Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Grayarea on March 11, 2005, 04:11:04 PM
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I just read with some interest a new board coming this year a PPU or Phisics processing unit.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=21681
Sounds like it could be really usefull in AH :)
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It is just a math co-processor add-on Gray. I find it sort of funny, but yes, a better floating point math co-processor would do wonders for all 3D games.
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Skuzzy you party pooper!
Interesting to see what it can do in hardware though.
I read another article on it claiming quite significant improvments compaired to what is currently possible.
OK I admit it, I am a gadget geek :D
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Yes, I poop parties. :D
I just recall long ago, in a galaxy far, far, ....wait a minute.
Ok,..all better. I remember when it was a big deal to have an FPU in your computer. When I got a hold of my first Motorola FPU for the 68000 CPU I was blown away at the performance difference it made.
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Years ago, I think it was Falcon 3.0....required a math co-processor to render the terrains (hills, etc)
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It was the Star Wars reference,..wasn't it? :D
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Yes, I poop parties. :D
I just recall long ago, in a galaxy far, far, ....wait a minute.
Ok,..all better. I remember when it was a big deal to have an FPU in your computer. When I got a hold of my first Motorola FPU for the 68000 CPU I was blown away at the performance difference it made.
Didn't have an Amiga,,,did ya?
I used to have a 4000 with a 68040 with FPU and MMU, never could afford the PPC upgrade at the time.
Wish I still had it sometimes so much more stable and true pre-emptive multitasking.
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It was a Radio Shack Model 16. I modded it so I could change the defualt 68000 8Mhz CPU to a 10Mhz 68010 and added the FPU socket at the same time.
I had to reverse engineer the Xenix OS to add support for it, but it was worth it. I was able to add support for all kinds of stuff after.
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Originally posted by Kev367th
Didn't have an Amiga,,,did ya?
I used to have a 4000 with a 68040 with FPU and MMU, never could afford the PPC upgrade at the time.
Wish I still had it sometimes so much more stable and true pre-emptive multitasking.
Ahhh Amy. I miss her.
Actually I still have my 2000
Minus the monitor
but I think I still have the adapter for Tv hookup
Just havent run her in a while
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You know they have modded the Amiga OS to run under a Pentium?
Dam expensive though.
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There was a game I played on a cousin's Amiga (back around 1990 or so), you flew a Corsair that was only ever seen side on. Could take off from a carrier loaded with bombs or rockets and could drop them and strafe bases on little islands. It was called "Wings of Fury" or something like that. Anyone else remember that one? I wish I could get a copy of that game for the PC, would keep me entertained for hours. :)
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Never heard of that one. Ony WWII flight sim I played on it was "Their finest hour"
Also played a WWI game called "Wings"
And "F16 combat pilot" as well as "Falcon"
Anyone remember "Feindish Freddy's Big Top O Fun"?
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Wings was great! Fighter Duel was my favorite but brought my 500 to its knees
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
It was a Radio Shack Model 16. I modded it so I could change the defualt 68000 8Mhz CPU to a 10Mhz 68010 and added the FPU socket at the same time.
I had to reverse engineer the Xenix OS to add support for it, but it was worth it. I was able to add support for all kinds of stuff after.
:lol
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Ahh heck dedalos, those were fun times. I had my own internal distribution of the operating system at Tandy for a long time.
It was much faster than what was coming out of software engineering and much more stable.
I loved Motorola/Zilog assembly. The hardware was a piece of cake to mod too. My Mod16 was finally put to sleep last year. It had served me well, but the Z80 motherboard died in it. Not bad for a 20+ year old computer.
Of course, by the end, it would have taken an army of pathologists to figure out it was at one time a Model 16. :D
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=242
Here is my baby
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=84
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NAME 1000
MANUFACTURER TIMEX / SINCLAIR
TYPE Home Computer
ORIGIN U.S.A.
YEAR 1982
BUILT IN LANGUAGE Sinclair Basic
KEYBOARD Membrane keyboard
CPU Zilog Z80A
SPEED 3.25 Mhz
RAM 2 KB
ROM 8 kb
TEXT MODES 32 x 22
GRAPHIC MODES 64 x 44
COLORS None, black & white
SOUND None
SIZE / WEIGHT 16.5(W) x 17.5(D) x 3.8(H) cm
I/O PORTS Expansion bus, tape-recorder, video
POWER SUPPLY 9V external power supply unit
PERIPHERALS Memory modules, thermal printer
PRICE $99.95
Was working for Timex when they purchased the rights to this box from Mr. Sinclair.
Myself and another guy were chosen to write the first marketable demos for the Timex unvailing.
We were BAL programmers and we needed to write the programs in 8080 Assembler ... whoooo weeeee ... talk about trying to fit 5 pounds of manure in a 10 pound bag. If I remember correctly, we only had 8 registers to work with, so there was a whole lot of swapping out and back in to get the job done ... we were use to R0-R15 in BAL.
The program that I wrote was a knock-off of PacMan. I left the company before the release, and my program was eventually titled ... "Grimm's Fairy Trails" ... guess what the last name of the other developer was ... hehe.
Those WERE the days ... but I wouldn't want to go back.
PS ... the only way to save anything on that bloody box was to run it out to a cassette recorder ... held my breath everytime I tried to reload my work the next day.
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Originally posted by dedalos
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=242
Here is my baby
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=84
I still have a working 464 with external disk drive :)
Play with it very occationally and spend most of the time trying to remember the disk commands!
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Heh, its like a geek fight, eh Skuzzy?
Hey now, my R2-D2 can beat up your beer cooler! :p
Heck, he's the most expensive beer fetcher ever but quite a challenge to construct.
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Hey, can that R2D2 bring BLT sandwitches too?
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Good lord you guys are old! I was 3 in 1982 :D
However, I'd like to thank Skuzzy for the "Yes, I poop parties" quote, I have new sig material now :aok
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Originally posted by Grayarea
I still have a working 464 with external disk drive :)
Play with it very occationally and spend most of the time trying to remember the disk commands!
lol, In original box with all the books (1 of them). Last I checked it was running (5 years ago)
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Originally posted by Howitzer
Good lord you guys are old! I was 3 in 1982 :D
However, I'd like to thank Skuzzy for the "Yes, I poop parties" quote, I have new sig material now :aok
Hey Howi,
Just because we could use a computer at the age of 3, it does not mean we are old. Just smarter :lol
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Originally posted by dedalos
Hey Howi,
Just because we could use a computer at the age of 3, it does not mean we are old. Just smarter :lol
LOL alright, you got me there! =)
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LePaul, if that R2D2 of yours touches my beer cooler, it will be converted over to being a can/bottle opener in an instant. :D
1982? hmmm,..I was 28 then.
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LOL
I'll have to post a pic at some point. Its been a fun project. In the next few weeks he'll get painted up, install a custom PC (havent decided on laptop or Mini-PC of some sort) program his AI to his motors, sensors, sounds, etc and take him around to the Pediatrics Ward for the kiddies to see.
I've had a lot of friendly jabs made my way...which is all fine. Its still something to see the reaction on adults and kids faces when they see the fella up close.
28 in 1982? I was...13. Damn. You're old :p
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Well, old farts smell better than young ones is all I got to say.
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I bet you have more hair!