Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!radius!lemke
From: lemke@radius.com (Steve Lemke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Radius Rocket
Message-ID: <1446@radius.com>
Date: 29 Apr 91 21:44:58 GMT
References: <2T0112w162w@alchemy.tcnet.ithaca.ny.us>
Lines: 37

cavalier@alchemy.tcnet.ithaca.ny.us (Scott Mandell) writes:

>The Radius Rocket does cause some software incompatibilies, but they can 
>be overcome by turning on/off certain caches etc.

Well, actually, the Rocket just reveals some bad things in certain apps, such
as self-modifying code (very bad if the program doesn't clear the cache), and
direct access to hardware such as the sound chip, SCSI, and the serial ports.
Apple has said before that these things are bad and should not be done...

Applications with '040 incompatibilities will definitely want to fix them-
selves if Apple should happen to announce an '040 Macintosh.

>This may sound like a 
>pain, but you can configure the Rocket to recognize incompatible 
>applications and set itself accordingly.
 
Yes - the '040 cache modes can be disabled on a per-application basis,
through the RadiusWare control panel.

>Also the Rocket will not work with any Graphics Accelerators.

The SuperMac and RasterOps Graphics Accelerators are not compatible.  The
SuperMac Spectrum/8 PDQ and Spectrum/24 PDQ do work, although the graphics
accelerator INITs are not compatible with Rocket.  For more information
about Rocket and display interface boards, see my related posting which was
a followup to someone who asked about RasterOps compatibility.

In addition, the Rocket is in itself, a graphics accelerator.  It uses the
NuBus block transfer to accelerate video boards much in the same way that
the Radius QuickColor or Apple 8*24 GC cards do.  Therefore, a separate
accelerator is not really necessary.

-- 
----- Steve Lemke, KC6QDT - Software Engineering, Radius Inc., San Jose -----
----- Reply to: lemke@radius.com -- U.C. Santa Barbara ECE Class of '89 -----
----- "I'm not a UNIX wizard, but I play the Postmaster at radius.com." -----