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- Path: news.magicnet.net!usenet
- From: digital@magicnet.net (Digital Digits)
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
- Subject: Re: Is Power PC really the way to go?
- Date: 21 Apr 1996 20:50:18 GMT
- Organization: MagicNet, Inc.
- Message-ID: <3458.6685T943T1517@magicnet.net>
- References: <1387.6682T1355T514@mbox200.swipnet.se>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: pm2-02.magicnet.net
- X-Newsreader: THOR 2.22 (Amiga;TCP/IP) *UNREGISTERED*
-
- >Is PowerPC really the future for the Amiga? I've heard several people who are
- >very doubtful about this whole project.
-
- >I while back I spoke to MacroSystem(USA)(Makers of WarpEngine) and they vere
- >very sceptic about the whole PowerPC project. They just said good luck to
- >'em. I also spoke to Hirsch & Wolf in germany which sell PowerMacs and they
- >had a lot of problems with these machines. They also siad the even the
- >fastest Power Mac could not emulate 68xxx code faster than a 68040 40Mhz.
-
- What's wrong with this? Most Amiga users don't have 40 MHz 68040s so a
- fast PPC would be a nice boost for them. "Power users" would only care
- about emulation until the "power aps" could be ported to native PPC code.
- The fact that it can do emulation at all is a big plus. Being a slave to
- backwards compatibility is what kept the PC from being a decent machine.
- Not that it should be ignored, but properly written code should be able to
- be recompiled for PPC with a minimum of effort.
-
- >Who will write the new PowerPC software?? Which companies dare to spend more
- >money on developing for a "to be maby" market? MacroSystem (germany) decided
- >to use the Dec Alpha in their Draco, mainly due to Motorola's previous track
- >record. Alpha's are available now in quantity.
-
- AmigaDOS is AmigaDOS. Programs that are properly written should be able to
- be recompiled for AmigaDOS on PPC with little added effort. As far as poorly
- written programs -- tough. The RKMs, developer notes, etc. all state in
- SEVERAL places in BOLD TYPE what you should and should not due to ensure
- future compatibility.
-
- >Are the various models of the PowerPC chip backwards compatible? Then why the
- >many various add ons in system 7.5 on the Mac? Macintosh have a lot of
- >problems with their PowerMacs, why should this work better on the Amiga, with
- >an even smaller market/developers.
-
- The Macs have problems for several reasons. One is that their multitasking
- is a hack, not true preemptive. They are "new" to that type of system whereas
- the Amiga has had it since 1985 and is more familiar with it.
-
- Other problems come from mixing 680x0 emulated code with PPC native code.
- Again, conflicts are amplfied by poor multitasking and task swapping. Yes,
- PPC models are backwards compatible as much as the Intel line and MC 680x0
- line. (Remember the big difference with the 68000 it's big brothers? One
- or two instructions were moved from USER mode to SUPERVISOR mode and it
- trashed a lot of early software.)
-
- As far as the DEC Alpha goes...it's about 10x as expensive. A Draco
- system is $10,000+ You going to pay that for an Amiga? Draco is a
- workstation and cannot be compared to a "home computer".
-
- >Just a reflection on the PowerPC hype.
-
- There is difficulty with any transition. PPC was the best choice Amiga
- Technologies could have made for a "HOME/PERSONAL COMPUTER". VIScorp
- might want to reevaluate that choice and look at the HP-PA RISC again
- in light of their set-top box developments (as well as the cozy
- relationship Commodore had with HP). It might prove a better option.
-
- >Johan Otterstrom
-
- > â•“rebro Videoreklam - We sell Amiga/Draco products!
- > --------------------------------------------------
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-
-
- Charles Hill
- Digital Digits
- chill@magicnet.net
- digital@magicnet.net
-
-