Microprocessors: Chip architecture: A revolution brewing: Seeking to tailor new micros to challenging applications, designers are scrutinizing entrenched mainframe concepts as never before

Microprocessor architects have often borrowed and adapted concepts used in the design of mainframe computers. As very large-scale integration has allowed more circuits on a single chip, the tendency to emulate mainframes has become more pronounced. Some renegade microprocessor designers argue that this practice has resulted in architectures that are not easily adapted to the new possibilities created by advances in software and semiconductor technology.