Truth (was: Hi, I'm new...

[Tony Duell]

> Tony is just pulling your leg.  Some sort of newbie hazing?
> The reality is that the CPU runs on compressed magic smoke.
> Proof of that is that during some kinds of electrical problems,
> the magic smoke can leak out, and it never works quite right
> after the magic smoke leaks out.

But doesn't that apply to all electronic components, not just CPUs? 
Certainly the resistor I was using earlier today stopped working after 
the magic smoke came out (so I assume said smoke is what made it work).

[...]

> BTW2, the biggest appeal (AND reason to hate) 386 level machines,
> is that they are the oldest, slowest, and simplest machines that
> are instruction set compatible with most of the modern software.
> It is fun to watch Windoze run on a 386.  Kinda like turning the
> crankshaft of a partially disassembled engine, and watching the
> interrelationships of the parts moving.  Watching it in "slow

Or to make it on-topic here, turning an ASR33 over by hand. For anyone 
who has such a machine, or any other mechancial teleprinter, I strongly 
recoemnd doing this.

> motion" is a good way to find portions of the code that need to
> be optimized.

Indeed. 

-tony