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From: radford@calgary.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Blitters again
Message-ID: <828@vaxb.calgary.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Mar-87 14:58:59 EST
Article-I.D.: vaxb.828
Posted: Fri Mar 13 14:58:59 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Mar-87 10:10:08 EST
References: <8703110056.AA23131@cory.Berkeley.EDU>
Organization: U. of Calgary, Calgary, Ab.
Lines: 18
Summary: Sure, they're faster, but are they worth the cost?

In article <8703110056.AA23131@cory.Berkeley.EDU>, dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU.UUCP writes:

> 	There can be no question that having one or more blitters gives a huge
> advantage when manipulating displays.

Your're right. Certain operations of moderate complexity - not too simple
like a memory copy, and not too complex, beyond what it was designed for -
can be done much more rapidly by a blitter than by a processor like the
68020. 

The real question is whether the blitter is worth its cost. Machines like
the Mac and the Amiga don't run at the limits of speed for the 68000 family.
Would you rather have a blitter, or have the processor run 30% faster for
all operations? The cost may be comparable.

And don't say you'd like both. :-)

     Radford Neal