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Deja Vu #04
31 марта 1998 |
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ANOTHER WORLD - On a computer Be Box.
SoundTrack: MR.Z/LS/98 ZTIMEV2 LTP (C) BD
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Edition: Ze Pagan / PGC / BD
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*
In connection with the wishes of our readers
this issue we have decided not to
S hung up on PC; AMIGA
c S or SPECCY. This does not means that
S em, that we will no longer work) S thief in this direction,
M S just beyond vyshenazvanya S GOVERNMENTAL platforms will
rassmaR S sidered and other, al S ternativnye if you want.
As a rule they are not well known and I think
it will be interesting to know about them, even if they do not
get distribution. Thus, the new section opens up more recent
development - computer BeBox. The material is based on the
publication of the magazine Computer Press ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Be Box
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Before I proceed directly to
topic is a little to recall the story ...
Maybe someone else remembers this name:
Jean-Louis Gasse (Jean-Louis Gassee). Ten
years he worked at Apple, and in 1982
founded Apple France and directed it. Suddenly, in 1990 he
resigned his high office and founded his own company. Five
years Gasse virtually disappeared from the horizon and began to
forget about him. And in early October of 1995, at an elite
conference Agenda-96, took home a computer sensation of the
year. Jean-Louis Gasse Chairman and CEO of Be, Inc., announced
to the world the birth of an entirely new computing platform
and, more interestingly, completely new operating system.
This turn of events was not expecting anyone. It was indeed
a challenge - go on market with a new computer with the OS, not
having a single application immediately after the release of
Windows 95. Nothing like this has not happened since 1988 and
almost all were confident that never again and never will.
Indeed, recall that the birth
all modern platforms fit in
few years: 1981-IBM PC, 1984-McIntosh
1985-86-Amiga, Archimedes 1986-1987-NeXT.
Then there were, and Sun, and Silicon. Since
then - silence ...
The underlying thesis of developers Be
- An evolutionary way of development of hardware and
software architecture of modern computers are gradually
exhausted, the rate of development are increasingly lagging
behind the latest advances of technology. The need for
continuity and consistency leads to that radical changes in
modern OS to make an incredibly difficult-for example, or
Win95, or MacOS do not have the normal support
multiprotsessirovaniya and embed it there is almost impossible.
Or wrong? Attempts to somehow overcome all of these
"Age-related diseases" architectures are taken and Apple
(PowerPC), and Intel (NSP), - but are partial, since
you can not throw tens of millions of users. Developers Be, not
burdened by Sim the burden of interoperability, tried to start,
as they say, with a clean slate. So, let's see what they have
...
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
At the heart of computer architecture is symmetrical Be
multiprotsessirovanie. First BeBox built on two processors
PowerPC 603/66MGts; in the following models will be used 604e,
further possible output model to four PowerPC 620. The maximum
is the number of processors to eight. Therefore, the first
model should be treated rather as an inexpensive and as simple
machine, designed primarily to develop software.
BeBox contains two system printed
board - the main processor board (Main
Processor Board, 6-layer, single circuit) and an I - O (4
ply, two-way circuit). On
the main board there are processors, the chip
Motorola MPC105 (acting as a memory controller, arbiter
processor bus and bridges, "PCI-processor" and "PCI-memory")
Slots DRAM (8 banks, SIMMs with a speed of 60 ns and faster,
with capacities from 1 to 128Mb, are added in pairs), Flash ROM
(128 Kb). Bus 64-bit processor has the figures 32-bit address
and control signals. Processors and the bus to work "bigendian"
addressable.
The developers have laid into the architecture of Be
Box just two I / O Bus - PCI and
ISA. PCI is used to connect high-speed devices and graphics
cards. On the bus are MPC105, Controller
SCSI, three 32-bit slots and bridge PCI-ISA.
Bus runs with a clock speed of 33MHz.
All three slots can accept full-size
card.
