MIPS is one of those architectures everyone learns about, assumes is dead, and then accidentally uses without realizing it.
It never dominated desktops.
It never won mobile.
But it quietly powered huge parts of the internet.
MIPS is a classic RISC instruction set that focused on simplicity, predictability, and clean design long before those became buzzwords again.
What MIPS actually is
MIPS is a RISC instruction set architecture.
Its core ideas:
• simple, fixed-length instructions
• load/store design
• large register file
• compiler-friendly execution
It was designed so well that it became the teaching ISA for computer architecture courses for decades.
If you learned pipelining, hazards, or instruction scheduling in college, you probably learned it using MIPS.
Where MIPS was heavily used
MIPS never targeted consumer desktops seriously. Instead, it dominated embedded and infrastructure systems.
Common real-world uses:
• routers and switches
• network appliances
• Wi-Fi access points
• set-top boxes
• digital TVs
• storage controllers
• printers and industrial devices
Companies used MIPS because:
• the architecture was clean
• implementations were cheap
• performance per watt was good
• long-term stability mattered
For many years, a large number of home and office routers ran Linux on MIPS chips.
You used MIPS without knowing it.
Was MIPS used in computers or laptops?
Yes but not mainstream.
MIPS appeared in:
• university workstations
• research systems
• experimental consumer devices
There were early Chromebooks built using MIPS processors.
These never became popular products, but they did exist.
Chromebooks later moved fully to ARM and x86.
Does MIPS still exist today?
Yes, but mostly in old or long-life systems.
Today, MIPS is found in:
• older networking equipment
• legacy embedded devices
• systems that are expensive to replace
New products usually choose ARM or RISC-V instead.
MIPS is slowly fading, not suddenly dead.
Operating system support for MIPS
Linux
Linux has very strong historical support for MIPS.
Linux on MIPS was used in:
• routers
• embedded boards
• networking devices
Today:
• Linux still supports MIPS
• but fewer developers work on it
• updates are slower than ARM or RISC-V
Linux works, but MIPS is no longer a main focus.
BSD systems
NetBSD supports MIPS very well.
NetBSD is famous for running on many architectures, and MIPS was one of its strong ones.
OpenBSD also supported MIPS, mostly for embedded systems.
These are still possible, but niche.
Desktop operating systems
Modern desktop operating systems do not support MIPS.
No support from:
• Windows
• macOS
• mainstream desktop Linux distros
MIPS was never aimed at normal desktop users.
Did Android support MIPS?
Yes. You are right.
Android did support MIPS in the past.
Important points:
• Android once supported ARM, x86, and MIPS
• MIPS Android devices existed, but very few
• App support was poor
• Google dropped MIPS support after Android 5.x
Today:
• Android supports ARM
• x86 exists mostly for emulators
• MIPS is no longer supported
Why MIPS lost to ARM and RISC-V
Several things happened at once.
• ARM improved fast and took over phones
• Embedded companies standardized on ARM
• MIPS licensing became confusing
• Developers moved away
• Tooling stopped improving
Then RISC-V appeared.
RISC-V offered:
• the same clean RISC idea
• no license fees
• modern ecosystem growth
That made MIPS less attractive for new designs.
Who should use MIPS today?
Realistically, only a few cases.
MIPS makes sense if:
• you maintain old routers or devices
• you work with legacy firmware
• replacing hardware is too risky
• you study computer architecture
MIPS does not make sense for:
• new products
• phones
• desktops
• long-term projects
ARM or RISC-V are better choices today.
MIPS today in one sentence
MIPS is no longer the future, but it is still part of the present.
Why MIPS still matters
MIPS taught the industry:
• how clean RISC design works
• how pipelines should be built
• how compilers and CPUs cooperate
ARM and RISC-V learned a lot from MIPS.
Even if the architecture fades, the ideas live on.
Final thoughts
MIPS didn’t fail loudly.
It just quietly stepped aside.
If you understand MIPS, you understand:
• modern CPUs
• why RISC works
• why simplicity matters
And that knowledge is still valuable today.
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