You're right, I think; compilers, machine code, operating systems, every single part of the computer down to the silicon (really, understanding the germanium do

You're right, I think; compilers, machine code, operating systems, every single part of the computer down to the silicon (really, understanding the germanium doping that allow the transistors to work) including the electrical engineering, then the physics, and even chemistry that allows it to happen—that's really all part of the "full stack. I think the problem is that people avoid these things because they think that they are complex. I'd argue that they are not: it's just that the SW ecosystem commonly used in practice is all too bloated which may create this impression. (HW as well, compare x86 with something nice, for example MIPS :-)) Many people would probably be surprised how small and simple can many useful things actually be. (Also, I have a growing suspicion that the complexity of the current HW/SW ecosystem is partly driven by their independent development, and partly by having to implement legacy stuff - case in point, you need a complex GPR allocator to generate efficient x86 code, and you need complex register-renaming HW in the CPU to actually process x86 code quickly. Simply raising the GPR count and redesigning the ISA would alleviate both sources of complexity. I'm growing increasingly fond of all those 1970's/1980's actual "full-stack" projects.) Oh, and what computers use germanium doping? I'm not conversant with current technological processes, but the last time I checked, most microelectronic components used mono-crystalline silicon for bulk stuff, SiO2 for insulation, aluminum or copper for wiring, and P, In, As, Ga etc. for channel dopants. Is there some new heterogeneous SiGe technology in use that I'm not aware of?