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Optimization for PowerPC processor?

Optimization for PowerPC processor?

Questions and Answers : Macintosh : Optimization for PowerPC processor?
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Profile Alan Ng

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Message 15340 - Posted: 24 Aug 2005, 16:17:32 UTC
Last modified: 24 Aug 2005, 16:23:54 UTC

I currently run CPDN on my Windows machine. I'd be interested in starting it up on my Macs if the CP science application is available in a version optimized to take advantage of the PowerPC processor. Einstein@Home and SETI@Home both have Mac-optimized programs that run 2-3 times faster than the non-optimized versions. So I've been running those projects on my Macs, but my heart lies more with CPDN...

Has anyone done optimization (compiled using Altivec features of the PowerPC processor) for CPDN? Is it already optimized for that? Is the CPDN application doing math that would gain at all from Altivec features?

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Les Bayliss
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Message 15380 - Posted: 25 Aug 2005, 22:02:31 UTC

It's very unlikely that there will be optimised versions for the Mac.
In fact Carl has said that they may have to drop support for the Mac due to lack of resources.
The two of them are hard pressed to get the next experiments up and running, along with trouble shooting the current Windows / Linux versions.
The only Mac they have is a slow laptop, which apparently takes 6 months to complete a model for testing, and Mac users are only about 2% of the total systems.

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Profile Alan Ng

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Message 15382 - Posted: 25 Aug 2005, 22:21:40 UTC - in response to Message 15380.  

&gt; It's very unlikely that there will be optimised versions for the Mac.
&gt; In fact Carl has said that they may have to drop support for the Mac due to
&gt; lack of resources.
&gt; The two of them are hard pressed to get the next experiments up and running,
&gt; along with trouble shooting the current Windows / Linux versions.
&gt; The only Mac they have is a slow laptop, which apparently takes 6 months to
&gt; complete a model for testing, and Mac users are only about 2% of the total
&gt; systems.
&gt;

Thanks for the insights, and sorry to hear that. The old chicken-egg conundrum: It's safe to presume that only 2% of current CPDN machines are Mac (disproportionately low considering market share) because CPDN is currently Mac-unfriendly. The performance gain from working Macs in to CPDN would be disproportionately high, since Macs are on average newer and more powerful (if the app is optimized for PowerPC) per machine relative to home Windows machines.


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Questions and Answers : Macintosh : Optimization for PowerPC processor?

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