CISC means complex instruction set: a large collection of instructions, some of which perform sophisticated operations that might be typical of high-level language.

CISC指复杂指令集：大指令集合，其中的一些执行可能是高级语言特有的复杂操作。

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In many revolutions of the computer techniques, the most significant one is the transmission from Complex Instruction Set computer (CISC) to Reduced Instruction Set computer (RISC) architecture.

在计算机技术的许多变革中，最有意义的变革是从复杂指令集(CISC)过渡到精简指令集(RISC)体系结构。

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Joel Birnbaum was the head of HP Labs at the time and he knew that RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing)architecture was the future and not CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing).

FORBES: Question of the Day: Why Does HP Continue to Screw Up?