Virtual World #01 31 мая 1997

Amiga

Amiga Club - Answers to frequently asked questions.

         AMIGA CLUB



  Well, here we will push you to talk about the best home,
most lichshy, the multi-tasking computer in the world - about 
AMIGO! Very few (especially in our city) know about this

machine. So we try to change the situation. Nothing of course
This is not engaged in state
but in this country we live in that
Our government does not
needed. If you would be interested, you can ask us any
questions - we will answer them in
following the same room. And if you want to learn more about 
the Amiga more, read our newspaper

'AMIGA INFO', although probably
texts from the newspaper perekochuyut
this.

  Well, today your attention
We offer answers to frequently
Asked Questions, overinflated with FIDO my friend Belov
Vadim.

_______________________________

Denis Sotchenko
Aleksei Emelianov


         "B" - a question

         "O" - the answer



Q: What are the different models of the Amiga, and
what should you buy for home
and the family "?

A: There are currently produced:



   - By Amiga Technologies
GmbH (VIScorp GmbH) in Europe and
QuikPak ​​in USA:



          A1200 Magic

          A1200 Surfer

          A4000T/040

          A4000T/060 (A6000)



   - German company Eagle
Computer model produces:



          Eagle 1200TE

          Eagle 1200TE/040

          Eagle 1300TE
(Eagle 1200TE + Blizzard 1230/IV)

          Eagle 1600TE
 (Eagle 1200TE + Blizzard 1260)

          Eagle 4000TE

as well as kits for the upgrade
A1200 in the A1200T (Shuttle Boards)



   - German company Micronik
produces:


             A1300

as well as kits for the upgrade
A1200 in A1200T



   - By Silent PAWS in USA
produced models Amiga -
laptop:


           PAWS1200

           PAWS4000



   - Began production of clones Amigo
Taiwan firm NewStar. Clones have a central processor
M68000, built on
ECS chipset and equipped with built-in CD-ROM. Installed OS:
AmigaOS 3.1


      Price: 180 USD


  At the moment, better to buy A1200. Will soon be available 
for quite divine prices "Clones" from different companies.



  By mid-1997 German
firm Phase 5 digital products
plans to release a new generation of computer - A / BOX. Sample 
characteristics: all components of a computer "protection" in a 
single chip, 128-bit internal bus, the processor

PowerPC with a frequency of 500 MHz,
separate video memory for
windows, two video outputs, two video inputs, 4 physical channel
16-bit audio.


Q: What Amiga Surfer on the Amiga
Magic different?

About: A1200 Surfer = A1200 Magic +
2, 270 Mb HDD + modem 14400
external + suite
Internet + 100 free hours
work ibm.net

Q: What is GENLOCK?

A: This is a fee or a separate
device that allows "overlay" image from computer to video. With 
it's simple video montage: the imposition of titles on video 
frame is computer-generated images in film ... The general 
principle of operation is as follows: for screen draws a 
picture, one of flowers which is

"Transparent", ie instead of
points of that color will be seen
video.

Q: What is the AGA-chipset?

A: Historically, the AMIGA was designed not as a set of boards 
for self-assembly, but as

single-board computer is almost completely finished.
The essentials - video
audio, keyboard controllers,
drive ports - have been integrated into the chipset (chipset), 
which is "Heart" of any Amiga. And in

the form of boards comes that
usually hardly need
most users: Capture Cards, NICs
etc. The very first on the Amiga
used chipset OCS (Original
ChipSet) - already in 1984
the very first Amiga he did
affordable 14-bit stereo
and 4096 colors simultaneously
screen with hardware compression
(Mode HAM). In the next version - ECS (Enhanced) - added the 
possibility of arbitrary Control Scan Frequency

(Not just television frequencies) and a new permit. And 
finally, a modern chipset (actually it is quite old, released 
in 1992) - AGA (AdvancedGraphicsArchitecture),

formerly known as AA, fully
lifted all restrictions on the color - now in all modes
available to 16 million colors. This whole line is maintained
software compatibility:
program is well written
under the old chipsets, completely
performance on new ones.


