From: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: AmigaWorld LIES about Amiga Links
Date: 4 Sep 92 00:33:59 GMT
Reply-To: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA

In article <9pxyt_b@rpi.edu> danaf@aix.rpi.edu (Frank R. Dana Jr.) writes:

>(plus, I've got THE Dave Haynie as an audience... oooo 8)  )

You won't be so happy to have me listening once you get to the part down
below where I clobber your comments with a painful and bone cruching textual
nikkyo (eg, flames ahead....).

>- If the Video Toaster fits inside and works, it will sell. Commodore had 
>- better  keep in touch with NewTek.

C= keeps in touch with all their active developers.  They all get a crack at
new machines before they're released to the rest of the world.  And we
publish mechanical, electrical, and OS specifications so that nobody needs
to worry about compatibility.  Often, these are even out with the introduction
of the new thing.  If you have a compatibility problem, it's more than likely
the fault of the third party company.  Certainly not always, especially with
software (occasionally, especially in the past, things weren't documented
well enough and developers made honest mistakes).  At other times, the
developers had all the specs and just chose to disregard them.

>- If these computers are really going to be state-of-the-art, the guys at CBM
>   had better forget every mention of the evil word "compatibility". 

I pretty much agree what that.  I claim its C='s obligation to define the
interface and programmers' obligation to use the defined interface.  If this
was always done completely on both sides, every Amiga program should still
be working on the A3000 or any machine to follow.  Keep in mind its still
possible -- MindWalker works on everything we've thrown at it.  When lots of
important programs fail, as was the case with 2.00, C= unfortunately has to 
consider the realities of the market.  Obviously, the more programs that 
don't break the first time around (assuming no introduced bugs, of course),
the faster the software folks can get off compatibility work and on to new
stuff.  2.00 to 2.04 took something like a year.

>- Chip RAM sounded like a nice idea on paper. Let's set aside some RAM that's 
>  used by the custom chips, while all other operations can use the rest of the 
>  system RAM at much faster speeds. However, after 5 years as an Amiga owner, I
>  can testify that CHIP RAM SUX. I'm not saying that Commodore has to entirely
>  eliminate the concept, but how about giving us a little more flexibility? Put
>  in a set of 49-cent DIP switches or a no-cost software control so that WE can
>  set the amount of RAM used for CHIP, and the amount used for FAST. 

Not this again!  Do you really have any idea how the Chip RAM/Fast RAM concept
actually works?  Forget Amiga for a second.  Think of your second favorite
computer, let's say it's a Mac IIcx (I have one of these in my lab).  On the 
Mac IIcx, you have program memory (eg, Fast Memory) on the motherboard (in 
SIMM modules actually), and you have video memory out on a NuBus based video
card.  Well, friends and neighbors, that video memory is just that, video
memory.  You can't run programs out of it, it's dedicated to the video chips.

With me so far.  So now, let's say we put this on the motherboard.  Since it's
going in every machine, let's add the capability to let CPU code run out of 
video RAM.  Every wire on that video RAM bus is different that every wire on
the normal system RAM bus, they just happen to now be on the same motherboard.
This is essentially the same situation you have with Chip RAM vs. Fast RAM.
They're both RAM, but every signal on them is different, and has to be 
different.  

What another anaology?  OK, let's say I have you a jug with two containers,
one filled with Wine and one with Beer.  They're both drinks, but there's no
way I'm going to be able to give you a simple switch to exchange some of the
beer for some of the wine.

>  The A3000 system, where you can put as much RAM in the CHIP bank as you 
>  need, is a step in the right direction, 

That's the best you're going to get.  It can't be any different, and the only
way you'll convince yourself is if you really understand the Chip RAM/Fast
RAM concept.  The RAM can move, just like I could in theory move water between
the Beer and Wine compartments.  But what makes Chip RAM Chip RAM is total
subserviance to Agnus, and what makes Fast RAM Fast RAM is being out of the
way of Agnus.  They're totally isolated from one another.


-- 
Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests"
   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh      BIX: hazy
	"Work like a horse, drink like a fish"	- Psychefunkapus
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy