Re: end of x86 & x64?
In the 1970s I worked on ICL System4 mainframes which were IBM360 instruction set compatible - the big difference between the two was the System4 had 4 sets of registers (one for each processor "state") which avoided the save / restore overhead when switching context. Quite clever.
I think the real problem is that while many architectures and implementations were explored around 50 years ago most were too slow / expensive given the hardware technologies of the time - they seem to have been forgotten.
Perhaps the old stuff should be dusted off and considered again.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
