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View Full Version : A Processor Based on Probability?



Shibblet
October 6th, 2010, 07:37 PM
http://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2010/08/probabilistic-processors-possibly-potent.ars

kevin11951
October 6th, 2010, 08:18 PM
I wonder what applications this would have on networking... Faster packet filtering perhaps? Imagine a day when 10Gbps is considered "like dial-up speeds".

Lucradia
October 6th, 2010, 10:53 PM
I believe Intel is already working on this concept.

NMFTM
October 6th, 2010, 11:05 PM
I wonder though, will something like this ever make it to the consumer market? I'm guessing not. Because we're still stuck to an architecture that has to be 100% backwards compatible with the original x86 architecture that's about 30 years old (not that that's all bad) and that at least still uses binary logic. This thing is entirely different.

lisati
October 6th, 2010, 11:09 PM
The idea is vaguely reminiscent of an analogue computer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_computer).

nerdopolis
October 6th, 2010, 11:11 PM
Can Linux run (be ported) on this processor? x86,sparc,alpha,ppc,cell,arm,68k processors all are binary based as far as I'm aware...

Dustin2128
October 6th, 2010, 11:13 PM
now all we need is a propulsion system...

cpmman
October 6th, 2010, 11:20 PM
It's been done - see Infinite Improbability Drive (www.earthstar.co.uk/drive.htm)

Noz3001
October 6th, 2010, 11:23 PM
Can Linux run (be ported) on this processor? x86,sparc,alpha,ppc,cell,arm,68k processors all are binary based as far as I'm aware...

If you can get gcc on there, I'd assume so

Shibblet
October 7th, 2010, 12:58 AM
I wonder though, will something like this ever make it to the consumer market? I'm guessing not. Because we're still stuck to an architecture that has to be 100% backwards compatible with the original x86 architecture that's about 30 years old (not that that's all bad) and that at least still uses binary logic. This thing is entirely different.

Hey! I love my serial port mouse. :p