Paging Guig

you think the Pentium processor wasn't designed to run a GUI?

So you've never heard of DirectX and/or hardware graphics
acceleration.

I'm not bothering any more, 'cos you know? I don't actually care.

 

I think so. When I last saw an iPod being used on the move they didn't
have a mains adapter socket, so the only way to charge was to dock it.

 

It may or may not be - I know some of how the GUI works but as to
whether it's a bodge or not I wouldn't like to say. The fact still
remains that there's responsive windows programs out there, so the
iTunes interface can't be blamed on windows. Tools, workmen?

I can understand them not doing a sterling job for comparison with Macs
(look at how bad windows is compared to the same program on a Mac, now,
wouldn't you like one of those?).

However, as they've tried to get the look and feel of a Mac interface on
hardware and software (as you say) that isn't designed in the same way
are you entirely surprised? I suppose the one thing that would solve
this would be a linux version of iTunes.

What say you, Apple?

 

I'll rather blame it on bad programming. I've seen some really innovative
and unwindowsey guis on programs that run wonderfully.

 

Yep. Actually managed to get some songs on too this morning before leaving
for work.
All i gotta do now is convert the wma files i have on the puter so i can
have em on the ipod and im sorted.
I cant re rip em cos they were directly downloaded from petrolcans HD.

 

Well I spent some time looking at the Pentium and Pentium Pro
architectures a few years ago and I can't recall them being designed to
run a GUI.

Designed as a fast processor with support for multiple threads, tasks,
pre-fetching, simultaneous execution and other stuff I've forgotten
but... designed to run a GUI? No, must have missed that bit.

Mind you, I didn't ever see anything about the 68000 series being
designed to run a GUI either.

Anyone else care to explain how the pentium was 'designed to run a gui'?

Note- not saying it wasn't, just that I don't recall discussions about
it being designed in this fashion.

 

SteveH :

Everything you know is wrong.

 

Wasn't the MMX instruction set designed with GUI systems in mind or has
that been dropped now. It's years since I last looked at processor
architectures.

 

I *think* the MMX instruction set arrived after the initial pentium. At
least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

 

In the original 680x0 series Macs, it wasn't the processor, more the
custom chips surrounding it - think cut-down Amiga in concept - the GUI
was coded into a ROM chip.

For later machines, the PPC processors (from the 603 through G-series)
are designed around handling large amounts of 'eye candy'. Again, the
overall architecture and custom chips help with this.

That's my understanding, anyway.

Still reckon the Amiga would have been one hell of a machine if
Commodore hadn't blown all their money on Wintel stuff.

 

(SteveH) burbled:

The bitplane-based graphics hardware was somewhat of a bad idea, in
retrospect; byte-per-pixel would have made more sense. Of course, for
the old 2D scrolling games the Miggy did so well, bitplanes worked
brilliantly - Commodore couldn't have known about the impending 3D
revolution.

 

Aye, that was it's downfall. Bitplanes have their place, though. If
Commodore could have added byte-per-pixel to the bitplanes then it would
have taken over the world ;-)

Stunning thing about the Amiga, for me, was it's audio capabilities.
Many a happy hour has spent remixing samples and loops on Protracker

 

(SteveH) burbled:

OctaMED for me.

Still got my A1200 around here, and an abused A500 I acquired
somewhere too. Happy days...

 

Might have been the 5gb one which came with fek all, the 10gb one came with
belt case (which I broke ), in-line remote control (never used), and a
mains adaptor. When I'm in the States next month I'm going to stock up on
things like a plush wee belt case and some other bits and bobs for it.
Cheaper there anyway.
--
Guig
GSF600SY Bandit - It's blue you know.
CBFA #1

Oh for the wings of any bird, other than a battery hen.

 

www.winstonsmith.com

 

Champ :

Errrr, I think I nicked that from darsy, TBH.

 

darsy :

?

 

No, it was designed to allow audio and video data to be processed in
fewer processor cycles, at the sime time removing the need for expensive
DSP chips.

Basically you can shift more data with fewer instructions using MMX
instructions.

Technical gumf here for anyone trying to get to sleep..
http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/Page_AoAWin/HTML/TheMMXInstructionSet.html

 

I'm glad you work in a supermarket and not in IT sales.

 

Do you speak iMac? ;-)