In recent years, many disputes are how long left to live
Speccy, that Amiga or better PC'yuk. And articles that you read
below, we discover and close this debate. And my personal
the view that the Speccy alive while we're at it
play and work. The rest mass
writing.
SPECTRUM RULES!
A. Soft
*
Currently, many users Spectruma often hesitate over the
transfer of his tireless work to another platformu.Horosh
Spectrum, but unfortunately it seems to me, is on the verge of
their vozmozhnostey.I although our domestic programmers
squeezed out of him, it seemed would be all that your heart
desires, hardware it remained at the level of 1985.
Well-designed scheme of the computer and low price has enabled
successful compete with what emerged as more powerful machines:
Commodore-64, IBM PC, and dr.Odnako 14 years for the car - this
is Giant srok.Vy can argue
that modern Speccy has the drive, music coprocessor, 128kb
(256,512,1 MB) of memory, covoxom, and dr.vsyachinoy.No the
fact that the heart of your computer Z80 has not changed since
1981, which is the main impediment to development Speccy -
whatever one may say, but what's the use in 1MB of memory, if
for its completion will take plenty of time - except that the
disks to copy? That is if you install a new processor that is
compatible with Z80 - then went to work, but unfortunately this
is a pipe fantasy - to develop a new processor
afford only to large firms that
have forgotten about the Speccy.
Few remind our readers about the origin of Z80.Etot
processor was developed in the early 80s the American company
Zilog to raise performance is already outdated to
By the time Intel processor 8080.Novy
proved itself as a cheap, fast
ustroystvo.Chislo teams were raised
doubled, lifted the frequency, and about 8,080 remained
only as a reflection in the Soviet
KR580VM80.Prakticheski simultaneously with
Z80 came the Intel 8088 and Intel 8086,8 and 16-bit processors
- the older fellows twins (cousins
Z80). However, although the family teams I8088
and Z80, in general, are similar, they almost
incompatible with each other on the basis of
one appears, we are familiar
Spectrum, based on another - IBM
PC / XT.Shlo time adding new family of Intel processors:
somewhere 1983 80286, in the 1987-80386 (32-bit), then 80486,
Pentium, Pro-Pentium, ... and the list of Z80-compatible almost
has not been replenished, (except perhaps Z80H with doubled
frequency). Average rate rose in comparison with 1982
at 400-900 times, respectively, increased
ability to process information - and
This means better graphics, sound.
Due to the low performance Z80 is simply unable to
handle high-quality graphics, even if to him our craftsmen
hooked VGA-board. Spectrum - an excellent machine ... But
within 80h.I whatever love we have for him did not belong to
konstantirovat fact - Speccy order obsolete for its 14 years,
and it did not last long remained to occupy the minds of
programmistov.I no need to cry about that Spectrum will live
forever - this is ridiculous, all comes konets.Osnovnaya mass
of users, programmers are young people began to engage Speccy
5-10 years ago when other cars were either too expensive (IBM,
Amiga), or simply primitive (BK-0010, RC-86), used to
him and did not want to leave ego.Novyh
users is becoming less and
menshe.Eto and clear - those who are going to work and play, get
IBM, Amiga, those who only play the game-
consoles. Therefore, if you're a programmer
or simply let the user-those sober
assess the situation and choose a new
platform for our raboty.Programmist
- On whatever machine it did not work, will always find an
interesting job to his liking, whether it's Speccy IBM, Amiga,
Mac, ...
