Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!lll-winken!taco!hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu!kdarling From: kdarling@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) Newsgroups: comp.sys.m68k Subject: Re: MM/1 Message-ID: <1991Jun10.073441.11953@ncsu.edu> Date: 10 Jun 91 07:34:41 GMT References: <90@sandv.UUCP> <1991Jun06.101419.14555@wimsey.bc.ca> Sender: news@ncsu.edu (USENET News System) Distribution: usa Organization: North Carolina State University Lines: 51 > Here's one, short question: What is the MM/1? Short general answer: it's one of several new 680x0 computers, which have in common that they come with the OS-9 multitasking/user operating system. Intended for personal, small business, or industrial controller usages. Specific answer: "MM/1" stands for "MultiMedia computer version 1". An ambitious name, but no more hype-ish than most computers/ads these days, I guess ;-). Will depend on what 3td party soft/hardware shows up. Hardware details: Two 4x9" six-layer cards plugged into a small bus. The first card uses the CMOS Signetics 68070/VSC cpu/video/system-controller chip set at 15MHz. Basically the 68070 is an effective-12.5Mhz 68000 clone integrated with dual DMA channels, MMU, I2C interprocessor bus and timers. The video output is NTSC/PAL-freq RGB-analog with sync polarity jumpers, with these main NTSC modes: 320 x 210/420 at 256 colors/pixel (normal/interlace) 384 x 240/480 at 256 colors/pixel (overscan) 640 x 210/420 at 16 colors/pixel (normal/interlace) 768 x 240/480 at 16 colors/pixel (overscan) The video chip itself includes a one R/W cycle pixel logic combinatorial unit, and can execute special modechange instructions per each scanline. There's also a video RAM output header for expansion to other resolution combinations. The included palette controller is a Brooktree Bt478, giving 8-bits each R/G/B for a total of 16 million+ color choices. First card also has 2 serial ports (MIDI adapter for one is available), single-bit sound, DMA high-density floppy controller, PC/XT keyboard port, 1-Meg RAM, boot/debug ROM. Second card has a battery-backed clock, DMA SCSI port, 2 parallel, 3 serial, dual channel (stereo) DMAable 8-bit line-level A/D/A ports (input & output), analog joystick, two SIMM (mac/pc) RAM sockets: expansion to 3M or 9M total. Included software: Professional OS9/68K ver2.4, C compiler, multiple screen/ window driver, dozens of programming/gfx utilities, uucp, etc. I think if you get both cards, low-profile case and a 1.4meg 3.5" drive, it's a bit less than $1000 right now... user buys his own desired PC keyboard and mouse. Addons being tested include a color frame capture board and an 68EC30 card. It's from Interactive Media Systems. I'm sure someone knows the address. Mostly an OS9 fanatics' machine right now. So it's not really competing for buyers of the A-word computer. Also, IMS intends to later sell Amiga/OS9. I personally don't care what machine anyone buys, as long as it has OS-9 ;-). Disclaimer: I'm working on a windowing system to be used on it, the other two 68K/OS9 systems, plus for ports Atari ST/OS9, Mac/OS9, and Amiga/OS9. But whether my own stuff is used or not, the longterm goal is create a new, united 68K-machine software market. cheers - kevin