The easiest (if not perhaps the cheapest) solution is virtualisation. Use VMWare ESXi/VMWare Server/Xen or Qemu. Alternatively if you have more cash, run VMWare Workstation which includes the ability to record the state of a machine and then play it backwards to track down especially tricky bugs.
On 25/07/2011, Tomas Vavrys <vav...@cleancode.cz> wrote: > Well, I haven't chosen word "break" wisely, instead I meant "I don't > want to reinstall my PC for work (different OS). I rather need new pc > for my personal use at home. > > Anyway, thank you for your responses. I have got a better picture now > and as Nick said I will try several architectures, my original > intention was to learn more about microprocessors at low level. > > 2011/7/25 Nick Holland <n...@holland-consulting.net>: >> On 07/24/11 07:27, Tomas Vavrys wrote: >>> Hello, >>> >>> I am looking for a new cheap PC for assembly learning purposes, >>> because I don't want to break my current workstation. >>> >>> I was thinking about >>> > http://www.tekmote.nl/epages/61504599.sf/nl_NL/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61504599/Pr > oducts/CFL-006 >>> >>> but I am a little bit worried about current status "All on-board >>> devices are supported, but the framebuffer is currently limited to the >>> 640x400x8 video mode set up by the firmware." What is the status in >>> -current at the moment? >>> >>> This device will be used only for my learning purposes. I would like >>> to jump on C and compilers later. Is it better to start with RISC or >>> CISC? Should I buy rather x86? >> >> "yes" >> >> I'm assuming you mean "assembly language", not putting hardware >> together... >> >> If so, what's your purpose? B Learning a particular assembly language? >> In which case, you get a machine of the exact type you plan to be coding >> for. >> >> If you are after the more generic "learning microprocessors at a low >> level", you need SEVERAL, really. B Its a bit like learning a human >> language, I suspect (while I learned many different processors Way Back >> When, I'm hopelessly monolingual in the human world, but I've heard >> multi-lingual people tell me this) -- Learn one, you know one barely. >> Learn two, the third and later come quickly and easily, and you learn a >> lot more about your first. >> >> The good news is you don't need to buy new hardware. B For anything you >> are likely to do for the near term, the slowest processor will assemble >> code and run rapidly for you. >> >> So, get yourself a PII or PIII for x86, a sparc and a sparc64, an amd64 >> system (this one you probably have to pay for), and a mac68k (we're >> bringing that port back. B I don't think I can fully answer "why"). >> >> Nick.