After this introduction let
talk a little about the machines that
may soon become the receivers Spektruma.Suschestvuyut I think
only two serious contender for this role: IBM PC / AT and
AMIGA, think you've heard about them, the more that is not
small (or rather too much, in the absence of objective
information) of good words said about AMIGA on the pages (and
maybe the screen, or kilobytes) of our computer publications
"Spectrophone" and "ZX-FORMAT". Unfortunately because of the
lack of objective information of AMIGA is difficult to assess
the advantages and shortcomings listed above mashin.Chtozh
try to compare their characteristics, based on the information
that there is me:
AMIGA - was created as a home
computer, which was supposed to supplant the market Spectrum
game programm.Moschny video processor, which then and it said
half-baked amigovtsy, allowed her to exceed all expectations
derivation of fast grafiki.Novy way of presenting the data in
memory is very convenient for the derivation videotsifrovannoy
grafiki.Blagodarya him it became possible to show a high rate
information on ekran.S details concerning the structure of
video memory I do not know, but the principle of
Next: stored in groups of bits of video memory is not stored
color of individual points, which is standard, and change the
color, resulting in does not appear to limit the quality of
graphics (ie, increase volume of video memory). T.o.mozhno
combine graphics with low and high resolution: t.e.vyvodit
dynamic objects with low resolution and a static background with
high, thus saving resources protsessora.Etot computer quickly
made himself at home market game programs and the disappearance
of the Spectrum in the West appreciated in the market somewhere
between game consoles and professional kompyuterami.Odnako
lately because of the many resale rights to its release, coming
into competition market for computer gaming giant
IBM, AMIGA order surrendered their positions, and
despite its many benefits are already
does not meet with enthusiastic cheers
Surprised users. One of the most remarkable property for the
domestic user is AMIGA connection to a TV that allows you to
save a lot of money when it purchase, unlike the IBM, which
trbuetsya special monitor, the cost of
which is often equal to the value
the machine itself.
And now let me tell you
a little bit about what modestly silent
Beginners amigovtsy, praising his
machine extolling it above IBM - calling
its "accounting machine". So my dear supporters AMIGA, IBM has
long already out of this age and its prospects are not inferior
to AMIGA.
Yes, the first machine at IBM
was more than modest in its capabilities: RAM 64-320Kb, Clock
4.47 MHz. Black and white monitor 80x25 characters
(9x7), 360KB floppy drive, ... However, after
appearance models XT (8088-8086), later
AT (80286 and above) features of this machine is growing: RAM
640KB minimum, hard CD 10-40MB appeared CGA (maximum
640x200, 2 colors or 320h200h4 of 16
possible), then EGA (640h350-16 colors
out of 64 possible, and others). Of course, many
AMIGA users might laugh at this schedule, but do not forget
that this 1983-85g. With the advent of MCGA and VGA an
opportunity to display graphics really looks like a
teleizobrazhenie.Naivysshie modes VGA - 640x480-16 colors, 256
colors 320h200-out 256 tys.vozmozhnyh (is not it, this is
better, although still far AMIGA) By saying CODE BUSTERS AMIGA
pulls like at least 26,000 colors from a 16.5 million
possible - 16.5 million - it is clear 3h8
bits, exactly as much as you can distinguish the human eye, but
the 26 thousand ! It is unclear why not 32,768 or 16
384 - why 26,000 and where else?
You may wonder what I'm talking about graphics, but I'm talking
about them because that's what they basically
link to supporters AMIGA. And now
modern achievements of IBM computers
- Large family graphics cards of different companies under a
common name SVGA literally flooded the market, the number and
characteristics of video modes vary but the most common
are: 640x480 256 of 256
Thousands, 800x600 - the same as 1024x768 - that
same, 1024x1024, 1280x1024, ... This is not bad when you
consider that the TV gives somewhere 600x600 (but with 16
million of than it later). This variety of modes due to the
fact that the video processors have a flexible system of
generating Scan have several clock
(Point-defining) the generators and all
this is controlled by software! In principle,
the number of options video modes much more, but they are not
used in most programs to increase sovmestimosti.Odnako all
about what we just talking is not the last
word art - for the most part, these
Modes have ustareli.Otnositelno
new (2-4 years ago) was to use 8 and 24 bit DAC, which resulted
the use of the above modes, but with 32 768 65 536, 16.5
million colors simultaneously on screen! This is already rather
high quality photos than just a picture on the screen
Spektruma.Vstraivanie in recent models of these Adapters
spets.mikroshemy compression video allows you to "scroll"
film on the entire screen with the quality of higher
than television and it's not fantasy -
exists, for example, a video "The Mask"
on 2 CD drives.
