Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!mailrus!ames!haven!aplcen!mimsy!eneevax!smaug
From: smaug@eneevax.UUCP (Kurt Lidl)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Article in Electronic Engineering Times
Keywords: CBM,Amiga,C-A,Comdex,Electronic Engineering Times,Transputer
Message-ID: <1914@eneevax.UUCP>
Date: 9 Dec 88 23:53:18 GMT
References: <495@morgoth.UUCP> <37@microsoft.UUCP>
Reply-To: smaug@eneevax.umd.edu.UUCP (Kurt Lidl)
Organization: University of Merryland, EE Computer Staff
Lines: 79

In article <37@microsoft.UUCP> w-colinp@microsoft.UUCP (Colin Plumb) writes:
>In article <495@morgoth.UUCP> steve@morgoth.UUCP (Steven G. Hall) writes:
>>Quotation from EE Times:
>>     Commodore took the opportunity at Comdex to show prototypes of a
>>Transputer-based Amiga system.  It also displayed - to selected
>>parties - a 68030 powered system.
>
>What *is* this?  A transputer-based Amiga would not, in my opinion,
>be an Amiga.  The transputer has a strange and wonderful multitasking
>system in microcode, and it doesn't resemble Exec.  I suppose you could
>implelent Exec on a transputer, but it seems odd, and you would have
>to break a few rules that might not be breakable on the next generation
>of transputers.
>
>Also, the nice thing about transputers is the small cell size you can
>achieve when hooking up a lot of them - not quite a personal computer's
>worry (yet, at least).  Other than that, it's a most annoying chip to
>work with - metastability on the MemWait pin, no supervisor mode, etc.
>
>I assume this EE Times reporter is talking through his hat, but could
>someone who knows reassure me?
>
>Thanks.
>
>(P.S. I also like the reference to the 500, and, "at the other end of the
>performance spectrum", the 2000.  Gee, I hadn't noticed one was faster
>than the other; had you?)
>-- 
>	-Colin (uunet!microsof!w-colinp)

Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Article in Electronic Engineering Times
Summary: Transputer clarification
References: <495@morgoth.UUCP> <37@microsoft.UUCP>
Reply-To: smaug@eneevax.umd.edu.UUCP (Kurt Lidl)
Distribution: net
Organization: University of Merryland, EE Computer Staff
Keywords: CBM,Amiga,C-A,Comdex,Electronic Engineering Times,Transputer

In article <37@microsoft.UUCP> w-colinp@microsoft.UUCP (Colin Plumb) writes:
:In article <495@morgoth.UUCP> steve@morgoth.UUCP (Steven G. Hall) writes:
:>Quotation from EE Times:
:>     Commodore took the opportunity at Comdex to show prototypes of a
:>Transputer-based Amiga system.  It also displayed - to selected
:>parties - a 68030 powered system.

:What *is* this?  A transputer-based Amiga would not, in my opinion,
:be an Amiga.

Sure it is - just stick your good old transputer on a card into a B2000
and you have a transputer based system... Same way we get '020 and '030
systems today.  Having a computer with expansion slots is pretty nifty,
eh?

:The transputer has a strange and wonderful multitasking
:system in microcode, and it doesn't resemble Exec.  I suppose you could
:implelent Exec on a transputer, but it seems odd, and you would have
:to break a few rules that might not be breakable on the next generation
:of transputers.

Personally, I would like to a decent implementation of Exec on
transputers.  Would probably be at least comparable to Helios (this is
tongue-in-cheek, I've never even fully read the Helios specs....).

:Also, the nice thing about transputers is the small cell size you can
:achieve when hooking up a lot of them - not quite a personal computer's
:worry (yet, at least).  Other than that, it's a most annoying chip to
:work with - metastability on the MemWait pin, no supervisor mode, etc.

:Thanks.

You're welcome.

:	-Colin (uunet!microsof!w-colinp)
-- 
==================================================================
==  Kurt J. Lidl  (smaug@eneevax.umd.edu)	(301)454-3184	==
==  UUCP: [seismo,allegra]!umcp-cs!eneevax!smaug		==
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