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Date: Sun, 23 Jan 94 19:50:30 +0200
From: Mike_Noreen@p14.anet.bbs.bad.se (Mike Noreen)
Subject: The Jaguar STILL isn't 64-bit, you know.
To: Rob-G@cup.portal.com


I just read AmigaReport v2.03, and was distressed to see that

 a) CD32's only real competitor, the Jaguar, gets mentioned more than the CD32
    IN AN AMIGA NEWSLETTER!, and 

 b) that the Jaguar is still falsely claimed to be 64-bit. It's got a *16-bit*
    CPU, with two *32-bit* custom chips, located on a *64-bit* bus!

In addition, one of the *32-bit* custom chips has some 64-bit registers. 
Big deal.  My 68882 maths coprocessor is 94-bit internally.  Does that make my 
A3000 a 94-bit system?  Not in anybody's book except Atari's.  I honestly don't 
understand how an Amiga newsletter can help spread such obvious hype - the Jaguar
was claimed to be 64-bit FIVE TIMES!  A tleast you didn't claim it to be a
RISC machine this time, at least that's something. What really ticked me off was 
the Atari Jaguar game list. Why did you include that into the newsletter?  I 
suppose one or several of you own Jaguars - but that's no reason to give it so 
much coverage.


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First of all, Mike, I cover the Jaguar in Amiga Report just as I would a PC
compatible -- it's a 'competitor' so it should get enough coverage so that
people know what's going on 'on the other side.'  You should always keep up
on your competitors.  Now, just because we're an Amiga magazine doesn't mean
we should ignore everybody else.  No way.  The idea here is to keep everybody
informed on matters besides the Amiga.  It's just like watching the news on
TV -- do you only care what happens here in the US, or do you like to know
what's going on in Europe and Asia?  I do.

Which leads me to the 64 vs. 16-bit issue.  The Jaguar IS a 64-bit machine,
and it IS in fact a RISC machine.  The MAIN CPU is a 64-bit RISC chip that was
developed to be a graphics-specific CPU.  This does not make it a coprocessor,
because the actual program code runs on the 64-bit chip.  The Jaguar also has
a 68000, which handles communication between the other custom chips, and the
CPU.

The CD32 is entitled to just as much coverage as the Jaguar, or any other
game system.  When I have material to print on it, I will do so.  Likewise,
I will print new info on the Jaguar as it becomes available.

For the record, no, I don't own a Jaguar.  Not yet anyway.  I have used one,
and I'm very impressed with it.  I've also used a CD32.  It's a nice machine,
but it's hard to be impressed with it since it's nothing more than a CD-ROM
machine with the guts of a 1200... the computer I've owned for over a year.