kent@xanth.UUCP (Kent Paul Dolan) (11/15/87)
In article <888@atari.UUCP> neil@atari.UUCP (Neil Harris) writes: >> >A single transputer can deliver over ten times the power of >> >an IBM PC AT. However, there's even greater strength in numbers. You can >> >connect two, 10, 100 or even MORE transputers to create a relatively >> >low-cost computer workstation with the power of a supercomputer. >> >> False. The "standard" number of Transputers on the ABAQ system is 1 (ONE). >> The maximum is 13. > >Internally. > >The ABAQ includes 3 "links", which are 10-megabit-per-second serial >interfaces for talking to off-board transputers. > >Jack Lang, in his talk at the Atari press conference at Comdex, supposed a >setup where workers each had their own transputer system on their desks, >with all of them linked together and linked to a separate box containing >many transputers. As an application's need for processing power increased, >it could pull more transputers in. An intriguing concept -- throw the >computer into high gear. >-- >--->Neil Harris, Director of Marketing Communications, Atari Corporation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >UUCP: ...{hoptoad, lll-lcc, pyramid, imagen, sun}!atari!neil >GEnie: NHARRIS/ WELL: neil / BIX: neilharris / Delphi: NEILHARRIS >CIS: 70007,1135 / Atari BBS 408-745-5308 / Usually the OFFICIAL Atari opinion ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Folks, We've got this straight from the source, and we're going to look stupid as hell, if we keep saying "it'll never fly", and end up craning our necks to watch it go over. Atari may have done some incredibly dumb things in the past; they've also built the Atari 800, a dynamite graphics engine for its day. The described Atari/Transputer hookup is an exciting idea. If and when it works, with a really good OS, it will blow the socks off anything else in sight. That makes it a fantastic opportunity for those of us easily seduced by raw power. I really do want to do real time roaming through the Mandelbrot and Julia sets, in the comfort of my living room. I think everyone who is into great home computers should be cheering on the PS/2, the latest Mac-wonder, and now Atari's newest goal. Each does something to open up the market, spur competition, lower prices, and add capabilities. Thanks to Neil for coming into enemy held territory to make a very temperate and informative posting. Try to think of this as the opposite of "no man is an island": every improvement in the home computer market's offerings improves my prospects for my next machine, no improvement "diminishes me". So, I love my Amiga, I use it for hours every day, you couldn't rip it from my bleeding fingers, but GO ATARI! Kent, the man from xanth.
john1233@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Thomas M Johnson) (11/17/87)
In article <3369@xanth.UUCP> kent@xanth.UUCP (Kent Paul Dolan) writes: > > We've got this straight from the source, and we're going to look > stupid as hell, if we keep saying "it'll never fly", and end up > craning our necks to watch it go over. > One of the problems the new Atari has developed is, not the vaporware problem (that's old) but coming out with a product too late. Ex. Atari announced their 1200 baud modem quite sometime ago. But.... Avatex has already gobbled up the low priced 1200 baud market. Ex #2. Atari announced the CD-ROM (If I'm right, Activenture invented the CD-ROM under contract from Atari) first. Now, there are other companies making the CD-ROM and Atari still doesn't have their available. I guess my point is, Will Atari come out with their transputer BEFORE Apple, Commodore, IBM, etc. make their own and STEAL the market from Atari? Tom