25 Dec
2004
25 Dec
'04
9:08 p.m.
How many computers (automatic, electronic, digital,
stored-program, etc) used an odd number of bits?
Marginally before my time, but I
understand that the Elliot 803
used a 39-bit word - there were some very weird word sizes around then.
I've used machines with word sizes of 8,12,16,24,32,36, and 60 bits - and
written an assembler for a machine with differing code and data word sizes.
Were any of them not signed-magnitude? Eg. odd number of bits
2's complement?
Don't know about the 803 - suspect it was 2s complement. On
even word sizes
I have come across all 3 "normal" representations for the sign. (CDC 1s
complement, most fixed point 2s complement, some floating-point
sign/magnitude)