[TUHS] reviving a bit of WWB

[Dave Horsfall]

On Tue, 2 Feb 2021, M Douglas McIlroy wrote:

> > I'm trying to get my head around a 10-bit machine optimised for C.
>
> How about 23-bits? That was one of the early ESS machines, evidently 
> optimized to make every bit count. (Maybe a prime wordwidth helps with 
> hashing?)

23 bits?  I think I'm about to throw up...  Yeah, being prime I suppose it 
would help with hashing (and other crypto stuff).

> Whirlwind II (built in 1952), was 16 bits. It took a long while for that 
> to become common wisdom.

Now that goes back...

-- Dave