Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!jarthur!nntp-server.caltech.edu!toddpw
From: toddpw@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Viewimg GIFs (why is a 286 faster?)
Message-ID: <1990Nov25.104740.5529@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 25 Nov 90 10:47:40 GMT
References: <214@generic.UUCP>
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Lines: 21

taob@pnet91.cts.com (Brian Tao) writes:

>    There is of course the difference in computational speeds between the
>65816 and the 80286 CPU's.  I also suspect the '286 having more registers and
>a 32-bit data path might have something to do with it as well.  Maybe the GIF
>decoding algorithm has been optimized to run on Intel's instruction set.

First of all, it is fairly likely that these '286 systems are running at 12 mhz
or so. Second, the 286 does not have a 32 bit data bus, it has a 16 bit bus,
which is still an advantage. The real reason is that there are GIF decoders
for the intel CPUs that were written by total assembly jocks and as such scream
the picture onto the screen.

Over Christmas break I will rewrite my GIF project so that it can be used as a
general pupose GIF decoder. We will then see just how fast or slow the //gs can
do GIF files.

See you then.

Todd Whitesel
toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu