(c) 1998 ANDREY ERYUSHIN.
The authors of the magazine "SPECTRUN EXPERT"
asked me to write my opinion about someone
Computer named "SPRINTER".
I could not refuse them this, because they
people who want to purchase or acquire
know what it is, you should hear it
the word of the person who directly followed
Almost everyone is behind the development of SPRINTER
day, since I worked at the company "PETERS",
which develops it.
So...
The purpose of creating SPRINTER is not quite for me
understandable. Whether to make this computer
purely the main computer in Russia (about
this was stated by the director of the company himself PETERS ),
either for work in offices, or for work
bots in terms of video, or for working in
in terms of music, and also for working in Inter-
not in FIDO, or just for cool games
etc. Amaybe all together?
But there are a lot of "buts" here. Developer's opinion
kov changed during the development process, and until
they still don’t really know themselves -
for what purposes? The only thing I
I know - this is still DEAR SPECTRUM.
EXPENSIVE, of course, in terms of price
(about one million rubles).
Currently the development is complete
not yet completed, and it is not known when
it will be completely completed
(meaning the first model). Everyone
BIOSa firmware changes every day, and every
times a lot of glitches (one is removed - appears-
says another).
By going to the PETERS company and asking about
SPRINTER, they will tell you a very beautiful
a tale about its graphic capabilities and
future. They will tell you that it is cooler than the PC and
almost like AMIGA 1200, and in the near future
it will be at the AMIGA 4000 level.
Of course, this is not true. In fact, according to
SPRINTER graphics are better than 286 RS, but
not 386, but even up to the old A500
he still has a long way to go. Of course, what are we talking about?
if you take at least what SPRINTER has
8 bit.
The practical accelerator of SPRINTER allows
All you can do is spit out a picture on the screen
and fill the triangle with color, but all this
not everything is as fast as we would like, exactly
her, as the PETERS company will tell you.
SPRINTER has eight-
bit four-channel DACfor withdrawal
sound (that is, COVOX). It sounds, basically
anyway, not bad. Only here is the “but” again -
due to "hardware failure" you
you can either listen to music (that is,
samples; For music it would be nice to have another player
write - ed.), or look at the graphic
fiku, but not together. More precisely - games
will be without sound, and if with sound, then
without dynamic graphics (graphical
the accelerator simply cannot work
simultaneously with the DAC).
Of course, there is a way out of this - to do
a separate sound card, but how to make it?
Well, they don’t know, but for now they’ll figure it out,
a lot of time will pass. Although we could
apply GENERAL SOUND, but due to some
then they don’t want their principles.
The SPRINTER board itself does not satisfy
standard - creates interference on FM and mo-
nitor.
They didn’t provide for one more thing - no
digital signals have been routed to video, there is
analog RGB only. (controversial lack-
current - ed.)
Assembly of the SPRINTER is very complex,
you have to fight for pay, in the literal sense -
le, everything: keyboard, mouse, disk drive, from
monitors only CGA, or TVs
with SCARTom; hard drives that are now
are released, do not work in SPRINTER,
only old, used
(there is a limit on the hard drive capacity).
The PETERS company itself canrelease everything
one car per day, and that's the maximum. Yes
what about small-scale production
out of the question, only singular.
Now about the software:
Today there is only one tech-
a basic editor that uses some
then to the extent possible of the SPRINTER (I’ll tell you
Honestly, I haven’t seen greater squalor,
it can't even compare with any editor
for SPECTRUM). And that's all there is of
P/O for SPRINTER.
Actually, someone promised to write a game
MORTAL COMBAT, according to the graphics it should
be like on the SEGA game console. Right
The physical capabilities of SPRINTER are in the form of
to some extent they are annoyed, but in full
option, it will appear only when
where will there be a sound card, a few more
gadgets for graphics, and also, when used
no less than SPRINTER summoners will appear
hundreds, because writing programs is clean
no one is going to rely on enthusiasm, but
firm to finance software products
WILL NOT BE!
Regarding programs for FIDO and the INTERNET
- the same thing, there, naturally, are needed
modems not lower than 14400. From the developers
there is an idea to connect a standard mo-
dem with the ISA-8 bus (on the board there are
two ISA slots); in about 6 months
they will turn it on, butthe question remains -
who will write for this software
provision? Maybe there will be skillful
tsy, but I assure you for sure, it won’t work
less than a year!
What will happen in a year? It's been a whole year already
can't write even the simplest
operating system. What is com-
A computer without an OS is the same as a person
without a heart. For example: You bought for PC
video card, you were told that it is the most
cool for today, but only drive-
we haven’t written a ditch for it yet, so
for now use it as a simple video
card, we will later, after some
time, let's write drivers for it.
But this is not serious?!
When they write the OS, it will also take a long time
time, and even then, a good OS is written yes-
not in a year and not by one person, but
team.
So far everything has been sold
several cars, and even then the most constant
to many clients of the PETERS company. And now they
change the BIOS on theirs every day
CPRINTERAX and are looking forward to the program
ram.
And so, if you take it by and large,
SPRINTER is a good idea, but
the authors don’t know how to use it -
Xia.
Today, from SPECTRUM-compatible computers
Pewter he's actually the coolest
computer, even cooler in its capabilitiesthan new developments of wide-ranging
famous SCORPIONa and KAY.
I wonder why people are still
will give preference?
Although all this had to be done
three years ago, at least.
Р.S.
Some people may not like this article.
twist, but draw conclusions for YOU. I just
I wanted to open your eyes, but for someone,
maybe close it.
EDITORIAL.
What we know about the Sprinter. Action
Actually, according to the circuitry "bells and whistles"
this computer left me far behind
the rest are Spectrum-compatible machines.
However, almost all additional features
Sprinter features are implemented in NON-SPECTRUM
MODE. According to the director of the company himself
Peters, their task is to transplant the user-
from Spectrum to Sprinters. Spect-
Room-compatible mode is introduced only for
so that at first you can use the Sprinter
it would be at least something to launch, and then,
when someone (free, you need half-
gat) will writemind-blowing soft for
Sprinter's main mode, everyone will forget
this Spectrum mode.
As recently shown, it's free
We have nothing going on now, but what if
and it’s done, it’s bad.
Causes additional concern
the company's desire to make the Sprinter similar
bench press on RS. In the process of development immediately
soft was created that actively works with
MS-DOS disks, and during conversations with the creators
The words "MS-DOS" and "PC" were mentioned by
often. Recently there was news that
it is planned to create NORTON-commandera
for Sprinter. If everything continues
it would be possible to launch something, and then
when someone (free, you need half-
gat) will write a mind-blowing soft for
Sprinter's main mode, everyone will forget
this Spectrum mode.
As recently shown, it's free
We have nothing going on now, but what if
and it’s done, it’s bad.
Causes additional concern
the company's desire to make the Sprinter similar
bench press on RS. In the process of development immediately
soft was created that actively works with
MS-DOS disks, and during conversations with the creators
The words "MS-DOS" and "PC" were mentioned by
often. Recently there was news that
it is planned to create NORTON-commandera
for Sprinter. If everything continues
huddle in the same spirit, then, let me
ask why we need an IBM PCeight-bit
Nom processor Z84C15? Who is free on-
writes Windows'95 for it? :)
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