(Complex Instruction Set Computer) Pronounced "sisk." The traditional architecture of a computer which uses microcode to execute very comprehensive instructions. Instructions may be variable in length and use all addressing modes, requiring complex circuitry to decode them. Contrast with RISC.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- NVIDIA responds to Intel's Larrabee GPU
- NVIDIA responds to Intel's Larrabee GPUCISC and RISC.I have wondered how Intel proposed to scale their CISC x86 instruction set up to more than a few cores. They can only do this by reducing the complexity of each core, and use less transistors. That means dropping all the clever stuff...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-13
- RPG, PHP, and history
- RPG, PHP, and historyIf it works for you, use it - but it doesnt work for me.If it works for you, and especially if it has an elegant simplicity, then go for it.However,[i]So what’s the model? simple: business applications are user interfaces to business data.[/i]I think that in many cases...
- Discussion threads 2008-04-28
- The view from stupid
- The view from stupidWhen and how to explainI recall from the Comment that you refused to provide full explanations, in Comment or TalkBack because you would have required too much time and space. (Paraphrasing.)As at that time, I'll observe that assertions must be supportable, by data or by logic....
- Discussion threads 2008-04-24
- Ethanol from corn: does it need a subsidy?
- Ethanol from corn: does it need a subsidy?Mod -1: Off topicThis is sound byte journalism. Are you just hoping for ill-informed rants that you can confuse with actual interest in a subject? This has almost nothing to do with energy consumption as it related to IT. How...
- Discussion threads 2007-10-29
- AMD's Barcelona pitch: Contradictions that reflect today's gearmaker conundrum?
- AMD's Barcelona pitch: Contradictions that reflect today's gearmaker conundrum?New Power Metric: Average CPU Power ACP[url=http://www.betanews.com/article/Barcelona_AMD_Unveils_New_Power_Metric_for_CPUs/1189423401]FYI[/url]"true quad core" designation moot.Intel has a single chip with 4 cores, so it is a quad core. How the 4 cores are connected is an implementation detail. It is functionally equivalent to AMD's...
- Discussion threads 2007-09-10
- The state of Unix
- The state of UnixHistory strikes once againThe problem seems to me to be the fact that Solaris has primarily been a server OS running on dedicated hardware. Linux has, for some years now, been available as a desktop OS running on general hardware.That difference is enough to explain the difference...
- Discussion threads 2007-06-18
- Despite its aging design, the x86 is still in charge
- Despite its aging design, the x86 is still in chargeOld techologyIt is time for the x86 to go away and this stagnant pool to move on but the el-cheapo business solutions will continue to push them.For a transition, how about keeping ONE core that has all of the legacey,and the...
- Discussion threads 2007-04-03
- Inside the belly of the benchmark debate
- Inside the belly of the benchmark debateConsumer Reports.They do this for a living and seem to know how to make a profit at it. They already review TV's and stereo equipment how much of a stretch would it be to add PCs? And of course that's what real...
- Discussion threads 2007-03-19
- HP's blade strategist: IBM's a tantrum child that's about to get egg on its face?
- HP's blade strategist: IBM's a tantrum child that's about to get egg on its face?King Kong is going downNodoubt that Fichera of HP should be telling the truth.However there is no doubt that King Kong IBM is a spent force. Currently consulting which is maintaining IT departments of major companies...
- Discussion threads 2007-02-09
- Six things the techpress isn't talking about
- Six things the techpress isn't talking aboutits because of bloggers like you for right to free speech being curtailedAll your previous articles have shown ample evidence.With every freedom comes a responsibility.However because of a few its the rest who have to suffer the consequences as well. eg take the...
- Discussion threads 2007-01-24
- MacTel: 22 Kits, 161 patches - so far
- MacTel: 22 Kits, 161 patches - so farRudy , for once...I am inclined to agree with you. I am not so sure aboutthe reason for ditching IBM's p970 chips. Although power consumption was touted as a reason when you look at the dataon IBM's website regarding the power statistics you...
- Discussion threads 2007-01-11
- Polaris Points the Way to Terascale Computing
- Polaris Points the Way to Terascale ComputingPotential for AI?Just think - if you could service that with huge amounts of the NAND memory you talked about earlier and drop the assembly into an iPod sized container - can a real Robbie the Robot be far behind? Seriously, when designs like...
- Discussion threads 2006-12-20
- "HP promises Unix improvements" uhuh
- "HP promises Unix improvements" uhuhHP-UX -- End of Life?Although HP-UX support on PA-RISC has been marked for end-of-life,I don't believe that HP has announced that HP-UX's death is imminent. Can you provide a reference?There are some advantages of getting your hardware and software from the same vendor. ...
- Discussion threads 2006-12-07
- IBM's Power6 gets help with math, multimedia
- IBM's Power6 gets help with math, multimediaCan't count to 10.It only counts to 9 ... 0 to 9, not 1 to 10. :) Still, it's an interesting way to go with processors.here comes Skynet!if a computer can do 2+(2*3-10/2.5)/2 without a binary conversion, then it's not much longer...
- Discussion threads 2006-10-10
- Intel to extend x86 for new tasks
- Intel to extend x86 for new tasksAMD's got the integrated mem controller - so there.The integrated memory controller is the real breakthrough of the millenium. This AMD invention coupled with their other invention of 64bits rivals even Apple's supreme invention of the color white.just propoganda or beta me thisbla bla...
- Discussion threads 2006-09-27
- Intel to sell new Itanium servers
- Intel to sell new Itanium serversNot a minute too soon....I didn't realize that Itanium was still around .... What took Intel so long to wake up and realize that it botched Itanium so badly and go back to start to work on it again? SGI to the fall in the...
- Discussion threads 2006-09-22
- AMD's CTO says Intel messed up
- AMD's CTO says Intel messed upDid Phil come clean?".. commercial space, and there are others in the works...but it's an area where historically we were not stronger..."I thought it was because Intel had a gun to the OEM's head? That it was not about AMD's having uncompetitive solutions?Yikes.. more..."..There's been...
- Discussion threads 2006-09-22
- Is IT IS?
- Is IT IS?Same story, different departments..I know I have said it many times before but I'll repeat it again. There is nothing special about computing and technical minded people need to learn to stop expecting it to be.What do I mean by that? Tech based people tend to...
- Discussion threads 2006-09-05
- Dempsey, Woodcrest, and the G5 Mac
- Dempsey, Woodcrest, and the G5 MacReger, your bias is showing.You know, often you have a valid point, but it's hard to take seriously when you do things like saying "InHell". Just makes you seem like a ranting basher and little else.*I* would not have picked AMD.While Murph points out...
- Discussion threads 2006-08-28
- Sparc-on-Intel translator due in weeks
- Sparc-on-Intel translator due in weeksIt HAS to be easierto go from RISC to CISC. The opposite would not be quite so easy.
- Discussion threads 2006-08-18
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