10.08.2005
Floating Point Intelligence and Speed
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In response to Tomas' (Finland) question on reaction time and responsiveness of the Windows OS as opposed to a hypothetical device of infinite capability, the limiting factors appear to reside within the floating point characteristics of the particular microprocessor.
Therefore, this measure is a user defined constraint. The user can change their clockspeed most effectively by swapping out hardware or getting a new machine. The later PC's feature microprocessors that produce measures out to 6 to 9 decimal places (microsecond to nanosecond)...
So, to get the most accurate statistical measure of you reaction, you'll want to go with the faster processors and, therefore newer and more capable machines. I guess this is good news for Intel and others concerned with product lifecycle (PLC).
Therefore, this measure is a user defined constraint. The user can change their clockspeed most effectively by swapping out hardware or getting a new machine. The later PC's feature microprocessors that produce measures out to 6 to 9 decimal places (microsecond to nanosecond)...
So, to get the most accurate statistical measure of you reaction, you'll want to go with the faster processors and, therefore newer and more capable machines. I guess this is good news for Intel and others concerned with product lifecycle (PLC).