ISA bus designed to work with less
high-speed devices, as well as compatibility with devices and
cards for the PC, For example, network cards, modems (for
connecting them to the BeBox need the software driver that runs
in OS Be). "Obsolete" ISA is included in the BeBox is for To Be
users have access to a huge fleet of cheap and affordable
devices, PC-platform. Intel 82378 chip provides a timing bus,
and also works as a bridge PCI-ISA, the controller Interrupt,
ISA DMA (7 channels, including the FDD, IDE parallel port and
audio codec) and arbiter bus PCI.
It should be noted particularly that the drafters sought
everywhere to choose standard and not the most expensive
components for building machine.
I / O board is parallel to the back of the computer, and
connectors for connecting external devices installed throughout
its area, perpendicular the board's plane.
INPUT-OUTPUT
Standard input-output as close to the PC AT-standards to
reduce the cost and facilitate the complete set of computers.
But There are a number of unique opportunities for BeBox.
Built-in SCSI-Controller - is NCR53C
810, which provides the Fast SCSI
-2. SCSI bus is connected to the internal and external
50kontaktnomu connector 50-pin SCSI-2.
Use an ordinary 3.5-inch floppy drive,
1.44Mb. Controller keyboard and mouse is a standard for PC
8042, with the same BIOS. Connector to connect the keyboard -
5-pin DIN, the mouse connects via 6-pin
Mini-DIN connector. Mouse - two-button,
but the use of a three-button is also allowed.
BeBox has 4 standard for AT 9shtyrkovyh serial ports. Ports
Serial 1 and 2 satisfy the standard ISA
and PREP, and are consistent with the addresses and COM1
COM2. The other two, Serial 3 and 4 are non-standard frequency
which is compatible with MIDI (although they can maintain and
normal speed). The parallel port also uses normal for AT 25-pin
connector. Two-port MIDI (5-pin DIN MIDI for
input and output) provide a direct, without
additional adapters that connect MIDI
Devices to BeBox. Two 15-pin joystick ports are compatible with
game controllers used in PC.
There are three infra-red port
each of which may be connected to
infrared emitter and receiver. Each port can be programmed
for remote control applications
or the system as a whole will be possible
through their exchange of data, not reported.
The computer contains an entire sound system. 16-bit CODEC
provides sampling and playback of sounds; supported sample rate
up to 44.1 and 48 kHz. There is a line (RCA), MIC (3.5-mm
mini-jack) and CD-audio inputs. Outputs - Headphone (30omny
such as walkman, mini-jack) and Line (RCA). Internal amplifier
runs on a built-in speaker. The plans - providing an interface
with digital audio AES / EB U and SPDIF.
Original work of designers
BeBox is GeekPort. Its 37 contacts
distributed as follows: 16 pins - two 8bitnyh bidirectional
data port (which can be used as a 16 inputs or 16 outputs, or 8
inputs, 8 outputs), four analog-digital contact (each which can
be processed 12-bit ADC), four digital-analog (connected
8-bit DAC), four pins - power supply (+12, -12, and two on +5
B); 7 kontaktovzemlya (two feet failed to find). This port can
be a boon for developers of complex gaming and fitness
controllers, as well as used in Be connected to various devices
and systems.
SOFTWARE
A new operating system-Be.
This is a truly multi-tasking, multi-threaded
(Preemptive multithreading) OS with a microkernel-based
multiprocessor-type Mach. Provide the most advanced algorithms
of virtual memory. Each application can generate a set of
thread-processes, both explicitly on the instructions of the
programmer, and be automatically, through the operating system
services. All the processes are working in one application
a common memory area, protected from
other applications. Two or more applications can also share the
memory area.
There are tools work in real time, for example, for
processing video and audio data. The system provides efficient
data flow through the alignment of the sequence of buffers and
holding them through the chain of handlers. Treatment can be
synchronized from external source, you can sync
processing of multiple threads.