  All currently manufactured by Amiga
based on the AGA chipset. On the other hand, the chipset does 
not restrict the image possibility of machine: if you want to 
get "mad" resolution, or simply to be able to connect more than 
one monitor, AMIGA easily extended graphics cards. Same 
concerns and sound - are available multi-channel audio card.


Q: What is the mode
HAM?

A: Mode HAM (Hold and Modify)
- A graphics mode with hardware compression. In the AGA-shnom
mode HAM8 with eight physical bits per pixel in a video screen 
gets 18-bit that is, 262,144 colors simultaneously. This 
compression - the so-called lossy compression, analogous to a 
graphical format JPEG, HAM mode color point

depends on the color of the points standing
left of it. Using
This mode reduces the requirements
a memory for storing graphics and
demands for speed hard drive to play with him full-color 
animation (for VHS-quality animation, missing two with half 
megabytes per second). The disadvantage is the regime HAM

practical impossibility of changing individual sites
Image: to change the image, as a rule, you must bring it over 
entirely. 

Q: What is the "Copper"?

A: It's RISC-processor component
chipset. As befits a truly RISC-processor, it has
all three operations. Task
Copper is monitoring
position of the beam on and perform certain operations,
when the beam is given
points. Thanks to Copper different areas of the screen may have
different video modes and be
in different parts of the video memory.
Ability to "offset" screens
AmigaOS - this is also the merit of Copper. However, like many
beautiful effects in demah and toys.

Q: What is a "blitter"?

A: This is another component of the chipset. Blitter designed to
"Transfer" and overlay graphics, vector drawing and painting 
planes without CPU. Due to this during the

blittera processor can deal with "their own affairs."

Q: What is the "accelerator" and
that it accelerates?

A: This is a fee, plug-in, for example, in the A1200 and 
accelerating its work several times. As time goes on,

demands for speed and memory
computer has steadily increased, and standing in the base 
version of the processor 68020 and two megabytes of RAM no 
longer enough. That every time you do not pay pererazvodit 
machine, but users are not forced to suffer with constant 
purchase / sale regular "motherboard" and related issues (eg: 
you have to disassemble the computer, and he may be under 
warranty, as well as be if a person is his, and discuss 
something fails?), the Amiga You can lock the existing processor

after which it enters CPU,
standing on the accelerator. Narrow
place bus: Memory and SSSI
Controller - made by himself
accelerator. The accelerator is inserted into the trapdoor 
expansion slot under the keyboard A1200, and

after installing the machine at once
ready to work. And on the A4000
CPU originally stands for
separate board installed
in the CPU slot, making it
simply replaced by new ones.

Q: What are the accelerators?
What should you buy? And it's worth
right?

A: For many purposes, in principle,
enough and unexpanded
A1200. If you install the accelerator will be available to you:
installation of cheap memory from PC
(Normal 72-pin SIMM) and acceleration from 5 to 50 times. Most
the best option at this
moment - it's Blizzard 1230 IV.
You can set the memory up to 128
MB, SCSI-2 Fast controller, math coprocessor
68882. The total acceleration in comparison with "pure" A1200 
is about 5-10 times on different tasks. If you want to do math 
type LightWave 3D, best buy

accelerator to 68040, or 68060
- Not too big on
compared to 68,030 68,882 68,060 cost about seven times
faster. Will soon be available on the accelerator
CPU PowerPC - the second in
the world for speed after
Alpha AXP.

Q: What are the technical characteristics of the accelerator 
Blizzard 1260?


About: 68060/50 MHz, FPU, MMU.
Well dispersed up to 66
MHz. Speed:
50 MHz - 92,000 Dhrystones / sec
66 MHz - 118,000 Dhrystones / sec

 Programmatically disable caches
commands, data conversion,
Store buffer superscalar.
Software translation caches data / commands in half mode.

