PARSONS@KSUVM.BITNET (Scott Parish) (11/01/88)
This is a summary of the latest magazine report on the DataQue 816.
Most of it is sort of a re-hash of Zmag issue #124 (thanks Gary Duzan),
so I'll try to keep it to a minimum. BTW, this is reprinted without
permission (but surely I can claim exemption under educational use).
PS: My editing is in between the [brackets].
From Computer Shopper November 1988:
''The 'Turbo 816' by DataQue, for the Atari, will be available by mid November
for a suggested retail price of $99.95 (probably discounted by most vendors).
Included is a circuit board that replaces [the 6502 and OS chip]...
A debugger for 16-bit assembly language programmers will also be included,
and a complete Assembler may be offered either separately or with the pack-
age. On the new five-chip Turbo 816 board is a powerful 65C816 processor
that retains the 8-bit instruction set but has a ful 16-bit set as well...
The Turbo 816 [can address] a fully linear decoded address space of up to
16 megabytes.
...existing upgraded memory machines will be suported by the Turbo 816,
no matter which flavor or size...Users of the new CPU system will see an
immemdiate speed increase in all their existing 8-bit software. [To quote
one of the designers] 'just enough to tell there is something different.'
The OS chip has much faster I/O routines to all devices, making disk access,
screen writes, joystick response, almost everything faster. However, the
actual 'pace' of most software will be typically unchanged...math is all
being done with new routines that will dramatically surpass computation
times of the standard system...
But the real power of DataQue's device will be in the future applications
utilizing the 16 bit mode. Machine code will be 20 percent smaller and up
to 20 times faster than that written in the 'native mode' 6502. [Here's
a goodie] what is even better, disigner Ron Shue has arranged for memory
registers and stacks to 'hold up' under a mode-shift, enabling a programmer
to code half of his application in 8-bit mode, say to make use of existing
CIO/SIO disk access, then shift to 16 bit mode for computation and processing
-then back to 8 bit for more I/O-and on and on...
As for the new operating system, as I mentioned it retains the vectors,
flag, and entry points of the Atari OS, but is virtually 100 percent re-
written for optimized function with the new CPU. Included is a much
improved floating point package, a real resident R: device handler...and
room for lots of exciting things to come...[See Zmag issue #124 or back
issue #92 of Info-Atari8]
More about compatibility: Ron Shue [co-designer] has bent over backwards
to be certain that Spartados, Real-Time-Eight, MIO, and hard disk users
will have no ugly surprises after adding the Turbo 816. Only a tiny percent
of programs ([ones with illegal calls]) have had problems with the new
operating system. Chuck Steinman [co-designer] says that later upgrades
in the operating system chip will be offered to all users at virtually
postage costs, and Ron is expecting to offer a piggyback system software
control, for those who want to be able to shift between their old chip and
the new one [Omniview/Omnimon users].
[And last but not least, but the *most* interesting tid-bit] DataQue is
looking for qualified developers to be the first owners of Turbo 816, and
are looking for ways to add incentive for rapid application developement...
What does Atari Corp say about all this? [They have talked with Atari
through out developement fearing a blockade like the one involving the
ST 8-bit emulator. The article says that Atari has been 'generally
supportive and helpful ths for, although DataQue is still waiting for
written clearances on their operating system.' So they won't get sued
later. They had hoped to convince Atari to put the 816 in new XE's, but
Atari says 'Why would we want to redesign the 8-bit machine to be competitive
with our own ST anyway?' But Apple did it! (Sen. Bentsen: Atari you're
no Apple computer.)]
Developers and other interested users can contact:
DataQue ONLINE at: Chuck's BBS 'Master 800'
3306 Bank Avenue West or 419-529-5197
PO Box 134 GEnie: R.SHUE
Ontario, OH 44862 GEnie, DELPHI,
Compuserve: DataQue
Acknowledge-To: Scott Parish <PARSONS@KSUVM>c91a-ra@franny.Berkeley.EDU (john kawakami reader) (11/01/88)
In article <8811010302.AA03304@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> PARSONS@KSUVM.BITNET (Scott Parish) writes: About the Turbo-816 upgrade: > later. They had hoped to convince Atari to put the 816 in new XE's, but > Atari says 'Why would we want to redesign the 8-bit machine to be competitive > with our own ST anyway?' But Apple did it! (Sen. Bentsen: Atari you're > no Apple computer.)] > > Developers and other interested users can contact: > DataQue ONLINE at: Chuck's BBS 'Master 800' > 3306 Bank Avenue West or 419-529-5197 > PO Box 134 GEnie: R.SHUE > Ontario, OH 44862 GEnie, DELPHI, > Compuserve: DataQue >Acknowledge-To: Scott Parish <PARSONS@KSUVM> "COMPETITIVE"?!?! give me a break! Since when would a somewhat faster 130XE be competitive with an ST? I feel Atari is being foolish for not helping this product along. This could give another boost to XE sales in new foriegn markets, where the C64 is king. One feasable possiblity would be to socket any parts that would have to be moved to install this upgrade, then give a discount if you buy the Dataque and the 8-bit at the same time. "Why would we want to improve the 2600 to be competitive with the 7800 anyway?" --No One John Kawakami / c91a-ra@franny.berkeley.edu / I'm sorryyyy, I'm sorryyyy, / / I'm sorryyyy, I'm sorryyyy. / / -S. Central Rain (REM)
njd@ihlpm.ATT.COM (DiMasi) (11/03/88)
In article <7004@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, c91a-ra@franny.Berkeley.EDU (john kawakami reader) writes: > ... > "COMPETITIVE"?!?! give me a break! Since when would a somewhat faster 130XE > be competitive with an ST? I feel Atari is being foolish for not helping > this product along. This could give another boost to XE sales in new foriegn > markets, where the C64 is king. One feasable possiblity would be to socket > any parts that would have to be moved to install this upgrade, then give a > discount if you buy the Dataque and the 8-bit at the same time. > I agree with John - a Turbo-816 upgraded 130XE would not be very competitive with an ST. Not without a lot of s/w that would take advantage of the 16-bit mode. And even then, the 68000 would still prevail. (With the T-816, 8-bit progs. would see only enough speedup to make a perceptible difference, unless they do a lot of floating- point calculations. Chuck, if you are around, correct me if I'm wrong.) I was in the 8-bit conference on Delphi last night, and Matt Ratcliff pointed out that the T-816 has another problem: it requires h/w hacking. It takes special skill and/or tools to remove a chip from a 130XE board and install a socket - I know, I tried it myself and burned the board. (My 2nd XE went to a repair shop, where they had no problem socketing the OS ROM.) It would be nice if Atari would socket the 6502 and OS ROM, but I don't think they could be convinced to do this. Sockets cost extra, and they are extremely cost- conscious. Chips sometimes come loose from sockets. But if my XE had the 6502 in a socket, I would seriously consider the T-816. Nick DiMasi njd@ihlpm.ATT.COM ...att!ihlpm!njd Uni'q Digital Technologies (Fox Valley Software subsidiary; ^ working as a contractor at AT&T Bell Labs in Naperville, IL) ( | this is an accent mark, supposed to replace the dot over the 'i')