Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!ukc!tcdcs!swift.cs.tcd.ie!vax1.tcd.ie!smcgerty From: smcgerty@vax1.tcd.ie Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer Subject: Re: The DEMO Question Message-ID: <1991Feb21.123537.7830@vax1.tcd.ie> Date: 21 Feb 91 12:35:37 GMT Organization: Trinity College Dublin Lines: 53 In article <7607@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU>, barrett@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Dan Barrett) writes: > In article <1991Feb18.144351.7811@vax1.tcd.ie> smcgerty@vax1.tcd.ie writes: >>Q: What demo program uses the Amiga to its maximum ability? > > None yet, I hope! Otherwise, we cannot look forward to any new > stuff: the "maximum" has already been done. :-) Good point. As many have already pointed out: Can we ever reach the 'maximum'? > > It depends what you mean by "maximum ability". I mean, if you want > to see an Amiga REALLY RUN FAST, write a tight loop in assembly language! _Actuallyyyy_ things run - - --==FASTER >>> when they are NOT in a tight loop. For example, say you want to do a task 100 times. Much better to put 10 iterations of the task in a row and loop around _that_ ten times.... I think its 10 cycles for, say, a DBF loop to execute. 100 times : That's 100*10=1000 cycles 10 times : That's 10*10=100 cycles. 900 cycles saving!! (Ok, NotAVeryLongTime) And remember: Memory is cheap! > But this kind of demo doesn't give you much to watch. :-) depends whats in the loop! But nonetheless, point taken. Actually, if you think about it, the Amiga is always running flat out: It's how you direct that speed that makes it _seem_ as though its working harder, while in fact it's working just as hard as it is while busy-waiting. > No, you probably are looking for a mind-blowing graphics demo. > Some of the European demos found by FTP on ab20.larc.nasa.gov in the > incoming/amiga directory are pretty impressive. I also like the graphics > in Shadow of the Beast and Turrican (particularly the big fist in the demo > version). And the latest version of BLAZEMONGER, of course. > > Dan Thanks Dan but, (wait for it folks.....) Sob..Sob.. I don't have FTP. Don't worry: I do get demos from a local usergroup called CUGI. (Commodore Users Group of Ireland; if anyones interested..) Some of them are amazing! Have you seen the one called 'Mental Hangover'? It's a _very_ neat piece of programming! > > //////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ > | Dan Barrett, Department of Computer Science Johns Hopkins University | > | INTERNET: barrett@cs.jhu.edu | | > | COMPUSERVE: >internet:barrett@cs.jhu.edu | UUCP: barrett@jhunix.UUCP | > \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\///////////////////////////////////// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | / T | / Stephen John McGerty | Amiga // | | / | |/ smcgerty@vax1.tcd.ie (C.Sci.) | "Hmm.. No, nothing." \\// | |__________________________________________|_______________________________|