 Memory: Standard 72pin SIMM
60/70 ns.

 Slot for FAST
SCSI-2 controller with space for
another 72-pin simm.

 Disconnected from the keyboard - pressing the "two" after reset
machine.

Q: How fast is
68,060 in the Amiga?

A: Based on the measurement of foreign comrades-amizhnikov, new
published 68060/80 MHz to give
rate of 150,000 in Dhrystones
non-optimized under 68,060
code, and 210,000 to 68,060 under the optimized code. 68060/50
MHz provides 92,000 Dhrystones,
68060/66 MHz - 118 000.

Q: How much memory is better
put?

A: If you do not plan to drive
software from Macintosh and heaped graphics packages, it is
even enough for eight megabytes.
If you are planning - better
sixteen or more - depending on needs. It makes no sense
compare the memory requirements
Amiga and PC - is fundamentally
different platforms.

Q: And where does software on the Macintosh?

A: Since the Amiga and Macintosh identical processors, then
Amiga using
ShapeShifter allows you to execute software on the Macintosh 
directly without programming emulation of the CPU. Which means 
that the rate of of software will be the same

as well as on the Mac with the appropriate
processor. Due to this
available to us all popular
Software - MS Word, Adobe Photoshop
and other well-known programs.
Because the Macintosh for
memory requirements - the machine
very voracious, memory needed is not less than the real
Mac.

Q: What is the difference Amiga and other common platforms -
PC, Mac?

A: This is a very long story.
The main difference between the Amiga from the PC -
Operating System, which was originally
based on recent advances in this area (UNIX)
and took into account all the errors predecessors. As a result, 
we have highly refined multi-tasking RTOS that is standard and

single (not counting the clones
UNIX), allowing for Amiga
there is no inherent problem with PC
incompatibility and operatsionok
perennial problems finding software
under each of them. Further, our
OS has a much higher efficiency than the same OS / 2 - k
example, the Amiga at 14 megahertz
works without problems with a serial port without FIFO buffers 
at a speed of 38400, and the PC under multitaskom This poses a 
problem. Another difference As for GUI Amiga - In initially

built-in support for multiple
virtual screens, each
of which can be opened
its own window, and between
screens, you can freely switch, and even move
them, in part, "exposing" those that
under them. Due to this
greatly reduces the requirements for
resolution of the screen (no need to
have multiple windows on a single
screen), and even work in TV resolution does not cause any 
problems. Many differences are associated with integrated 
audio, video, and disk compatible controller for

"Iron" level - there are no problems with drivers. Bus
Zorro initially have autoconfiguration - so it does not
there is a conflict between different devices. Another
property - a very convenient opportunity to bind to the line on 
the screen (you can programmatically any trace of his position)

which allows very
smooth and dynamic phase shift
images without "hunting".
However, for a more objective
comparison can only advise you to "feel" everything yourself. 
Comparison with the Macintosh here consider does not make sense 
- because there is full opportunity to "drive" MacOS, it can be 
make their own. 

Q: In general, under the Amiga Osov much?

About: AmigaOS, Amix (UNIX System
V), NetBSD, Linux, Minix, OS / 9,
etc ... OS / 9 - a very "advanced" Multi-user operating system. 
It is a striking Representative RTOS

time, but its price is quite expensive - Amigovskaya version 
costs about 600 USD and gluttonous enough to the equipment. 
Amix - it releases Commodore has his license

version of the UNIX System V, there is even a special UNIX 
Amiga A3000UX, is available now with UNIX. In addition, I 
personally AmigaOS a lot of respect for her NetBSD Amiga

slope and an "Advanced".
Quite a lot Amigovskih
servers on the Internet is not
under AmigaOS, and under NetBSD.

Q: What is "Multitasking" in the Amiga? No worse than on a PC?

