Hope this provides some background for what irked Dijkgstra.

Dijkstra's review can be seen here: 
https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/ewd00xx/EWD37.PDF

        paul