Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!apple!oliveb!amiga!jimm
From: jimm@amiga.UUCP (Jim Mackraz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: New stuff
Keywords: 680x0's and computers in general
Message-ID: <3700@amiga.UUCP>
Date: 27 Mar 89 19:44:01 GMT
References: <2017.AA2017@panchax>
Reply-To: jimm@cloyd.UUCP (Jim Mackraz)
Organization: Commodore-Amiga Inc, Los Gatos CA
Lines: 51

In article <2017.AA2017@panchax> richard@panchax.gryphon.COM (Richard J. Sexton) writes:
)
)A couple of things I've noticed that could have a dramatic
)impact on computers i ngeneral and 680x0 based systems in
)specific.
)
)1) DAT decks.
)	I recently read an article in a magazine that made the
)	point that DAT decks are on the verge of replacing
)	CD's and vinyl for consumer audio. They also made
)	the point that volume of scale is going to 
)	make these things pretty cheap in a couple of
)	years, and that a home/audio deck could also
)	be shared as a harddisk backup device.

I worked on a project using RDAT's as PC backups.  There are two big "if's."

1) Will the RDAT really catch on?  Not real clear, since even where they're legal
  they haven't jumped off the shelves, it seems.  If they don't happen RSN,
  they might get skipped over for imminent recordable optical techology.
  They DO hold a lot more info than a CD, though, and are probably easier
  to use in a car.

2) Can you make a decent backup using consumer components?

One nice thing you would expect out an integrated music/data solution would
be a nice audio digitizer at no extra cost ;^)

The RDAT is a nice thing, though.  There's a button on the Sony which means
"Skip this song, and never play it again."  Also, the seek operation is
viciously fast, for tape.  Quite suitable for audio needs, in my opinion.
Not as nice as having a big optical archive disk on your computer, though.

)2) Math chips
)	Two things ARE clear though: 1) it's FAST, and 2) we'd
)	better start making noises to support this thing compiler
)	/library wise so it's ready when the chip is available.
)	It's supposed to sell for $500 (in lots of 2500) for
)	a 25 Mhz 121 pin package sometime around April.
)	Wait a minute THIS April ?  Wowsers... too late.

The ieee libraries should be able to make use of any reasonable chip, even
if it doesn't drop in as a coprocessor. 

	jimm

-- 
Jim Mackraz, I and I Computing	   	"Like you said when we crawled down
{cbmvax,well,oliveb}!amiga!jimm          from the trees: We're in transition."
							- Gang of Four
Opinions are my own.  Comments are not to be taken as Commodore official policy.