From: clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP   
      
   On 2025-10-03, Arne Vajhøj  wrote:   
   > On 10/3/2025 8:12 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:   
   >> On 2025-10-02, Dan Cross  wrote:   
   >>> In article ,   
   >>> David Goodwin   wrote:   
   >>>> Set top boxes and routers were not the target market for Windows in the   
   >>>> 90s, and they are clearly not a market Microsoft is interested in   
   >>>> pursuing today.   
   >>>   
   >>> Moreover, 99.9% of those MIPS CPUs that are outselling x86 are   
   >>> embedded microcontrollers that just happen to use the MIPS   
   >>> instruction set.  If they run any OS at all, it's way more than   
   >>> likely to be some kind of RTOS.   
   >>   
   >> Here is one example at the lower end (which is also available in hobbyist   
   >> friendly packaging):   
   >>   
   >> https://uk.farnell.com/microchip/pic32mx250f128b-i-sp/mcu-32b   
   t-pic32-40mhz-spdip-28/dp/2097773   
   >   
   > I think this part of the spec illustrate the target market:   
   >   
   >   
   > MIPS32® M4K® core with MIPS16e® mode for up to 40% smaller code size   
   >   
   >   
   > Switching to 16 bit mode to reduce application size is not where   
   > Microsoft is with Windows today.   
   >   
      
   As you can see from the specs, and like the lower end ARM MCUs, it still   
   has a lot of functionality within it however, making it well suited   
   for its target role.   
      
   It's also the most powerful MCU range I know of that has PDIP options.   
      
   I do think the ARM architecture is _easily_ the nicer and most elegant   
   architecture of the two however. ARM is also the only real viable option   
   once you move to more powerful MCUs.   
      
   [And before anyone mentions it, I don't think RISC-V is there yet and   
   it would need to see ARM's industrial strength and long-term staying   
   power behind it before people were comfortable adopting it across the   
   board. Basically, I see it as the same problem VMS has when compared   
   to Linux.]   
      
   Simon.   
      
   --   
   Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP   
   Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)