Empty look at my first post and tell me what I call the Registers, it certainly does NOT say General next to the G4 Registers.
And you'll notice that I wasn't wrong even slightly... There is a difference between not putting down all the facts and making them up :-p
As for MMX, not they are 64bit ... however they can use all formats, the most common is using them as Float Registers; however they are capable of using 64bit Integers as well.
I can quote directly from the PDF from Intel about them if you wish.
Same goes for the fact of the name.
Why do you think x86/i386 versions of Linux are often refered to as IA-32 and IA-64; just for fun :-p
IA-64 and x86-64 models are seriously different beasties though, which the next version of Windows is going to show this quite aptly.
anyways, i386 just denote the Specification.
It's like the current Shader Models that Microsoft release.
They release the specifications, Registers, Instructions required, etc... but it is just a Specification, not a Design.
Although the x86-32 AMD (K6/K6-2/K6-3/Althon/Duron/AthlonXP Series) achieve the same as the IA-32 (Pentium/PentiumPro/PentiumMMX/Pentium2/Pentium3/Pentium4 Series) they're designs are totally different.
AMD are still working from the IBM Compatible x86 Model
Intel are working from thier *new* Alpha Model
and yes the name is close to Sparc Alpha, but as it is called Intel Alpha not just Alpha, it gets around the copyright issue.
Perhaps confusing to someone who is deep within the computer market, but to what, 80-90% of the market, they've never even heard of the Sparc let along know what thier processor is called.
All the documentation is freely available for you to checkout if you don't believe me on any of it. Intel's 5 PDF (over 340pages) of explaination, history and specifications are all on thier site.
It's a major read but if you want to understand the full story then worth it.
The main reason behind the model name change from x86 to Intel Alpha was because IBM actually own the name x86, and any processor created under that name IBM own the copyright to.
Pentium is the friendly name, Intel Alpha is classification name.
Just like the G4 is just an IBM PowerPC 603, can't remember the spec of the G5 think it's a 620 but i'd have to look it up again.
As I said though they're just friendly names not class types or dev names.
Hell the Playstation 2's is called the Emotion Processor, but to Toshiba is better known as the TX79/02. I can even tell you the new name and specs of the Emotion Engine 2 Processor.
I think it's weird to give them names like this, as if somehow it means that what goes into a PS2 is any different than what goes into a SkyDigital box, but whatever.
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