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From: U3364521@ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au (Lou Cavallo)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga competitiveness
Message-ID: <1091@ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au>
Date: 30 Sep 90 05:27:27 GMT
References: <90271.190320UH2@psuvm.psu.edu> <420@caslon.cs.arizona.edu>
Organization: I.A.E.S.R., Melbourne University
Lines: 40

G'day,

CJ> In article <420@caslon.cs.arizona.edu>, cjeffery@cs.arizona.edu
CJ> (Clinton Jeffery) writes:

CJ> Example #2: an Amiga's hard disk, even with FFS, is *ridiculously* slow
CJ> 	compared to the _identical_ hard disk running DOS or UNIX/386.  This
CJ> 	is based on empirical observation doing heavy C compiles on a 2000
CJ> 	with 1MB ram and a 40 Meg ST-251-1.  Sorry.  I wish it were untrue.

Clint, could you give the specs behind this claim please?

What was the controller on the DOS or UNIX system?
What was the controller on the Amiga system?

I have seen a Quantum 40 Meg equipped 386 DX apparently out perform (2 Mbits
per sec benchmark) quoted A2000 Quantum 40 Meg throughputs but the 386 had a
32 bit buss... {which qualitatively explains its approx 2x throughput over a
16 bit A2000 buss}.

One would naturally assume that such a difference for a comparison b/w any 2
PC systems should be controller/PCbuss related. For our proper analysis we'd
need to know the controller specifics.

Are we comparing a 386-SX to an Amiga 2000 which is the closest comparison ?
{A 386DX with SCSI buss and QuantumHD would be a good comparison to a 3000.}

Moreover as Dave Haynie could attest to, the A2000 Zorro II buss is old news
in todays terms. The new Zorro III buss hits 20 Mbits/sec (Dave?) and Acorns
ARM III chipset can hit about 38 Mbits/sec I think (can validate anyone ?).

CJ> Hope I haven't offended too many folks...

Not at all. I can appreciate the need to quote facts as one sees them.

CJ> Clint Jeffery, U. of Arizona Dept. of Computer Science
CJ> cjeffery@cs.arizona.edu -or- {noao allegra}!arizona!cjeffery

yours truly,
Lou Cavallo.