If my memory is correct it was the PDP-11. (I wrote operating systems for
both it and the PDP-8... but that was eons ago, and my memory may have
mixed them up...)
Since most subsequent microprocessor designs were highly influenced by the
stack orientation and addressing modes of the PDP-11, that's probably how
Intel became little-endian.
Clive
----------
From: David Goldsmith
To: unicode
Subject: RE: Translated IUC10 Web pages: Experime
Date: Thursday, February 06, 1997 8:12PM
>Just for the record, little endian was introduced by IBM with the 360
>back in the mid 1960's. I guess now you can guess how old I am! Intel
>just followed the leader in choosing little endian. I don't want to get
>into a senseless discussion as to which order is natural (I do prefer
>little endian); both orders exist so we need to deal with them.
Actually, I programmed 360's, and they were (and are) big endian. I
believe little endian was introduced by DEC. I can't remember if it was
the PDP-8 or the PDP-11.
David Goldsmith
Text and International Software Architect
Apple Computer, Inc.
goldsmith@apple.com
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