I said:
> > As for the processor - Surely no-one can suggest that the new Amiga should use
> > a CISC chip, particulary a Pentium? No matter how much dosh Intel chucks at it,
> > surely the development potential of the Pentium must be reaching the end of its
> > useful life, whereas the potential of RISC, is still in its infancy.
Chris Wiles:
> Why? Anyway, who said 'Intel' are the only chip producers. For instance, an
> AMD K6-II, running at 450Mhz, IMHO, is rather fast, and extremelly cheap.
When I deride Intel, I place any x86 instruction set compatable processor in the
same sinking boat.
The whole Pentium type processor is designed to work with the 20 year old
architecture that is the PC. Bolt on all the 'bells & whistles' that you like,
but the 20 year old, poorly handling 'chassis' remains. Therefore, the Pentium
chip also surely has to be regarded as a rather outdated concept.
Where else in any appliance would you find a Pentium? To my knowledge - nowhere!
For instance, why is it that the consle manufacturers don't adopt an x86
compatable chip in it's 'toys'? Why do they adopt a RISC architecture? There
has to be a reason.
> You couldn't (atm) get a RISC chip for the price of an AMD chip ^ :(
Mass market = cheap, niche market = expensive.
To reiterate: The potential of a RISC architecture is massive. Too massive to
just sweep under the carpet and forget about just because it cannot be
incorporated into that relic from the 70's we all love to hate, but just accept
as being the norm.
CISC (or a hybrid RISC/CISC) may have some advantages over RISC, but not enough
to justify it's inclusion in any next generation platform which, I hope, the new
Amiga will be allowed to grow into.
/steps down from soapbox/
BTW, shouldn't this be on the Amiga-talk NG? Who started it? ;-)
_____________________________________________________________
NetConnect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send an 'unsubcribe'
message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