The system of integrated networking TCP
/ IP. To connect to the network requires only
inexpensive ISA Ethernet-card type NE2000
or 3Com 3C503. Naturally, the Be operating system has a modern
graphical windowing interface. Browser, included in its
composition, provides a graphical representation of
information, lets you manage your computer, look in the file
system and database data and open documents, run
program.
Each window can have its own graphical environment. Since
each window controlled by your sub-user when switching from one
window to another job in the first window does not stop - so
you can parallel in one window to broadcast the program,
another to edit the text, in two more - to drive it with
different conditions for debugging. Animation, video, graphic
representation of sound, scrolling text, paging and display of
WWW-pages, compute-intensive - simultaneously in different
windows, without delay and stuttering, and all this under the
growing sounds of "Let it Be" Beatles - the demonstration
opportunities for car struck participants Agenda-96. The second
time in the history of the conference hall stood up and gave a
standing ovation!
Well, I guess on that optimistic note, and you can finish a
brief overview new computer BeBox. I think you have been
without interest to learn about the birth of another
cool platform!
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--------------------------------
Who will overtake IBM?
In 1985, there was a significant and
I must say, is not an ordinary event. Infamous Steve Jobs
founded "Next Inc.", Believing that she could
make the next leap forward in the computer industry. What is
still based his confidence? After all, he had a competition
with two powerful producers Computer - "Apple Computer" and
"International Bussnes Mashines". (Hereinafter IBM)
Together, let us look at the history of these
companies and see how a tough fight
evolved their products to press
which arrogantly going to Jobs.
In 1924, the company is "Computing Tabulating Recording",
manufactured electromechanical tabulators (arithmetic counting
devices), has decided to change name at IBM. This date can be
conditionally considered as the beginning of computer race,
although the first computer Univac appeared only 22 years
later, created its mathematicians and engineers in the firm
"Ramington Rand". The machine worked on the huge lamps, which
emits large amounts of heat and are often burned out.
At that time (the first commercial version of
appeared in 1951) it was a miracle machine, used for weather
forecasting. S sometimes entrusted complex calculations on the
nuclear physics. And in 1953 the same firm was
created a high-speed printer for the Univac.
In the early 50's production of computers was the work of
new, highly complex and very expensive. Here it was possible
rather lose everything than to buy. However, after the Census
Bureau's USA purchased the Univac, throwing equipment IBM, the
company's management has dared to take risks, and IBM all in
its power surged to a new industry. Competition in the market
severely deteriorated and the 60 th year low Computer
decreased: Computing has become available small business.
IBM immediately (and must hand it to her) responded to the
changing conditions of a new model of System 360 - it started
with a well-known series of computers. The success exceeded all
expectations. In a short while the sales volume reached 20
thousand pieces, which at the time composes 2 / 3 of the
computer market!
It has not gone unnoticed, and gave rise to accusations of
monopolization nominated January 18, 1969 U.S. Justice
Department against IBM. The trial lasted for 13 years, after
which action has been canceled due to successfully set the
defense.
But how a string or curl ... - Legal counsel were right in
the end the two talented young men, all laboratory which
originally housed in the garage were challenged by the company,
turned tens of billions of dollars.
One of them, Stephen Wozniak, from the firm
"Hewlett Packard" (in 1938 also began with a garage) in 1975,
founded in California, the first computer club "Homebrew".
Another, already known to us, S. Jobs developed then the first
video game company "Atari".
The result of their collaboration was the company "Apple
Computer", which presented in 1977 , the personal computer
"Apple II", built on the principle of "open architecture":
computer is designed in such a way so the user can easily open
it and expand opportunities by adding or replacing the
electronic board. The more "open architecture", the more
versatile computer. The idea came to taste many
firms that began to produce an additional fee and separate
parts of a computer, rapidly improving, to the delight of the
owners, the original model.
New principle of open architecture and the company picked up
IBM, which released in 1981 by its own development - IBM PC.
It decided to use the new operating system, development of
which instructed the company "Microsoft". It was a pretty risky
move, because at that time enjoyed a very popular operating
system CP / M, is well proven on many computers in business.
