Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!rutgers!bellcore!clyde!watmath!watdragon!violet!kgschlueter
From: kgschlueter@violet.waterloo.edu (Kevin Schlueter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Next Amiga system
Message-ID: <8824@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Date: 2 Oct 88 04:29:19 GMT
References: <7349@gryphon.CTS.COM> <5675@killer.DALLAS.TX.US> <7408@gryphon.CTS.COM>
Sender: daemon@watdragon.waterloo.edu
Reply-To: kgschlueter@violet.waterloo.edu (Kevin Schlueter)
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
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So far in this thread, people have been saying that future Amigas should
have higher resolution.  I agree with this to a point, but feel that
many of the higher resolution needs will be adequately addressed by the
new 2024 monitor.  

What we need most, graphics wise, is more colours.  Firstly, we need an
expanded pallette -- 8 bits each of red, green and blue would be
sufficient for just about any application.  Secondly, we need more
simultaneous onscreen colours.  Personally, I would like to see support
for up to 12 bit planes (in hires).  It would be okay if you had to 
upgrade your memory to do this though.  Many people will claim that 8 bit
planes is enough.  These people should try doing smooth shading of a
reasonably complex scene (like you might get in your standard desktop
video).

I've been wondering why chip memory isn't further subdivided into banks.
Having several banks of chip memory would allow parallel blits.  It would
also allow (I think) more bitplanes (if you have enough bandwidth for 4
bitplanes, don't you have enough bandwidth to put 4 bitplanes in each of
3 separate banks (each bank being on a separate bus, of course)).

Really pie in the sky stuff:
- how about a 4x4 matrix multiplier (in hardware)
- how about a hardware clipper
- what about putting the graphics chips on a card that goes in a special slot,
  so that they could be easily replaced when new chips are designed


Disclaimer:
I don't work for Commodore.  Therefore it is really easy for me to make   
suggestions regarding future Amigas.  Afterall, it's not my paycheque 
on the line, is it?