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From: torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan Torrie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: MegaMac
Message-ID: <1991Jun5.205127.18205@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 5 Jun 91 20:51:27 GMT
References: <55538@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Sender: torrie@neon.Stanford.EDU (Evan James Torrie)
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University, Ca , USA
Lines: 26

PYC136@uriacc.uri.edu (Andy Patrizio) writes:

>Secondly, what in the world do you need 128 Meg of RAM for? Even UNIX doesn't
>suck up that much memory.

  Unix doesn't have many applications aimed at colour publishing.  A
typical example on the Mac involves using Adobe Photoshop to process a
300 dpi 24-bit 8" x 10" page.  Total data cost = 80 x 300 x 300 x 24/8
= 21 MB [approx].  Try increasing the resolution, and you quickly run
into 40-50 MB pictures.
  Of course, Photoshop uses virtual memory to enable users with only
8MB to process these pictures.  But if you it all in memory,
you can see a 5 to 6 times speedup.  At that rate, it only takes you
four weeks or so to start making a payback on your memory costs. 

>It sounds to me like a computer version of the Spruce Goose. Big, ugly, awkward
> and useless.

  This particular machine is aimed squarely at the high-end colour
publishing community.  Perhaps you should ask them whether they think
it's useless before passing judgement.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evan Torrie.  Stanford University, Class of 199?       torrie@cs.stanford.edu   
"Cold is God's way of telling us to burn more Catholics" - Lady Whiteadder