:cycle: 1. n. The basic unit of computation. What every hacker
wants more of (noted hacker Bill Gosper describes himself as a
"cycle junkie"). One can describe an instruction as taking so
many `clock cycles'. Often the computer can access its memory
once on every clock cycle, and so one speaks also of `memory
cycles'. These are technical meanings of {cycle}. The jargon
meaning comes from the observation that there are only so many
cycles per second, and when you are sharing a computer the cycles
get divided up among the users. The more cycles the computer
spends working on your program rather than someone else's, the
faster your program will run. That's why every hacker wants more
cycles: so he can spend less time waiting for the computer to
respond. 2. By extension, a notional unit of *human* thought
power, emphasizing that lots of things compete for the typical
hacker's think time. "I refused to get involved with the Rubik's
Cube back when it was big. Knew I'd burn too many cycles on it if
I let myself." 3. vt. Syn. {bounce} (sense 4), {120 reset};
from the phrase `cycle power'. "Cycle the machine again, that
serial port's still hung."
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
wants more of (noted hacker Bill Gosper describes himself as a
"cycle junkie"). One can describe an instruction as taking so
many `clock cycles'. Often the computer can access its memory
once on every clock cycle, and so one speaks also of `memory
cycles'. These are technical meanings of {cycle}. The jargon
meaning comes from the observation that there are only so many
cycles per second, and when you are sharing a computer the cycles
get divided up among the users. The more cycles the computer
spends working on your program rather than someone else's, the
faster your program will run. That's why every hacker wants more
cycles: so he can spend less time waiting for the computer to
respond. 2. By extension, a notional unit of *human* thought
power, emphasizing that lots of things compete for the typical
hacker's think time. "I refused to get involved with the Rubik's
Cube back when it was big. Knew I'd burn too many cycles on it if
I let myself." 3. vt. Syn. {bounce} (sense 4), {120 reset};
from the phrase `cycle power'. "Cycle the machine again, that
serial port's still hung."
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
Related:
- cycle
1. n. The basic unit of computation. What every
hacker wants more of (noted hacker Bill Gosper described himself as
a "cycle junkie").
One can describe an instruction as taking so many... - cycle drought: n. A scarcity of cycles. It may be due to a {cycle
crunch},
but it could also occur because part of the computer... - cycle drought n.
A scarcity of cycles. It may be due to a
cycle crunch,
but it could also occur because part of the computer... - cycle crunch: n. A situation wherein the number of people trying
to use a computer simultaneously has reached the point where no one
can get enough cycles because they are spread too thin and the
system has probably begun to {thrash}.
This scenario is an inevitable result of Parkinson's... - cycle crunch n.,obs.
A situation wherein the number of
people trying to use a computer simultaneously has reached the
point where no one can get enough cycles because they are spread
too thin and the system has probably begun to thrash.
This scenario is an inevitable result of Parkinson's... - clocks: n. Processor logic cycles, so called because each
generally corresponds to one clock pulse in the processor's timing.
The relative execution times of instructions on a machine... - clocks n.
Processor logic cycles, so called because each
generally corresponds to one clock pulse in the processor's timing.
The relative execution times of instructions on a machine... - gun: [ITS: from the `:GUN' command] vt. To forcibly
terminate a program or job (computer,
not career). "Some idiot left a background process... - jiffy n.
1. The duration of one tick of the system clock on
your computer (see tick).
Often one AC cycle time (1/60 second in the U.S...
