Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!tektronix!tekig5!wayneck
From: wayneck@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Wayne Knapp)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Self-modifying code
Message-ID: <3057@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM>
Date: 28 Jul 88 17:48:39 GMT
References: <1988Jul26.024039.28579@utzoo.uucp> <4333@cbmvax.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, Or.
Lines: 36

In article <4333@cbmvax.UUCP>, daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes:
> in article <1988Jul26.024039.28579@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) says:
> > The 630, designed rather more recently, does things the same way.  So
> > do the monochrome Suns.
> 
> All the monochrome Suns-2s around here have a pretty piss-poor graphic
> preformance as compared to what the Amiga does with it's blitter and
> some well written code.  Not to imply that all of the Amiga's video
> routines are as fast as they could be, they certainly aren't.  And the
> Sun-2s are even running faster than the Amiga.  Certainly you may be
> able to get better display performance out of a Sun-3, but with a fast
> 68020, you'd be pretty hurtin' if you couldn't.  And still, at least
> with out UNIX software (I did put the "well-written" qualifier in), our
> text scrolling is several time that of the Sun-3's I've seen. 
> 

Yes but there is a valid reason.  The Amiga is only (at least the workbench)
updating a 320x200x2bit plane display.  The sun screen is much, much larger,
(maybe 1000 x 800?).   It is a whole lot easier to move around 16k or so
than up to say 100k on the sun.

This just like comparing the Amiga to the Mac II.  The Amiga isn't that
speedy if you are using HAM 640x400, which is 192k of memory.  Then 
the Mac II also slows down in its 640x400x8 mode which is 256k of memory.
But I would having a 256 color palette is much nicer than HAM in my opinion. 

Things like blitters are nice, but I would much rather have a better CPU.
Now how about a 68000 like CPU with say 128 data reg. and 128 address reg..
That is somethin I really could get into using.  Things like blitters are
a dime a dozen, I want some real power!

                                   Wayne Knapp 


P.S. The Amiga was pretty hot three years ago, but I just think that in 
general it is no longer that wonderful.  Time for a major upgrade?