However, MSDOS, which came to replace the CP / M, took her all
the best, so quickly gained popularity.
As anticipated specialists, computer
IBM PC itself is not original. The main task facing the
developers, was quick appearance on the market of computer
technology. I had to use the ideas and even constructive
development of other firms. Nevertheless, firstborn series has
come "to the court" users so well that within a year, many
manufacturers of the software shifted to the operating system
MSDOS. In 1983 IBM released the next model of their personalki,
IBM PC XT - a serious machine, designed on the particular
consumer and excellent fitting into his place - in the office.
So, the world's largest computer
company to securely hold a small market
business, exceeding the sum of sales newfound competitor "Apple
Computer" more than 100 times. But the little "apple" was not
going to give up a year later there is your Macintosh. Small
and place, he immediately attracted the attention of users,
with particular popularity has reached in the university
environment.
But for all its popularity is not Mac
threw in the dust, "Big Blue". In August 1984, with the market
entry of new Model IBM PC AT, based on a new microprocessor
firms "Intel", the situation began to stabilize: the two
branches of computer evolution over ten years reached a peak of
extensive development.
In the field of business documents Championship
firmly to keep the computer from IBM and
clones, whereas in the home and business, affecting mostly
graphical applications - The authority of the company "Apple"
was more weight.
Something like things were on the market of computer
technology to the September 12, 1985 Then something happened
that same event, with and that began our story: SA Jobs
one of the founding fathers, "Apple Computer"
one year after the departure of Stephen Wozniak also left the
"Apple", creating "Next Inc.". Their capital into a new
company, in addition to S. Jobs, invested corporations such as
"Canon Inc.", "General Motors", "Electronic Data Sistems ", as
well as Stanford and Carnegie Mellon universities. Like 8 years
ago, Jobs began fanatically for the development of a new
computer, designed shake the world. However, now he began to
not in the garage, but had international recognition and
$ 100 million of capital.
Therefore, it went quite quickly: in 13 months, October 12,
1988, in Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco) presented a new
computer NeXT. The demonstration started the computer itself,
turning to the audience with a speech perfectly simulated voice
of Martin Luther King. However, to surprise the experts, this
is not enough - it is necessary to achieve something new at
least one node of the computer. However, from this side,
everything was in order: virtually all elements of NeXT - Next
step in the evolution of computer technology.
Black Box (30x30 cm) system unit
contains 45 chips (compared to 100 chips
IBM PC or more than 300 integrated circuits
SUN or APPOLO). Together with built-in modem and a package of
relevant programs the computer can recognize the voice on the
phone owner to fulfill his commands, ie replace the secretary.
Impressive richness of sound. In one of the commercials, of
NeXT, a computer accompanied violinist, replacing the whole
orchestra.
Here I omit a description of the hardware environment of
NeXT, it is not particularly interest, and will focus only on
the landmark decision of the company - it is an optical An
interactive CD 256 MB. S. Jobs said that the price of the disc
will be $ 50, and shelf life, unlike the magnetic
media is practically endless. It is proposed to be used for
operations requiring large amounts of memory (more than eight
megabytes) - graphics, sound, speech, storing large amounts of
data.
In conclusion, it remains to say that the computer is
running MASH (Version OS UNIX). For all the novelty and
innovation of many technical solutions, the price NeXT was (at
the time of registration) 6500 $ more than one and a half times
less than MAC IIX company "Apple".
Two powerful branches of personal computers for several
decades of development and incessant competition generated
set of mutants, such as the Amiga or
Atari St (advanced branch
the first models of Macintosh). Or little-known Baby AT - a
strange hybrid of IBM PC XT and IBM PC AT. What is the fate
awaiting NeXT? The answer to this question can only give a
time. With favorable treatment of users to a new model, it may
establish itself in the market, surpassing Big Two (IBM and
Apple), and indeed will be the next step in the evolution of
calc. technology!
*
Materials for the article provided Strelnikov Andrew, our
regular correspondent.
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