Newsgroups: comp.arch Path: utzoo!henry From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: How does the i860 compare as a Message-ID: <1989Mar28.164428.20458@utzoo.uucp> Organization: U of Toronto Zoology References: <222551@<1989Mar25> <46500057@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: Tue, 28 Mar 89 16:44:28 GMT In article grunwald@flute.cs.uiuc.edu writes: >While Henry Spencer is correct in stating that the Blit software was >responsive, I'll bet you ducks to donkeys that: > > + it only runs on Blits True, although there are three different pieces of hardware that come under that generic term (the original Bell Labs one, the 5620, and the 630). > + it can't run over a network, like X What precisely do you mean, "over a network"? If you mean, with the graphic interaction remote from the application process, that is *exactly* how Blits work, necessarily so, because the Blit is a terminal and is not capable of running the application code. > + it probably didn't handle color No, although there's no fundamental reason why it couldn't have. One of the fundamental costs of color is more bits to push around; this is a good reason to avoid it if you don't need it. > + it's not used anymore It's in daily use in many places, although it is not as ubiquitous as X. -- Welcome to Mars! Your | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology passport and visa, comrade? | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu