Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!van-bc!root
From: lphillips@lpami.van-bc.UUCP (Larry Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Hardware/software mixes.
Message-ID: <1644@van-bc.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 87 03:55:13 GMT
Sender: root@van-bc.UUCP
Lines: 53


 >Promises of an 80286 Janus, rumors of 386 cards (on PC 8 bit bus?),

Well, not really, the clone side has 2 ready-to-wear AT style slots, and 2
more that need only connectors to make them 16 bit slot.

 >As a final item for all of you to think on. Recall the various
 >attempts to mix various different hardwares and programming
 >systems in the same box, and their fate.

i don't know if you are referring to the 68000/Bridge combination or the
68000/68020 combination, so I'll mention both.

I'm not familiar with most of the examples given, but usually, the two
hardware/software environments are mutually exclusive, and will not run at
the same time. In the case of the 68000/Bridge combination we have a
situation where there are two full blown processors that do not share a
lot of resources, or at least are not required to share most resources. To
me, this means that one can indeed have the best of both worlds, and at
the same time, unlike most other attempts to marry vastly different
hardware.

The 68000/68020 is, (or at least is hinted at being), a mutually exclusive
environment, but the redeeming virtue here is that the Amiga's OS is
already capable of handling the two different hardware environments. I
would imagine there will be enhancements to the OS to make it even more
transparent.

This is not to ay I disagree with the feeling that perhaps the '020 should
go on board, but I do think that the 2000 is a good move, and that the
provision for a better chip is icing on the cake, allowing users to choose
between cost and performance without closing off any options, while
increasing the chances that the 2000 can be made more compatible with
future machines.

 >Can anyone offer a machine/system of this type that has become
 >even a modest success?

The C128. 

 > ...  Rostyslaw Jarema Lewyckyj

Larry Phillips.


--
The transistor is a curiosity, and will never amount to much.
    -- Mr. Stringer, Basic Electronic Instructor, RCAF, 1962.
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