• The Intel 80186 arrived in 1982, with 55,000 transistors running at 6MHz in a 68-pin PLCC package.  (Wikipedia)
  
  Why does this matter?  Well, it doesn't, not really.
  
  Just that since I'm unlikely to make any progress on my hardware retrocomputer any time soon, I've been looking at making an emulator for an imaginary computer from the early 80s.  And since it's something that didn't exist, it needs to make sense.  It's intended to be something that would logically have come after the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum, but before the new era of powerful 16-bit systems like the Mindset, Amiga, and Atari ST.  That puts it in 1983, or at the latest early 1984.
  
  One thing I figured out is that the imaginary video controller chip I envision would need more than 40 pins, which means either a huge 64-pin DIP or a 68-pin PLCC.  Since 68-pin PLCCs obviously existed in that timeframe, I can use an imaginary one with a clear conscience.  (The Amiga, by comparison, divided video control into two 48-pin DIPs.)
  
  My imaginary system is going to have a 10-bit CPU, because (a) that's better than 8 bits without throwing everything wide open, and (b) as far as I can tell no-one has ever done that.  Plenty of 12-bit systems, zero 10-bit.  The closest I could find are John von Neumann's IAS machine (40 bit) and the F14 flight computer (20 bit).
  
  I'll post more details once I get some code that works.
  
  
  
• The Zotac Zbox QCM7T3000 is an almost perfect mini workstation.  (Tom's Hardware)
  
  It has an 8-core 45w i7 10750H processor and a 6GB Nvidia Quadro RTX 3000 packed into a case that measures just 8" x 8" x 2.5".  And it's almost perfectly symmetrical, with the I/O ports all lovingly paired up EXCEPT THAT THE BACKING PLATES FOR THE TWO ETHERNET PORTS ARE SUBTLY DIFFERENT.
  
  Well, one is 1Gbit and the other is 2.5Gbit, but still.
  
  Two SO-DIMMs, so up to 64GB RAM, one M.2 slot, and one 2.5" drive bay.
  
  
  
• If I suddenly say something has 64K of RAM rather than 64GB, sorry, my mind has been in the early 80s the last few hours.
  
  
  
• Lightroom for iOS considered harmful.  (PetaPixel)
  
  The latest update deleted everyone's photos.
  
  It's not supposed to do that.
  
  
  
• Buried in Intel's recent Xe graphics announcements is the unspoken admission that no-one is going to use this for playing games.  (AnandTech)
  
  Intel is talking up the SG1, a new video streaming accelerator for datacenters.  It will contain four of the Xe chips that will be used in the desktop DG1 card.  The DG1 itself is viewed as a developer platform and not a consumer card.
  
  But Intel have at least announced that the Linux Xe driver code will be open source, like AMD and very unlike Nvidia.
  
  
  
• The upcoming antitrust battles may spell the end for iOS as we know it.  (ZDNet)
  
  And I feel fine.
  
  
  
• The Synology DS1520+ is still gigabit.  (BetaNews)
  
  You're better off in most cases just having someone dump four used DS1812 units on your doorstep.  That happens to everyone, right?
  
  
  

Posted by: Rick C at Saturday, August 22 2020 03:32 AM (Iwkd4)

Posted by: Pixy Misa at Saturday, August 22 2020 04:41 AM (PiXy!)

Posted by: Kurt Duncan at Saturday, August 22 2020 04:54 AM (7AkDP)

4 "Are you suggesting that 11 is one louder?"

I wasn't (11 is the next prime number after , but now I am.

Posted by: Rick C at Saturday, August 22 2020 09:59 AM (Iwkd4)

Posted by: Rick C at Saturday, August 22 2020 10:09 AM (Iwkd4)

Posted by: normal at Saturday, August 22 2020 01:36 PM (obo9H)

Posted by: Rick C at Saturday, August 22 2020 02:44 PM (Iwkd4)

Posted by: Pixy Misa at Saturday, August 22 2020 03:31 PM (PiXy!)

Posted by: J Greely at Saturday, August 22 2020 09:19 PM (ZlYZd)

Posted by: Sex Crime Lawyer Prince George's County at Monday, November 04 2024 11:21 PM (XA68H)

Hide Comments | Add Comment