Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!o.gp.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!mc4c+ From: mc4c+@andrew.cmu.edu (Mark Choi) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: Lexicor replies Message-ID: Date: 12 Mar 91 02:54:30 GMT References: <39994@cup.portal.com>, <1991Mar10.111921.12962@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 28 In-Reply-To: <1991Mar10.111921.12962@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> > Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.atari.st: 10-Mar-91 Re: Lexicor replies > Ray Cromwell@wookumz.ai. (1204) > Marrying the Toaster to another computer isn't impossible, it's just > hard. > The Toaster isn't just hardware, alot of the magic is done in software > too. > Software that is written in assembler, and for a multitasking operating > system, along with an interprocess communication language called 'Arexx'. > The Hardware is also tighly coupled to the Amiga's custom chips (I > surmise) > and the 3.57mhz NTSC signal generated by Agnus. While I still doubt that this will happen, the software part of it does not seem all that hard. With the DA multitasking capability, and hell, even the new MIDI -Tasking environment, the OS part of it seem under control. Ditto on the command language/Arexx issue. As far as assembler is concerned, that is always hard. It was hard for the original writers of the software. In fact, though, anyone could write software on the Amiga to take control of the toaster. You don't need to use the shipped software, it's just more convenient. If the bundled software didn't include a feature (like what?!!! :^) ), you could write it yourself (assuming you are a god). It is no more difficult to do this on the native platform than on a new on. AS LONG AS YOU HACK THE HARDWARE RIGHT. This is the rub. You will need a lot of proprietary Amiga hardware to do this. This is why I doubt it. The software issue is irrelevant. Agnus, Denise Gary (and the GURU!) will be the real adversaries here.