Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!mintaka!bloom-beacon!eru!kth.se!ugle.unit.no!rubin.idt.unit.no!daglem From: daglem@idt.unit.no (Dag Lem) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: Blitter vs. 040 (was: Computer Architecture question Message-ID: <1991May15.213917.11992@ugle.unit.no> Date: 15 May 91 21:39:17 GMT References: <1991May15.125954.1993@NCoast.ORG> Sender: news@ugle.unit.no Organization: Div. of CS & Telematics, Norwegian Institute of Technology Lines: 49 In article <1991May15.125954.1993@NCoast.ORG>, davewt@NCoast.ORG (David Wright) writes: |> Don't you notice how SLOW the nExt updates it's windows and displays |> (not what is happening within them, but move a window around and see how long |> it takes to redraw the display (especially with 5 or 6 windows open)) when |> compared even to an Amiga 500, a 16-bit machine running at 7Mhz. OK, you're right, on the A500 the blitter is a real winner. But what is the screen resolution you usually use on the 500? What's the number of colors? Have you ever seen an A3000 running Workbench in interlaced hires, 16 colors? Give it a try! zzzzzzzzzz..... Personally, I really do like the blitter consept, but the blitter hasn't got enough horsepower! Right now, I'm thinking of making some nifty 3D animations on my 3000. Having worked a *lot* with the blitter on an A500, I realize I can get the drawing done faster with the 68030. My guess (yes, just a guess - enlightenment welcome) is that it's best done by doing the drawing in FAST RAM, copying the image into the bitplanes afterwards (yes, more than one bitplane, stupido :-) Using double buffering, the blitter could perhaps be used to clear the bitplanes in one buffer while the 030 is drawing/copying. Anyway, this can't be the intention of the blitter? To do next to nothing? Wow it's got line drawing, polygon filling etc., but it's not doing its job fast enough! You state that the NeXT is slow on display updating. Just wait till you try the above mentioned Workbench setup. Try moving windows around. Try listing some lengthy directories in a Shell window. Gawd I really wish they'd speed up that Boring old Lazy Incapable Tiny Two cent poor Excuse for a Real graphics coprocessor. I'm truly sorry if I hurt anyones feelings here, this is just how I feel. I love my Amiga, I really do, that's why I'm concerned. And please don't give me that "The 68030+Blitter is still better than just a 68030". Sure, but the blitter isn't doing its intended job fast enough, get it? If you can't even use the blitter to shuffle windows around (ought to be an ideal job for the blitter) because it's too goddamned slow, you use the 68030 instead (CPUBlit). Now how shall we put the blitter to use? Hmmm well maybe we could get it to run our applications instead? :-) I just keep rambling on and on. |> Dave -- __ / |> Shorter of breath / \ __ __ / ___ _ _ |> and one day closer to death. / |/ / / / / /__/ / / / |> -Roger Waters, Time /____/ \_/|/\_/ /____\___/ / \__________ |> (Dark Side of The Moon) ______________/