From: fihsu@athena.mit.edu (Hsu I-wei)
Subject: Re: A Commodore Engineer speaks out.
Keywords: Reverse Enginneering AGA - can it be done?
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 01:43:53 GMT

In article <1992Oct5.160442.18785@clipper.ingr.com> kontos@clipper.ingr.com (Thorne Kontos) writes:
>I write: PUBLISH THE SPECS/REGISTERS OF THE AGA CHIPSET
>Spence Shannon replies: Shan't!
>But he goes on to say: 
>Suppose that next year we bring out another machine based on a different chip
>set that can do even more wonderful things than AA can. BUT, this new chip set
>doesn't have the same registers as AA. Why not? Because our chip designers could
>build the new chip set faster and cheaper than if it had to worry about AA
>register compatibility. That's reasonable isn't it? After all, only myself and
>Chris Green need to know how to program these chips.
>
>Now how are we to take this piece of news?
>That an even more advanced chip-set is in the works, that will orphan the
>AGA set in a year's time? But why start another rumor...

Of course there's a more advanced chipset in the works!  And eventually one
which will "orphan" the AGA.  A year?  heheh.  I'd be mighty impressed and
surprised.  You know how computer companies are with time schedules.  No,
have no fear about the AGA.  It should be "good" for a while.  There might be
improvements to the chipset in the near future, but more like the ECS of
AGA.  Someone who got their A4000 recently commented that there was a 
2M->8M chip RAM switch, so that might be a little hint of what is to come
in the "near" future?  Your flippant remark about starting another rumor I
wish I didn't have to read.

>So lets talk about reverse engineering.
>
>[boasts about how he could do this, but that some hacker will probably beat
>him to it]
>
>Let me add one thing to this discussion.

It's about time.

>>Hang on a second.  This wonderful whizz-bang AA game of yours doesn't work
>>on this new super-duper Amiga, so who do the customers complain to?  Not you.
>>Us!
>
>You do not see me complaining about the Game Market. I do not have

What kind of Amiga do you have anyways? I don't play many games on my
A3000, yet I regret not being able to play some of the best games or look
at the best demos which seem only to work on an A500 and/or KS 1.3. (Not
that this has to do with the AGA chipset. My point is that I want
compatibility in the future.)

>the time to waste playing even a tenth of the games that are 
>available. I have one favorite, Empire, by Interstel. And every knows
>the quality of graphics in that game. What I am saying is that graphics
>are becoming the most important thing to the games market today. It is a 
>shame that graphics is even replacing quality and new ideas. (The too 
>numerous Mario clones being a prime example.) 
>
>Still, the idea of a whizz-bang game or demo IS WHAT PUT YOU WHERE
>YOU ARE TODAY. The mere fact that people could create all of the
>spectacular effects with an Amiga is what sold them the machine in the
>first place. Something that could not be done in the sterile 
>environments of the MAC and PC. If, we the customer complain, then
>you had better well listen. Your comment sounds like a gripe about

And what about the customers that _support_ C='s decision. If you haven't
been paying any attention to what some other people have been saying, I
assure you that the support exists despite your complaining.

>the person who ultimately pays your check. But, if you are sick of
>hearing us complain, either give us some solutions or stop reading
>the news.

No, I enjoy hearing you complain. Like you said, someone will reverse
engineer it, so what're you complaining about? Consider C='s decision not
to publish certain info as a sign of their official position. They want
future compatibility for all software created from this point on.  There's
no law which says you can't figure out the register addresses for yourself,
so WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. Personally, I wish that C=
didn't have to deny this knowledge, but it seems to be the best way to
ensure future and even backwards compatibility. But like you said, some
hacker will find out anyways, so you shouldn't be complaining.  (Unless
you're truly afraid that nobody will do it, and that you aren't able to.)

>
>
>                                            Thorne Kontos

Francis


Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy