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From: Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid>
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Is Intel exceptionally unsuccessful as an architecture designer?
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:08:08 -0000 (UTC)
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On Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:08:25 -0500, BGB wrote:

> Or if quantum computing can give answers "better" than classical
> computers using non-brute-force algorithms.

This is why it’s worth distinguishing between “digital” and “analog” 
computers. Analog computers were quite popular in the earlier part of the 
20th century, back when digital computers were still quite slow. They 
could come up with quick answers to physical-simulation problems, albeit 
to limited accuracy.

For example, the Apollo Saturn-V rocket was controlled by a hybrid 
digital/analog computer system created by IBM, housed in the ring that 
coupled the third stage to the upper part with the CSM and LEM. The 
digital part computed where the rocket was supposed to go, but it could 
only solve the equations about once a second or so; it fed these numbers 
to the analog part, which could adjust the direction and thrust of the 
engines much more quickly than that, to keep the whole vehicle functioning 
properly and on course from millisecond to millisecond.

But anyway, the current “quantum” computers have shown some success 
solving “analog” style problems, but even the simplest “digital” type 
operation, namely something involving factorizing integers, has so far 
completely eluded them.