Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!prls!pyramid!cbmvax!daveh
From: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga outclassed
Message-ID: <10297@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 22 Mar 90 08:17:11 GMT
References: <90078.164636JKT100@psuvm.psu.edu> <11886@vdsvax.crd.ge.com>
Reply-To: daveh@cbmvax (Dave Haynie)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 45

In article <11886@vdsvax.crd.ge.com> perley@trub (Donald P Perley) writes:
>In article <90078.164636JKT100@psuvm.psu.edu>, JKT100@psuvm (JKT) writes:
>>>- An intelligent input/output subsystem:  The new system employs dedicated
>>>input/output processors and a Small Computer System Interface/Direct Memory
>>>Access Controller;

>Gee, sort of like the amiga...

Well, at least they didn't call their DMA controller a "mainframe on a chip".
At least now there's a chance that a 40MHz, 32-bit Mac will have a faster 
hard disk than an A500.  I'm interested in seeing just how clever this is --
if it's not a high speed, full 32 bit controller with buffer/FIFO, they can
go back to the drawing board.

>>>- Richer expansion capabilities:   The Macintosh IIfx includes an expansion
>>>slot tied directly to the processor in addition to its six industry-standard
>>>NuBus  slots.

>It's not clear what they mean here... like a piggy back board on the '030?

Same basic idea as the A2000 -- a machine-specific CPU slot thingy for processor
expansion (works only on Mac IIfx), and an Apple-standard expansion bus that 
can support I/O, graphics, coprocessors, etc.

>>It just looks as if this thing with Multifinder really could go faster than
>>any 25 MHz Amiga with an '030 on the board ... 

>It sound to me that a lot of it is apple introducing things that are already
>available on the amiga. 

It sounds like they're catching up with much of the rest of the world, HW
wise.  Competing with PClones in the mid 80's didn't require any amazing
hardware performance -- folks bought Macs for the software only.  But now
every machine out there is using a GUI, and the competition in both the 
Clone and Workstation markets has exaggerated the relatively low CPU-bag/buck 
on the older Mac IIs.

>-don perley
>perley@trub.crd.ge.com


-- 
Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Systems Engineering) "The Crew That Never Rests"
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                    Too much of everything is just enough