Valdis.Kletnieks_at_vt.edu wrote:
<<snippety, snip>>
> Or you could go the EEPROM/CDROM route like most game consoles did. That's
> easier on the practicality side, but still isn't as flexible as a
> general-purpose PC.
Which, of course, raises the question _today_, do _most_ computer users
for _all_ their actual computer requirements _need_ a von Neumann
Architecture GP computer, or would they be better off buying a Harvard
Architecture system and their "applications" in cartridges, or similar?
The basic machine would probably be a little more expensive and the
applications might be a little more expensive, but that would be offset
by the removal of any need (even desire) to buy things like antivirus
apps, IPS, IDS, etc, etc, or ongoing costs of calling out security fix-
it guys, replacing the machine ahead of time because it was far too
riddled with crud-ware, etc, etc.
von Neaumann made it easier, quicker and therefore cheaper to develop
"complex" systems, especially given the then current hardware (and
hence performance) restrictions in the early days of computing.
Given what all those "old guys" knew way back then about what was so
terribly wrong regarding securing von neumann systems, and given they
were already obviously terribly cynical (aka "realistic") about the
likelihood of those problems being permanently addressed, why were
these issues not addressed at some point when the cost/performance
points started to be more favourable?
Regards,
Nick FitzGerald
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Received on Dec 05 2007
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