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From: csbrod@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Claus Brod)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Amiga is better then what???
Message-ID: <1991Jun28.124442.15920@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
Date: 28 Jun 91 12:44:42 GMT
References: <1991Jun26.192356.26253@informatik.uni-erlangen.de> <1991Jun27.184631.2685@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> <1991Jun27.200127.23004@informatik.uni-erlangen.de> <1991Jun27.211005.9179@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>
Organization: CSD., University of Erlangen, Germany
Lines: 67

rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) writes:

>  They are working on device independent graphics right, the problem
>is, keeping rhe Amiga the leading desktop video computer without
>damaging it's performance. (DIG is always slower than hitting the hardware
>directly) We also have problems to worry about like programmable scan
>rates, beam synchronization, sprites,multiple play fields, genlocking ,etc
>Do many ST apps use VDI? I heard they hit the system a little more
>directly. If they don't, I'm surprised the ST doesn't have lots of
>graphic cards (and sooner). The main reason the Amiga didn't get them until
>recently was lack of a graphics standard for external cards.

Every GEM application uses the VDI. There are lots of programs, though,
that won't work with any resolution VDI will offer them, that's a sad
truth. But the standard is there, and it works fine. In Germany, we
have quite a few graphics cards for the ST, including a 24-bit graphic
card. In the US, the situation may be entirely different.

>>Who uses lo-res? Gamesters - but not me.

>  Don't you need 2 monitors for the ST? One lo-res color and one mono?

In general, I use the mono modes only. Using a multisync, you don't
need two monitors. It's just that the SM124 has such a brilliant display -
much better than standard multisyncs, and that's why people are using it.
Anyway, I'm a bit old-fashioned. I need exactly two colors on my computer:
Black and white.

>>Does it format standard MFM format so that every PC can read it?

>   The Amiga's filesystem isn't at like the ST/IBM PC format. But
>filesystems are only the higher level organization of data. The Amiga
>(and it's new HD drive) can write MFM tracks out exactly like
>720k/1.44mb IBM disks, or 880k/1.72mb Amiga disks. For instance, on
>my Amiga, I merely mount an MS-DOS filesystem and I can read/write
>IBM disks from any application as if ithere was nothing different.

I know quite a bit about the Amiga's filesystem, but I didn't know
the new HD drives can write a genuine PC MFM format. Tnx for the
information. This must have been done by using intelligent drives,
I suppose.

>  Well, you don't need any internal hardware to use it. You just buy
>a $499 monitor. The refresh rate is 15hz, yes, but it's not bad.
>The monitor is meant for publishing/cad/text applications, not
>animation. The Amiga can send out one 768x240x4 screen every 60th of a 
>second (or 768x480x4 interlaced at 30hz) This is 92,160 bytes of data.
>A 1024x1024x2 (or 1008x800x2) is about ~200,000 bytes. So it takes 
>~3.2 frames to transfer a screen to the A2024. I guess C= rounds it up to
>4 so the A2024 updates at 15hz.

And how many cycles does this cost for the CPU?

>  I hear its finished, but won't be released until AmigaUNIX v2.0
>with X11R4 is finished. That way, the 3000UX can run a nice megapixel
>/mega color Xwindows. (the A2410 has a 34010 processor onboard)

And a fast gfx processor will be needed judging from my experience
with X 8-(


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Claus Brod, Am Felsenkeller 2,			Things. Take. Time.
D-8772 Marktheidenfeld, Germany		 	(Piet Hein)
csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de
Claus_Brod@wue.maus.de
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