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by SotCodeLaureate 1481 days ago
Hm, as a counter-example, I learned assembly languages in this order - Z80, x86, 6502, ARM, SuperH, MIPS (then some more). SH and MIPS I like the most, not because of delay slots specifically, but I do like the concept. (The one I "hate" is ARM.)
1 comments
GeorgeTirebiter 1481 days ago
Well, my 1st assembler was IBM mumble... goto Computer History Museum to see a 1401 running; it had BCD representation (before ASCII), and variable-length fields for data, with the length being noted with a 'word mark' -- so you could add two 6,000 digit numbers with a single instruction.

Arm v8 seems to have fixed some of the arm v7 cruft -- what do YOU not like about arm?

My 2nd favorite is Z80 -- that also had 'automatic' move-a-string instruction (LDIR / LDDR). 8051 is OK. Z8 is OK. And MSP-430 is pdp-11esque.

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SotCodeLaureate 1481 days ago
> what do YOU not like about arm?

I find it difficult to read, it's aesthetics mostly, not necessary an architectural thing as such, the choice of mnemonics, why "ubfx", what's "rsb" - have to lookup these things constantly when I need them, while 6502 or x86 I can just open and read after all those years.

But that's just a personal preference certainly - yeah, I was fine with the abovementioned LDIR on Z80, heh.

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