From: keith@cco.caltech.edu (Keith Allan Schneider)
Newsgroups: alt.sys.amiga.demos
Subject: Re: Phenomena egos??
Date: 8 Nov 1992 12:40:58 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: punisher.caltech.edu

mjbrown@lonestar.utsa.edu (Marc J. Brown) writes:

>In article <1dhp99INNqn5@gap.caltech.edu> keith@cco.caltech.edu (Keith Allan Schneider) writes:

>>Todays
>>machines are fast enough (unless you're still using a 68000) to handle
>>a little code sloppiness.  Portability is more important, now.

>The Amiga has probably the best downward-compatibility of any computer...

That's because so little has changed... besides, somehow I doubt that
the demos (which emply many hardware tricks) will work so well on the
A4000.  Many of them won't even run on my 3000...

>>Unix machine?  That's right, there's not much point.  Everything is
>>written in C, to be portable, and is compiled on the appropriate machine.

>Yeah.  Therefore, demos are less practical for these machines.  You may
>argue that they're useless wastes of time... but that, obviously, is
>the dead-end argument that "a good thing is really a bad thing."

No, I'm just saying that most people are not programming in machine
code any longer, due to the popularity and versatility of the Unix
machines.

>>the configuration is the same.  But alas, you demos will soon become
>>a thing of the past.

>Downward-compatibility can keep that from happening...

But downward compatibilty really can be rather limiting.  There comes a
point where compatibilty must be broken if any progress is going to
be made.  OF course, if you write in a high level language, you can port
your program no matter what happens to the hardware (with a few
modifications).

>>Once you realize that portability and not size and speed optimization
>>is the emphasis, you will see why no one really bothers to write
>>demos anymore.

>I think you've taken on a corrupt viewpoint of the situation.  People do
>write demos.  It is a very fun hobby, and the results are distributable,
>and there can even be very positive results of your efforts.  What if I
>said "Jeez... CDs sure are a waste of time... can't play 'em on my LD-
>player." ...?

You can play CDs on most laser disc players.  And I'm not saying that writing
demos is worthless.  I realize that it takes quite a bit of skill to
dream up and create those things.  They are very impressive.  However,
the knowledge is very specialized and is thus limited.  As soon as the
particular platform is out-of-date, you have to learn so much new stuff.
Of course, if you hang on to the obsolete computer for many years...

>>because the clever people here in the US seem to be doing more
>>productive and useful programming.

>With personal interest specifically in mind.  That's not an attitude I'd
>like associated with me, personally :).  BTW, do you think I'm European?
>Sounds like it...

By productive and useful programming, I meant portable stuff (ie in high
level languages).  I know very few people who keep up with the 
machine codes.  For example, how many of you out there know the new
68040 instructions?  Yes, I did think you were European.

keith

Newsgroups: alt.sys.amiga.demos