A: Comparisons are irrelevant:)
AMIGA has one standard OS (since the OS on a PC
much more, and users
PC still argue and still can not decide which one is best - 
talk about "multitaske on PC "at least not correctly). AmigaOS 
has preemptive multitasking time-sharing, and in addition has 
the property of reaction events in real time. This

means that response times to user actions,
including the movement of the mouse,
set the keyboard to switch between user tasks
is such that even with sufficient
"Hard" boot,
"Braking" for its unobtrusive
USER priority for
scheduler in this case is an interactive process. Property 
"realtime'ovosti" OS has neither WinNT, or OS / 2, nor, 
especially, Win3.x/95/96. Thanks to a package

Executive AmigaOS can also
have a dynamic setting
prioritization process that has
more facilitates the work of several interactive tasks.

Q: Will the problems with the lack of any software?

A: There is not. Native software
Amiga and the software for the Macintosh
bargain overlap almost
all possible queries.

Q: If I ask someone: "do a nice piece of paper
Wynward in Russian with beautiful fonts, etc ", but Wynward-and 
no, I do it without problems on the Amiga to do? Import / Export

PC-text format like?

A: Yes. WordWorth and Final
Writer can export / import RTF-format,
WordPerfect. Publishing PageStream allows
export files
QuarkXpress and back. Well
Mac emulator will
"Without brake" drive "home" MS Word, QuarkXpress, etc. ;-)

Q: Find the compiler C / C + + does not
become a problem?

A: There are several. Offhand call: Storm C + +, SAS C + +, Dice
C + +, MAXXON C + + (all these compilers conform
AT'T 3.0). Very "cool" from the
them - Storm C + + with Storm
Wizard. There is also the GNU C + +, but
this is for fans to write
under UNIX (although in AmigaOS,
in essence, is UNIX, and
a lot of software re-compiled it with AmigaOS
Unix via the same GNU
C).

Q: Is there something similar to
AutoCAD, or understand
ACAD'ovskie formats?

About: MaxxonCAD.


Continued ... look at the

         the second part of the newspaper ...

_______________________________
Q: Can you use SVGA
monitor? Bought an adapter,
included, but the on-screen goodness knows what.

A: Yes. Video Display Amiga
allows you to set an arbitrary refresh rate and
supplied with the operating
System includes driver SVGA
regimes. However, SVGA monitor
developed for the PC, but the main difference amigovskogo video 
from pisishnogo - greater range of Horizontal Frequency: program

Amiga uses frequencies ranging from 15kHz 50Hz TV
- And then (as happened historically), and the program on the 
PC - frequencies ranging from VGA type

31kgts 60Hz. As a result, we
have the following: many programs for that OS
generally not necessary - this demo and
Toys - TV set frequency, no interest
the user what he
monitor. If you work only with
AmigaOS and written under it
programs - SVGA monitor will be comfortable enough (I
is a normal SVGA Bridge 14 "-
prim.avt.). And if you or your
child has the desire to play - should be put
special device
ScanDoubler, which translates frequently used on Amiga
horizontal frequency of 15 kHz to 30 kHz,
needed SVGA monitor -
actually doing it from multi-frequency monitor (MultiSync).
Fee, converts the frequency can be purchased at
one of the Moscow firms for about $ 40-50 (it
part of the produced
their video tuner). If you can handle a soldering iron, then
monitor connection with this
board takes on the force for half an hour.
Ready-made device, which will fully comply with
principle Plug'n'Play, will be available later and a few
expensive. Also available are foreign approximately 200-250
U.S.


  Note: for PC, too
peculiar to this problem,
when trying to use "is not
native monitor, for example,
workstations. If the monitor
works, for example, only
1024x768, or is it
Resolution - the minimum that
pulls this monitor, you do not
'll be using OS / 2 or Windows, but even
can not ... enter into SETUP. Not
to mention the fact that about toys, too, can be immediately
forget ;-)