> When power stabilizes, the CPU resets itself to a tiny, old‑fashioned mode called real mode. Real mode dates back to the original 8086 chip. The rules are simple on purpose. Memory addresses are built from two values the CPU keeps in special fast storage called registers. You combine a segment and an offset like this:
reply physical_address = (segment << 4) + offset
I dont know, i just don't like the tone. This is a complex subject where the target audience should probably already know what is an hexadecimal number or an interrupt and the explanation of a cpu register ought to be better than:
"A register is a tiny slot inside the CPU. It holds a number the CPU is using right now."
If the subject interest you, you deserve better.
reply>A register is a tiny slot inside the CPU. It holds a number the CPU is using right now
replyWhat's your issue with this? Would you prefer it mentioned the x86 register doesn't always correspond to the same place in the register file?
There's nothing wrong with it but most people striving to do this would make each bit clickable to detail or something so that you can read at your level. I imagine this was a constraint of the site framework or the author's writing style.
replyBut hey what the heck, it's fine. An LLM can rewrite it to whatever level of knowledge you like so the deepest level is optimal.
Agreed. A lot of these articles leave me with more questions than answers.
replyThese blog posts really annoy me because I feel like with 20% more effort you could have something worth reading.
I wonder if anyone will actually write their own article/blog providing a much better explanation of the subject matter. Or at least provide links to those articles that are alternatives to this.
replyThe problem is that your 20% isn't the same 20% as anyone elses 20%.
replyIf you want a more thorough explanation, go read a book. Many are available for free on sites such as archive.org and programming-motherfucker.com
One of the things we were taught in uni was audience analysis. I think about it a lot. What's expected to already be known? What acronyms or phrases need defining? Etc. This is an art I'm far from perfect at and it seems a lot of tech writers are too
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