From: Ruth Ivimey-Cook (ruthc_at_email.domain.hidden)
Date: 2000-09-22 14:25:34
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At 13:30 22/09/00 +0100, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite cite>} In my opinion, garbage collection is an efficiency mechanism.<br>
} Conclusion (assuming I remembered correctly that the proof can be done):<br>
} if you are not bothered with performance, use a garbage collector,<br>
} and save on memory budget, use virtual memory as well.<br>
} <br>
} if you are bothered with performance, buy twice as much memory, and<br>
} do not use a garbage collector, nor virtual memory. Simply, use<br>
} enough memory.<br>
Yes, I agree...<br>
<br>
The temptation to attach every bell and whistle is a strong one. <br>
But that problem becomes an opportunity when you remember that<br>
implies that the niche of clean, understandable simplicity is<br>
almost unoccupied.<br>
Larry</blockquote><br>
I am slightly worried by this view. The experience of many ARM customers, working in the embedded space, is that memory is definitely not cheap. The reasons are:<br>
<br>
1. What memory you have must be on-chip with the processor, which mostly limits it to small quantities of SRAM and slightly larger quantities of ROM or EPROM.<br>
<br>
2. The cost of many consumer items is a multiple of the manufacturing cost. That is, if it costs $5 to build, it costs $50 at the retailer (and that is perhaps understating the multiple). Consequently, adding a $10 DRAM to a design is not an option -- it would add $100 to the selling price.<br>
<br>
3. Items like mobile phones typically have huge memory requirements -- 3-5MB ROMS is not unusual, and RAM is also needed in large quantity. And yet if you look inside these devices you find only a couple of chips. Doubling the physical space required for memory is not possible -- it doesn't fit.<br>
<br>
I believe there should be a garbage collection scheme added to occam. It is a great language for many things, but it is let down in areas which people care about intensely.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Ruth<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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