Teen Programmers Unite  
 

 

Return to forum top

Handles and Windows

Posted by DragonWolf [send private reply] at August 16, 2002, 09:58:53 AM

Am I correct in thinking that windows handles are 32-bits?

If so, I'm curious as to what happens when you open more than 2^32 windows?

Posted by Psion [send private reply] at August 16, 2002, 10:04:25 AM

I doubt you have enough RAM to support having that many windows open at once, even if each only required one byte in memory.

Posted by CodeRed [send private reply] at August 16, 2002, 12:29:00 PM

4 billion windows eh? I probably have the ram but not the time to try it, and I have a feeling XP would crap out before I got there.

Posted by CodeRed [send private reply] at August 16, 2002, 12:31:10 PM

Err... that would require 4 terabytes wouldn't it, if each window was one byte... nevermind.

Posted by gian [send private reply] at August 16, 2002, 04:15:58 PM

Cluster 4 SGI Onyx machines together and you might be able to get that many windows open (these things are the size of a fridge).

Posted by unknown_lamer [send private reply] at August 16, 2002, 05:16:40 PM

What? Four billion windows at one byte a piece = 4 GB not 4 TB.

Posted by RedX [send private reply] at August 16, 2002, 05:44:59 PM

4 billion windows... Seems M$ learned from their "640Kb is enough" mistake.

Posted by mop [send private reply] at August 16, 2002, 06:06:26 PM

You'd at least be able to handle the amount of pop-ups from tripod websites

Posted by CodeRed [send private reply] at August 17, 2002, 12:16:08 AM

"What? Four billion windows at one byte a piece = 4 GB not 4 TB"

You're right, sue me.

Posted by AnyoneEB [send private reply] at August 17, 2002, 09:03:52 AM

Anyone have a spare hard drive (say about 1TB) to use as virtual memory to test this? :)

Posted by regretfuldaydreamer [send private reply] at August 17, 2002, 11:22:01 AM

How big can RAM chips and hard disks get that you can add in to Joe Blogs Athlon or Intel computers? And what are the fastest processors you can get?

Posted by unknown_lamer [send private reply] at August 17, 2002, 02:19:43 PM

The x86 limits you to 4GB of virtual memory. You can get around this like the Linux kernel does by using "bounce back buffers" to the regions of memory over 4GB (basically you lose a few hundred MB of memory IIRC that the kernel will use when it switches some frame pointer to the higher memory regions and then copies it to the lower ones). But there is no way an x86 will ever support 16TB of memory. Now, the x86-64 can do that because its pointers are 64-bits (same for the IA-64). I want me an Opteron!

Posted by CodeRed [send private reply] at August 17, 2002, 02:53:49 PM

I've seen a quad opteron board with 16 DIMM sockets. The fastest (commercial) processor right now is the 800mhz test Clawhammer from AMD, it benches higher than a P4 overclocked to 2.53 gigahertz, just imagine how fast the the 2gig one that they will release in a few months will be.

Posted by CaffAddict [send private reply] at August 18, 2002, 03:37:48 AM

Well, 64 bit Apache's have been around for a few years that run at about 8ghz and have provisions for around 1TB of RAM. Most of the systems powered by these are owned by pharmaceutical companys to power there databases which are usually around 10 - 15TB raid arrays. You might possibly be able to open the 2^32 windows, but not with windows. Maybe XWindows or something (they are Unix systems). Anyway, just food for thought.

Posted by CodeRed [send private reply] at August 18, 2002, 04:19:33 AM

That 8ghz is a relative speed achieved using a parallel processing configuration. Yeah, thats what I need, a 15tb raid-5 array comprised of 15000rpm Ultra320 SCSI drives, perhaps a couple thousand 36.7gig IBM Ultrastars @ $500 a pop, LOL

Posted by RedX [send private reply] at August 18, 2002, 06:33:20 AM

a 15Tb RAID? I had one of these until it fell over and create the Grand Canyon and mont everest (matter has to go somewhere).

Posted by unknown_lamer [send private reply] at August 18, 2002, 02:07:39 PM

Heh, I know someone that admins a 512 Processor SGI machine. It would kill the average sized power grid :). It can't use a power switch and has this nifty soft power switch because it uses so much power. It's really fast though!

You must be logged in to post messages and see which you have already read.

Log on
Username:
Password:
Save for later automatic logon

Register as a new user
 
Copyright TPU 2002. See the Credits and About TPU for more information.