Re: [MiNT] New MiNT distribution is n.. ..pro

[Johan Klockars <rand@cd.chalmers.se>]

> > We can't stay stuck to the 680x0 forever. 
> 
> Please explain what you find so limiting on m68k processors.  

The m68k series is several generations behind the current processors.
An 800 MHz AMD Athlon is 'somewhat' faster than an 80 MHz '060...

> If you really expect people to change architecture (even if a 68k
> emulator is included), you must give them some real-life reasons

Most people hardly know what 'architecture' means.

A good Atari emulator on recent PC/Mac hardware should be about as fast
(perhaps even faster) as the best 'real' Atari you can get. At least my
400 MHz AMD K6-3 (which is quite slow compared to the latest PIIIe/Athlon)
with Gemulator2000 is at least as fast (on pure number crunching) as my
Falcon+AB040.

> IMHO, an m68k clocked around 80 MHz should be more than enough.

That _very_ much depends on what you're doing.
It certainly wouldn't be enough for a large part of what I use computers
for almost every day.

> The only reason why people could want anything faster is if they
> don't know how to code efficiently.  The same goes for the
> "ram is an infinite resource" argument.

That's just silly.

For that matter, most people don't write their own software (and among
those that do, not very many know how to code efficiently).

> A technological argument means absolutely zippo, when the whole
> point is to make something for real-life users who want to surf,
> draw and make music, instead of wasting their day bragging about

Real-life users do a lot more things than that, of course.
Even so, if that was all they did, they would most likely be better off
with something besides an Atari. Especially if they were going to buy
a new machine.

> specs and not getting anything accomplished with their machine
> like Amiga and PC people do.

Please!

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