Now you are convinced that the graphics capabilities of
IBM's capabilities AMIGA.Intelovsky below the main processor
outperform a processor company MOTOROLA - say this will not be
exactly as not I have the data but I can suggest that this is
so, because AMIGA originally created with a maximum thrust on
the schedule, and IBM's computing raschety.Protsessor
Pentium faster than Z80 somewhere
,80486-1000 100MHz 500
times ,80386-40MHz in 100 raz.Matematicheskie coprocessors
built into the main processor "digest" the trigonometric
functions with 80-bit numbers (Ie, 20 decimal places for the
time a few CPU cycles) - cool
not pravdali? And if you head on
shoulders, to understand all this is not so
hard.
Besides that you poluchete
great tool for prgrammista, but also can to Use a large number
of ready useful programm.Chto As opportunities for lone
programmer, then he will certainly be more difficult than on
the Spectrum where the majority of Western software is already
outdated and "Outdo" them is not so trudno.No
There are many areas which do not reach
long arm of Microsoft, Borland, Id, Sierra, etc. it can be for
example, too "Megademostroenie, small entertaining games (such
as Scorch), music, sly as a system software for DOS, so and
Windows, ...
Now if you see that IBM
- It is not so bad, the problem is more prosaic -
stoimosti.Nesmotrya that the price of IBM-compatible equipment
falls for domestic customers, it still high, but quite
comparable with the prices of AMIGA (on spectrophone 200 $ -700
$). Price 386DX40, 4Mb, SVGA 512kb, 210Mb-it seems to me quite
sufficient to at first - about
$ 150-250 (although without a monitor), depending of type of
region, the Pentium ,8-100MHz 16MB, 1.2GB, SVGA2mb about
$ 500-700. Many will say that the monitor
will cost more in the $ 150-250, but the first
pores can be done without it (read
below). So I think that if they AMIGA worth about 1 million
rubles (and even then Moscow) not be simpler to buy the 386,
which further can be upgraded (if finances permit) for tezhe
money? So make your choice.
Regarding the special monitor, it can be replaced by
cheaper domestic or at least televizorom.Mozhno argue that the
image quality of this "videsistemy will otvratitelnyi.Konechno
TV - it's not brand monitor, and image quality will be far from
brilliant, but remember that the above prices
AMIGA also do not include a monitor,
I very much doubt that the AMIGA, what
devices to pair with a household
TV she did not have, can
display normally read 80 characters in stroke.Dlya better
Images may be advisable to monitor vospolzovatsya Cpektruma
better in black and white, because colored domestic monitors
have a large grain size, and image quality given by a such a
system would be slightly different from televizionnogo.S black
and white same monitor is perfectly acceptable look
text 160simvolov in a row, and the application
Interlace provides images with more than 480 lines. (On normal
TV 15kgts/50gts = 300 + 300 lines - from the use of
cheresst.razvertki = 600 rows). conjugation scheme can collect
even unfamiliar with electronics, but if
You have displayed on the monitor, CSI and SSI
then in general no scheme is not required, and the rest of the
work on reconfiguring the frequency sweeps (15 kHz instead of
31-45kgts) will take over the program driver.
I think I can show you that
IBM is not such a useless machine as
trying to show the supporters AMIGA.Vybor do you: - If you are
going create commercials, producing
video processing - buy
AMIGA. - If you need an assistant in the car with a promising
future, the sea, the software and the forest of unknown
possibilities - buy IBM. - If the Do you have a need to assert
themselves, learn to write great, high-quality programs from
the "raw" material and does not feel lonely in their work -
stay on the Spectrum! ________________________________________
1996 Ysoft.
