Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!iuvax!cica!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!sioux.cis.ohio-state.edu!sarrel From: sarrel@sioux.cis.ohio-state.edu (Marc Sarrel) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: 68000 vs 68020 Message-ID: Date: 11 Jul 89 00:25:42 GMT Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Distribution: comp Organization: Ohio State Computer Science Lines: 32 A friend of mine just bought at 16MHz 68000 accelerator card for his SE. How much performance difference is there between a 16MHz 68000 and a 16MHz 68020? A while back I was considering buying a 68020 accelerator for my Plus, but I decided that I didn't really have the money. Also, there are problems. You have to buy more memory to put on the separate board to take advantage of the wider data path and at least one manufacturer required you to rely on them for _modified_ system software (not just an init) in order to use there product. Unfortunately, that manufacturer had the best, most comprehensive package (also the most expensive). There were also compatability problems. Even some software that would run on a Mac II, would not run on a Plus with some 68020 accelerators. Are 68000 accelerators a cost effective alternative? Can you get faster then 16MHz? I don't want to be dependant on a small company for modified system software and I don't want to have strange compatability problems. Also, even if a '020 board works with the current system, will it work with future systems releases? I figure that the 68000 boards are the saftest although probably not the best performance wise. Any comments, suggestions and helpful hints will be appreciated. --marc -=- "Master, why is the letter 'i' the symbol for current?" "Because there is no letter 'i' in the word 'current'." "Master, why do we use the letter 'j' for sqrt(-1)?" "Because we use the letter 'i' for current." Whereupon the Master struck the Disciple, and the Disciple became enlightened.