Re: J4 - presentation/discussion on "Future of the COBOL Standard"

On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:32:26 -0700 (PDT), Richard <riplin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:

>On Mar 19, 2:34 pm, Robert <n...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>
>> Lots of muddled thinking on numeric ....
>
>> Cowlishaw accidentally overlooks the fact that every Intel x86
processor/FPU made since
>> 1980 has sup****ted 17 digit hardware decimal floating point.
>
>And none more muddled than yours, Robert.
>
>No, it was the x86, it was the x87. In 1980 Intel was producing the
>8086 and 8088. These did not provide what you claim, the 8087 did.
>Even the much later 80286, 80386 and 80486SX did not sup****t this as
>they required an appropriate 80x87.
>
>So your '_every_ Intel x86 .. since 1980' is wrong and simply more
>misinformation.

I said processor/FPU, meaning the pair. The FPU was moved to the CPU
package beginning
with the 80486 (1989). 

>The '17 digit hardware decimal floating point' is also wrong and is
>misinformation.
>
>The x87 does sup****t 17 digit packed decimal _fixed_ point.
>
>The x87 does sup****t hardware floating point.
>
>You have these muddled up.

Whoops, you are right, decimal is fixed point.