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Slim Binaries The traditional path to software portability among various hardware platforms takes a new turn with the use of slim binaries. T he power of computers has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. Not only has the performance of processors risen continuously from one generation to the next and from architecture to architecture, but the interval between these performance steps has also been shrinking steadily. Unfortunately, computer users often cannot take immediate advantage of these improvements, as they are working with software optimized for earlier processor generations. (Consider 16-bit software running on 32-bit processors). The heightened frequency of new processor releases makes it increasingly difficult for software suppliers to furnish adequate program updates in a timely manner. Even then, software is usually tailored only toward the most common implementation of an architecture. For cost reasons and to avoid user confusion, manufacturers do not ordinarily provide separate versions of their programs for different members of a processor family. At present, we are witnessing a potentially more disruptive transition than the mere appearance of yet another generation of an established processor architecture. Major computer manufacturers are embracing RISC as their new technology platform, although they have a large
Communications of the ACM – Association for Computing Machinery
Published: Dec 1, 1997
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