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Xref: sserve comp.sys.powerpc:30652 comp.sys.intel:26967 comp.os.misc:3579 comp.unix.bsd:15727 comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit:7883 comp.unix.sys5.r4:8927 comp.unix.misc:15259 comp.os.linux.development:21740 comp.os.linux.misc:32354 comp.os.linux.misc:32355 comp.os.386bsd.development:2901 comp.os.386bsd.misc:4544 Newsgroups: comp.sys.powerpc,comp.sys.intel,comp.os.misc,comp.unix.bsd,comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit,comp.unix.sys5.r4,comp.unix.misc,comp.os.linux.development,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.386bsd.development,comp.os.386bsd.misc Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mira.net.au!otis.apana.org.au!serval.net.wsu.edu!news.clark.edu!spool.mu.edu!agate!sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk!uknet!festival!edcogsci!richard From: richard@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Richard Tobin) Subject: Re: Interested in PowerPC for Linux / FreeBSD / NetBSD? Message-ID: <D16ony.K5z@cogsci.ed.ac.uk> Organization: HCRC, University of Edinburgh References: <3cphs0$l6e@ddi2.digital.net> <stephenkD0vyyn.1GG@netcom.com> <D12MGt.1L9@tyrell.net> Date: Wed, 21 Dec 1994 23:16:45 GMT Lines: 17 In article <D12MGt.1L9@tyrell.net> john@tyrell.net (John A. Matzen) writes: >If a bank is using the FPU to do numerical calculations, they could be loosing >hundreds of pennies every day due to rounding errors. It doesn't matter >how many digits of precision the FPU is using. Sorry to be rude, but this is just drivel. IEEE floating point is guaranteed (when correctly implemented!) to be exact for operations such as addition on integers up to 53 (?) bits. Floating point isn't just any old approximation; it's a well-defined approximation that can be safely used by people who understand it (except on Pentiums). -- Richard -- Satan himself, in a sermon preached from the pulpit of North Berwick church, comforted his many servants by assuring them that no harm could befall them "sa lang as their hair wes on, an sould newir latt ane teir fall fra thair ene". - J G Frazer, The Golden Bough