6 ms·

Your definition of computer is overly narrow. This complaint is like saying, "your model railroad doesn't expose you to the details of running a real railroad".

Your definition of computer is overly narrow. This complaint is like saying, "your model railroad doesn't expose you to the details of running a real railroad". Of course it doesn't, but that's not the point and it doesn't mean there aren't things that can be learned about "real" railroads from modeling. There is a lot to learn about how computers work from building a virtual machine like this; models and abstractions exist because it's extremely difficult to learn everything all at once.

pjmlp 5y ago
On top of that, thanks to stuff like FPGAs, such toy computers can be turned into real ones.
- jfrunyon 5y ago
  Okay. Please feel free to explain how he would do I/O on an FPGA with this code, without a VM monitor running inside another OS to do the I/O for him. While you COULD build an LC-3 with I/O - and make it a useful computer - that STILL wouldn't teach you how "a computer" (as in today's mass-produced computers) works.
  - pjmlp 5y ago
    Perfect is the enemy from good. Half way there is better that not starting at all. Hope you get the point that not everyone has to learn all the way down to electron level to understand the main ideas behind computing.
    - jfrunyon 5y ago
      When did I say it had to be perfect? All I said was that this is a CPU, not a computer. I even explicitly said that it was "a semantic nitpick". I'm sorry that you are unable to read.
jfrunyon 5y ago
Huh? No, the author's definition of computer is overly narrow. A CPU is NOT a computer. The ONLY thing he built was a CPU. I'm not sure why that's difficult to understand.
- jimktrains2 5y ago
  Considering it as (virtual) keyboard input and screen output, it sure smells like a computer. I'm not sure why you have sand in your pants over this.
  - jfrunyon 5y ago
    Where is the storage? Where is the chipset? Where is the Super IO? Where is the PCIe? Where is the USB? Where is the graphics driver (or VESA framebuffer)? Where is the network driver? Where is the ... I'm not sure why you think I have "sand in my pants" over this. I made a comment stating that this was, at best, a CPU, not computer. And then a bunch of people who apparently don't even know how their computers work disagreed. I'm not sure why you are unable to read over this. > You don't have to deal with the vagaries of USB *HCI (or the disgusting but simpler 8042 / "keyboard controller"), or the BIOS or UEFI, or interrupts, or storage, or display...

pjmlp 5y ago

On top of that, thanks to stuff like FPGAs, such toy computers can be turned into real ones.

jfrunyon 5y ago
Okay. Please feel free to explain how he would do I/O on an FPGA with this code, without a VM monitor running inside another OS to do the I/O for him. While you COULD build an LC-3 with I/O - and make it a useful computer - that STILL wouldn't teach you how "a computer" (as in today's mass-produced computers) works.
- pjmlp 5y ago
  Perfect is the enemy from good. Half way there is better that not starting at all. Hope you get the point that not everyone has to learn all the way down to electron level to understand the main ideas behind computing.
  - jfrunyon 5y ago
    When did I say it had to be perfect? All I said was that this is a CPU, not a computer. I even explicitly said that it was "a semantic nitpick". I'm sorry that you are unable to read.

jfrunyon 5y ago

Huh? No, the author's definition of computer is overly narrow. A CPU is NOT a computer. The ONLY thing he built was a CPU. I'm not sure why that's difficult to understand.

jimktrains2 5y ago
Considering it as (virtual) keyboard input and screen output, it sure smells like a computer. I'm not sure why you have sand in your pants over this.
- jfrunyon 5y ago
  Where is the storage? Where is the chipset? Where is the Super IO? Where is the PCIe? Where is the USB? Where is the graphics driver (or VESA framebuffer)? Where is the network driver? Where is the ... I'm not sure why you think I have "sand in my pants" over this. I made a comment stating that this was, at best, a CPU, not computer. And then a bunch of people who apparently don't even know how their computers work disagreed. I'm not sure why you are unable to read over this. > You don't have to deal with the vagaries of USB *HCI (or the disgusting but simpler 8042 / "keyboard controller"), or the BIOS or UEFI, or interrupts, or storage, or display...