On Apr 5, 1:51=A0pm, Robert <n...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:50:39 -0600, Howard Brazee <how...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrot=
e:
> >On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:13:23 -0600, Robert <n...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> >>You thought that because 'everyone knows' binary fractions are
inaccurat=
e. Some refuse to
> >>believe the number is an integer, not a fraction. That was my whole
poin=
t -- we could have
> >>been storing currency amounts (dollars/pounds/zlotnys and cents) in
bina=
ry all along. We
> >>never needed packed decimal. It was an IBM sales gimmick, and it
worked.=
You never had to use Pounds Shillings and Pence then.
In many cases systems progressed from unit record equipment onto the
new fangled computers, with hybrid systems in between. Univac 1004,
IBM 1401, ICL 1500 (not the later Singer/Cogar). Some of these were
BCD machines and the data tapes were written with this format.
> It was an IBM sales gimmick, and it worked.
It wasn't a 'gimmick', that is merely your usual ad hominem agianst
IBM and mainframes, it was required to maintain data transfer with
older equipment still in use and was, in fact, faster when there was a
mix of IO and computation.
> >Packed decimal was never marketed as a Need. =A0 It was marketed as an
> >efficiency option. =A0 Saving space used to be a significant cost
> >factor. =A0
>
> Binary takes 20% less space in memory.
and decimal takes around 100% more (on many machines).
> > Also, packed decimal was (and is) significantly quicker in
> >when the application wants Display and computational use of the same
> >number.
>
> Why was it used when the application did not need both formats, which
was =
most of the
> time?
>
> >>If they did it in binary and got right answers, people would find out.
T=
hen the decimal
> >>ruse would be discredited.
>
> >Most of us never saw a "ruse". =A0 Probably this was because we
> >understood what packed-decimal was all about and made our choices
> >accordingly. =A0
>
> If you all truly understood what packed was all about, you all wouldn't
ha=
ve used it.
Some machines were decimal only, some also used BCD. Personally I
preferred S1(23) SYNC RIGHT.
> >We also don't have our identity tied into understanding everything -
> >so when we do find that we had a misunderstanding, we don't need to
> >find someone to blame for trying to fool us.
>
> The brave new world would be better if people could just get along.
Pointi=
ng out mistakes
> is against social harmony, thus antisocial.
You may have had a point if they were pointing out actual mistakes and
not simply rants and ad hominem attacks against IBM, mainframers and
anyone not fatuously fawning over your 'superior' evaluations.
> A soma 'holiday' will relieve bad memories and
> insure social stabilization.
|
