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From: jk@utastro.UUCP (John Krist)
Newsgroups: net.micro.16k
Subject: Gee, 68k lovers in .16k; DSI news and optimizer
Message-ID: <136@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 5-Dec-85 12:47:12 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.136
Posted: Thu Dec  5 12:47:12 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Dec-85 07:52:50 EST
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 50
Keywords: If I knew people were going to yell at me...


     Golly gee-whiz, Batman! People sure don't like the NS 32000
  series.  It seems there's a bunch of 68k lovers sneaking onto
  net.micro.16k.  I've gotten my share of hate mail.  Will those with
  32000 series chips in their computers mind speaking up and telling
  me what they think about it?

     Mr. Gilmore seems unimpressed with the optimizer on the C and
  Fortran compilers.  The compilers are highly optimizing without
  specifying the optimizer at compile time.  It's just that setting
  the optimizer seems to invoke the "let's make the code a little
  longer for more speed" mode of the compilers.

     I correction to my first review: 
        The graphics demo required loading the ANSI.SYS file in
  order to switch modes.  My mistake. Sorry.
        The Thousand Oaks BBS does work, and I have used it about 3 times
  to get new info and to talk to the DSI tech persons.

  * The Dhrystone benchmark results will take a little time to bring
    to those who wanted them.  Right now, to use the UNIX times and
    time functions, you have to have a Interupt Control Unit on the
    board and the appropriate loader software to use it.  The DSI
    people have told me that a revised loader is almost done which will
    make use of the MSDOS timer.  Meanwhile, I have mailed the
    Dhrystone to them to run on their machine. *

  The UNIX being tested is Version 7.  You need a ICU and MMU to run
  it.  ( I don't see the need for UNIX when the MSDOS shell is fine. )

  The graphics interface is being developed for the Hercules and EGA
  cards.  This will allow multiple screens to be set up in DSI memory
  and dumped into IBM memory.

  I must say that the people at Definicon have been very helpful, and
  I am very impressed with their help.  They also have assurred me that
  they will stay up to date with new NS 32000 products.

  For those who seem sick and tired of me talking about this on the net,
  I am just excited about the product and impressed with what it offers
  for the price.  All you 68k people seem to have your noses stuck in 
  in the air when someone mentions the 32032, but who had a working
  full 32 bitter when Mota and others of similar INTELlect were in 
  development ( Don't tell me of the 486, 'cause I don't see it around
  anywhere). I can't wait for those 68k flames!

                                        Ready and waiting,
                                         John Krist
                                         U. Texas Astronomy Dept.
                                         (jk@utastro.UUCP)