fancy, vector processing predated simd. It’s how cray supercomputers worked in the 90s. You’re the one co opting an existing term :)
And it is in fact a big deal, with several advantages and disadvantages to both.
from the very first paragraph in the page:
a vector processor or array processor is a central processing unit (CPU) that implements an instruction set where its instructions are designed to operate efficiently and effectively on large one-dimensional arrays of data called vectors. This is in contrast to scalar processors, whose instructions operate on single data items only, and in contrast to some of those same scalar processors having additional single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) or SWAR Arithmetic Units.
Where it pretty much states that scalar processors with simd instructions are not vector processors. Vector processors work on large 1 dimensional arrays. Call me crazy, but I wouldn’t call a register with 16 32-bit values a “large” vector.
It also states they started in the 70s. That checks out. Which dates were you referring to?
This is rapidly going to stop being a polite interaction if you can’t remember your own claims.
SIMD predates the term vector processing, and was in print by 1966.
Vector processing is at least as old as the Cray-1, in 1975. It was already automatically parallelizing what would’ve been loops on prior hardware.
Hair-splitting about whether a processor can use vector processing or exclusively uses vector processing is a distinction that did not exist at the time and does not matter today. What the overwhelming majority of uses refer to is basically just SIMD extensions. Good luck separating the two when SIMT is a thing.
