Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!reed!reeder From: reeder@reed.UUCP (Doug Reeder) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: How about a 10 MHz Rocket Chip review? Message-ID: <13706@reed.UUCP> Date: 9 Dec 89 12:24:28 GMT References: <153CA6C5421F801C26@UALR.BITNET> <3948@puff.cs.wisc.edu> <3338@husc6.harvard.edu> Reply-To: reeder@reed.UUCP (Doug Reeder) Organization: Institute of Knowledge, Jinx Lines: 52 10MHz Rocket Chip Review I have had my Rocket for several weeks now and it is amazing! It speeds up everything, including things you didn't realize could use more speed, like the IIc utilities program. It can't accelerate the disk drive itself, because of compatibility problems, but it DOES accelerate disk access, for many programs. Programs like BinSCII and ShrinkIt read some data, process it, then read some more. With the Rocket, processing goes so fast that the drive hasn't slowed down by the time the program needs more data, and thus the drive doesn't require the time to speed up. IIGIF takes about 5 seconds to decode a picture. Programs that filter a text file, and things like my BASIC.SYSTEM DIFF external command work about as fast as you could BLOAD the file. GraFORTH is stunning: 3D shapes rotating at 20 RPM! Text on the graphics screen scrolling faster than the text screen does normally! Even my Applesoft Mandelbrot Set generator can generate a Mandelbrot set in under an hour! I ran some benchmarks with a hacked up version of Dhrystones, and it ran ten times faster, within the limits of my stopwatch. I also compiled the program on a Mac SE, and it was a little bit slower. (Note, however, the SE is faster under many circumstances.) Most programs will not run ten times faster, but most will run several times faster. Compatability: All my programs work fine, including ShrinkIt, BinSCII, IIGIF, Bolo, Mario Bros, Taxman, & ECP8. Some terminal programs and games cannot use the extra speed. (If only the authors of Boing! could be induced to write a version with a larger ball...) My machine is a IIc (original), so I didn't even need the configuration program, which is of no great difficulty to use. Setting the chip to run at slower than 10MHz is a bit bizzare, but the occasion that requires this is rare. (Standard apple speed is always available through reset-escape. Returning to 10MHz or whatever the set speed is is as simple as reset-return) It also recoginzes the Transwarp speed setting protocol, so programs can change speed on the fly. I have only 5 1/4 inch drives, so I couldn't time the interaction between other drives and the Rocket. Installation: Anybody who's not afraid of computers can do it. IIc people need a screwdriver to open the case (voids your warranty, but if your machine is more than six months old, it doesn't make a hoot of difference. Don't be afraid to do it. Take the opportuniy to clean your keyboard.) Pull your old proccessor, pop in the Rocket. Use an anti-static mat and chip puller if you can get access to them, and be careful about static electricity. It's no big deal. There will be a 2 second pause after you turn the power on before your machine boots. Don't panic. Summary: probably the best $200 you ever spent on your Apple. -- Doug Reeder USENET: ...!tektronix!reed!reeder Box 722 Reed College BITNET: reeder@reed.BITNET Portland, OR 97202 from ARPA: tektronix!reed!reeder@berkeley.EDU "A blaster can point two ways." -Salvor Hardin