hen@bu-cs.UUCP (04/23/87)
In article <113@umich.UUCP>, jtr485@umich.UUCP (Johnathan Tainter) writes: > Even if these applications don't need 100MIPs for themselves, when you have > a voice synthesizer, > a voice input system, > a background music generator, > a video digitizer input system, > a posture monitoring video digitizer system, > an evolving backdrop for your desktop metaphor > and your application running at once you are going to eat mucho > processor time. > --j.a.tainter Not so much as you might think. For example, I have an Atari ST which I use as the hub of a mechanical music system: synth, drum machine, bass machine, sampled sound keyboard digital delay, reverb, mixing board and recorder. The "computer" acts primarily as a gigantic metronome; I have much more processing power (and many, many more megs of ram) off-board than I have on-board. Similary with my MAC - for some time the LaserWriter+ on my desk had 3 times as much memory as the poor little 512 MAC trying to drive it. The LaserWriter performs unspeakable acts on fonts autonomously; the MAC was free to do other things for 90% of its duty cycle. Video digitizer systems capable of posture monitoring are just now becoming affordable ($30K this year). These also appear to have their processing power largely self-contained. The big limitation I see is the footprint problem - I would have to have a large desk to hold all of the wiring to connect these goodies. Bill Henneman