I like thinking about idealized practical computers, and projects like MMIX are particularly special, even if they don't hold any popularity, since they're not

I like thinking about idealized practical computers, and projects like MMIX are particularly special, even if they don't hold any popularity, since they're not just a random hacker's design, but one as envisioned by some of the biggest names of a certain generation of computing. The companion Virtual Motherboard suggests a future era where it might be realized as a "real" application platform.