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From: rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: (Video) Hardware Idiots ?
Message-ID: <1991Jun10.135715.23727@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>
Date: 10 Jun 91 13:57:15 GMT
References: <1991Jun8.191231 <1991Jun9.0 <1991Jun10.103543.22097@news.iastate.edu>
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In article <1991Jun10.103543.22097@news.iastate.edu> taab5@isuvax.iastate.edu writes:
>In article <1991Jun9.060440.29078@leland.Stanford.EDU>, bard@jessica.stanford.edu (David Hopper) writes:
>>>   There are a hell of a lot more than 20 resolution modes on the Amiga.
>>>With the ECS, I think the total number of possible resolution modes is
>>>now in the hundreds.  However, all of these are limited in resolution,
>>>color capability, or both.
>>
>>Let's post the list again, shall we?
>[stupid incomplete list deleted]
>
>   You are obviously a moron if you think that list you posted is anywhere
>near complete.  Every one of those resolution modes in that list has a

  So now someone is a moron for posting incomplete information? Isn't
that the pot calling the kettle black?

>
>>
>>>   A good example of how inadequate the current chipset has become is
>>>the absurd number of bizarre hacks that have become available from third-
>>>party companies enhance the chipset.  Such hacks include the A2024
>>>monitor, all display-enhancer and flicker-fixer devices, the HAM-E,
>>>colorburst, DCTV, etc.  If the chipset was more adequate for video tasks,
>>>such hacks would not be needed.
>>
>>These are all hacks in what sense, Marc?  By your reckoning, then, the
>>Apple video card is a hack.  The 2024 a hack?  That's a giggler.
>
>   My definition of a hack is a device that accomplishes something in
>a kludgy manner.  With the A2024, Commodore chose to fix the Amiga's 
>resolution problem at the destination instead of the source -- a
>true kludge.  With the Display Enhancer, Commodore decided to fix
>the flicker problem on the chipset output instead of in the chipset
>itself -- another true kludge.  The other video products try to
>overcome the Amiga's color problems with more kludges.
>
>   There is one other kludge that I forgot to mention: Commodore's
>new high-density floppy drive.  If the chipset is so adequate, then
>why did Commodore have to hack up floppy drives (slowing down the
>drive motors) in order to get them to work?  That is a kludge in
>the first degree. 
>
>   In all of these resolution, flicker, color, and floppy drive
>hacks, the problems are not fixed where they should be fixed --
>at the source.

 No they are not hacks, they are clever optimizations. Marc, I'd hate
to see you EVER design a computer system. Your answer to every problem would
be brute force brute cost approach. A flicker-fixer is much cheaper
than redesigning the whole chipset for twice the speed. The flicker
fixer works, so what's your point? If something works and gets the
job done cheaper and quicker I call it brilliant.
  The A2024 is no more a kludge than buying bigger monitors on the
Mac to increase screen size. Why not fix the problem at the source
and allow the Mac to have programmble display rates and pixel sizes?
You wanna talk about SUPER KLUDGES, go bash Microsoft windows. It gets
the hall of fame kludge award for layering multitasking and GUI ontop of
MS-DOS. 2) place runner up is Multifinder/Switcher.

>>Dave Hopper      |MUYOM!/// Anthro Creep | NeXT Campus Consultant at Stanford
>>                 | __  ///    .   .      | Smackintosh/UNIX Consultant - AIR
>>bard@jessica.    | \\\///    Ia! Ia!     | Independent Amiga Developer
>>   Stanford.EDU  |  \XX/ Shub-Niggurath! | & (Mosh) Pit Fiend from Acheron
>
>  -------------------------------------------------------------
> / Marc Barrett  -MB- | BITNET:   XGR39@ISUVAX.BITNET        /   
>/  ISU COM S Student  | Internet: XGR39@CCVAX.IASTATE.EDU   /      
>------------------------------------------------------------    
>\        The great thing about standards is that          /
> \       there are so many of them to choose from.       /
>  -------------------------------------------------------


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