Day of week routine

[Peter da Silva]

Charlie Geyer <charlie at mica.stat.washington.edu> in <1474 at uw-entropy.ms.washington.edu>:
> David Gibbs in article <534 at bnr-fos.UUCP> dgibbs at bcars115.UUCP:
> > nobody (but nobody) will be using piddly little 32-bit machines in 2038.

> To which Henry replies
[ pdp-8s still in use ]
> > Dream on ... :-)  The transition from 32 to 64 is going to be long
> > and painful; I predict that there will still be plenty of 32-bit
> > machines serving in secondary roles in 2038.

> What's more, the 64 bit hardware will all be running 32 bit software.
> Count on it.

2038 is nearly 50 years away. PDP-8s were a going concern 20 years ago
and still any remaining ones are hanging on by the ragged edge. Sure, you'll
still see a fair number of 32-bit machines 20 years from now, but 64-bit
machines with 64-bit software will be on the rise. In 50 years... who knows.
I really doubt if there will be *plenty* of 32-bit machines... maybe as
embedded controllers along with 8- and 16- bit micros (see, for example,
_Across Realtime_ by Vernor Vinge), but I suspect that 64-bit machines will
be on the way out.

Of course, there's always the possibility that in 50 years computing will be
done by teams of scribes. "Nuclear war can ruin your whole compile" -- Karl
Lehenbauer.
-- 
Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation.

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