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Nothing to do with C++, but:

I kinda like the idea of 6-bit byte retro-microcomputer (resp. 24-bit, that would be a word). Because microcomputers typically deal with small number of objects (and prefer arrays to pointers), it would save memory.

VGA was 6-bit per color, you can have a readable alphabet in 6x4 bit matrix, you can stuff basic LISP or Forth language into 6-bit alphabet, and the original System/360 only had 24-bit addresses.

What's there not to love? 12MiB of memory, with independently addressable 6-bits, should be enough for anyone. And if it's not enough, you can naturally extend FAT-12 to FAT-24 for external storage. Or you can use 48-bit pointers, which are pretty much as useful as 64-bit pointers.




Or you can have 8 bit bytes, and 3 byte words. That’s still 24 bits.




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