As a non-PIE-eater, I'm not sure if a comment is valid.

However:

> I'm in the early stages of testing the exponent 98304.
> .. start at the ~140000-digit size
> and will quickly grow to 180000-200000 digits.

Sounds to me like seriously good prospective news for PIE-eaters.

When Phil said, some time ago, to be modest, that he
didn't see how his FFT (or whatever) could climb much
above 100k digits, I recall saying to myself:
methinks the gentle doth protest too much.

If the price is to forsake Gates into Linux, so much the better.

David (appreciative spectator)