Re: [MiNT] EmuTOS for ColdFire

[Lonny Pursell <atari@bright.net>]

on 5/4/09 1:27 AM, Maurits van de Kamp wrote:

>  However, I wouldn't even consider
> wasting what little resources and 'purchase potential' there is on
> porting the system to an already aged processor that's only slightly
> faster.

There certainly is no easy answer. Which ever way you go someone is not
happy.  Something has to break or give, that much I agree with any.  I've
done the whole, ST, MegaST, TT, Hades upgrade path, each time something no
longer works, but at the same time, something new does and new possibilities
arise. If someone can't handle the loss I say for god sakes don't sell off
that old machine.  Stuff it in a room somewhere or sit it beside the new
toy.  :)

Don't want to put you on the spot, but have you some solid benchmarks that
prove this slightly faster comment?  I've been plugging away on an 060 for
8+ years with what amounts to no end in sight, until recently. Give me 4
times faster (rough estimate) and I can easily go another 8 or more.  It
easily puts some things that were on the edge of doing, doable.  And some
stuff that was not, could be possible.

It's not that hard to port stuff, once the tool chain is in place.  It's
just a recompile more or less. It all comes down to the right tools.  If you
are already using 'C' you will have a nice head start.

I also think this can be viewed as a stepping stone.  The work done on
porting the system would help later to move it to a different processor.  It
forces the sources to be cleaned up, especially the assembler parts.

Those that are not interested, just aren't. They don't have to buy into the
idea.  They can wait around for that non-68k based machine that is more than
'slightly' faster as you put it.  How long a wait, who knows.  ;-))

-- 
Lonny Pursell    http://www.bright.net/~gfabasic/