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From: ddev@wam.umd.edu (Don DeVoe)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: A rough future for the Amiga??? I think not.
Message-ID: <1990Apr11.042134.22418@wam.umd.edu>
Date: 11 Apr 90 04:21:34 GMT
References: <16192@snow-white.udel.EDU> <1990Apr8.013940.12984@wam.umd.edu> <10715@cbmvax.commodore.com> <10764@cbmvax.commodore.com>
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Reply-To: ddev@wam.umd.edu (Don DeVoe)
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In article <10764@cbmvax.commodore.com> daveh@cbmvax (Dave Haynie) writes:
>In article <10715@cbmvax.commodore.com> andy@cbmvax (Andy Finkel) writes:
>>In article <1990Apr8.013940.12984@wam.umd.edu> ddev@wam.umd.edu (Don DeVoe) writes:

>>>as follows: "...It is also the first personal computer to have two 
>>>additional processors - with the power of two additional personal computers >>>to manage the flow of information inside." 
>
>That's an extremely silly statement, if you ask me.  The 6502s in the Mac IIfx
>are certainly a good idea, and they are in fact faster than the 65816 in 
>the Apple II GS.  But speed alone does not a personal computer make.  Those
>
I'll agree, it is a pretty silly statement. But not clearly a false one.
It all depends on interpretation.

>>>Now consider: Do the Amiga's blitter, copper, etc. themselves have the 
>>>power of additional personal computers???   
>
>They do, however, handle graphics operations faster than either an 8MHz
>68000 or a 10MHz 6502 could ever hope to.  You decide if that's the
>power of a personal computer, if that's how you now rate things after
>reading the Apple adds.  You're comparing mangos with lobsters here.

I was not comparing anything, and neither was Apple's ad.  The comparisons
were all the work of people defending the Amiga against the evil Mac.
The phrase 'with the power of a personal computer' can be interpreted most
any way you like. And you're right, it's all in how you read the Apple
adds. It certainly is not as black/white an issue as the original poster
tried to make it into...

>>The Amiga 500, 1000 and 2000 each have a 6502 as well as a 68000.
>>(the A2500 has a 6502, a 68000, and a 68020  or 68030; however,
>>since the 68000 and 68020/030 are not active at the same time)
>
>In fact, if you all really want to count CPUs, the original A2500/20OB came 
>with a 68000, a 68020, a Z-80, and a 6502 all buried inside.  My current 
>A2500/30 setup includes a 6502, a 4502, a 68030, a 68000, and an 80286.  Some
>of the work once done by the Z-80 (in the hard disk controller) is handled 
>by custom logic and smart hard drives.

I think that at this point, anyone with enough spare time (hi!) to follow
this thread is tired of counting CPUs.  Maybe it's time to let them
process in peace...

---
Don DeVoe
ddev@epsl.umd.edu