The case for Reduced Instruction Set Computer

This wonderful newsletter in SIGARCH(1980) by Patterson et.al explains the origins of RISC architectures in much simpler terms.



Particularly sections- 'irrational implementations' and 'Supporting HLLCS' accompanied by footnotes laid a strong case even though (I admit that) the argument against CISC seems a little incomplete without sound proof but then it is just a newsletter. Wish I read it 3 years ago :-(

Reference: http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=641914.641917