Hi Gorf,

We appreciate everybody wanting to create accelerator cards for Natami.

The Cell of course can provide extrem high floating point performance.

But to be honest, I think that our 68K CPU will be satisfying for most people.
Like the original AMIGA, the concept of the Natami is to use powerful HW for the heavy-lifting tasks. If your HW is optimized to do tasks like Video decoding or 3D rendering then the main CPU has only relative easy jobs to do.

Like someone pointed out in another thread - you can build a 3D unit into the FPGA which outperforms a 2.8 Ghz Pentium.

My believe is that if your new 68K-CPU has the performance of a 200-400 MHz 68040 then its more than fast enough for the light work that is left.
Don't you agree?

Cheers

absolutely!

I don't think, we need more than a good 68K for 95% of all tasks. I also did not understand the ppc-hype in the amiga scene....

but I do understand the cell-hype: it is fascinating what performance is reached by its SPUs. So i would like to see the CELL an an additional custom chip - not replacing the 68K but accomplishing it.

Amiga=S4 or Morphos could also run on a faster 68K but I doupt they will go that way.. AROS is the future
 
@Gunnar
Do you see any chance to connect a new "custom chip" through the expansion slot?

You mean for example like adding PCI card with Spursengine on it?
Technically this is possible.

Personally I believe that a simpler way for gaining performance will be exploiting the 3D-core of the SuperAGA chipset for general multimedia tasks.

Cheers

I believe that the PPC CPU is an all around dud, personally.

A total waste of time and resources, no two ways about it. It's only redeeming value is the Altivec component. Excellent performance.

They made like 100 different PPC chip variants and no one can make a motherboard with them! Of what use it THAT? Can one buy a PA-Semi anymore even?

The object code size generated by it is disgusting. Programs are so much bigger. I am crazy about AOS4.0, but it's size devastates me!!! All due to PPC code! :-(((

AOS1.3, just imagine.... In 2008, a 32 bit multi-tasking OS starting in 2 seconds that can do nearly anything that XP can while weighting in at 500K!!!!!!! :-DDDD Dream on billy!! Yes, hang your head in disgrace.

Cyber Gorf wrote:

@Gunnar   Do you see any chance to connect a new "custom chip" through the expansion slot?

What we have is the most open architecture currently available, I believe!

And it's basic, so basic, but critically, it works.

The expansion slot will open up possibilities for the Physics chip, Cell or daughter boards with 1, 2, 4 more FPGAs, the sky's the limit!

This will jump start a Renaissance in computing unlike ever before.... So many more people are computing nowadays compared to 1975 through 1993, it'll be insanity! (Okay, I'm ready to be tied up.;-) :-D)

So remember, truly, "Only AMIGA* makes it possible"!!!!

* And the NatAmi60 crew!!!!!! :-D

exactly
so I will wait for my board to figure that out

... sounds PROPHETIC!!!...
T Atheist wrote:

"..., the sky's the limit!

This will jump start a Renaissance in computing unlike ever before.... So many more people are computing nowadays compared to 1975 through 1993, it'll be insanity! (Okay, I'm ready to be tied up.;-) :-D)

So remember, truly, "Only AMIGA* makes it possible"!!!!

* And the NatAmi60 crew!!!!!! :-D"
 

EXTERNAL LINK 

Good luck!

having a java processor or even a VP processor for OS5 on board may even be possible.

powerpc is still desirable if it gets support for an OS, but CELL processor expansions/clusters will really make things fly - x86 processor expansion is something that doesn't get discussed much, but it's probably still viable.

I'm just hoping enough developer machines will be made so that I can get one ;-)

Now you're talking!

They haven't got a fixed amount of motherboards that they're going to make. It totally depends on how many of us out here want to get our hands on one.... So make your intentions known. :-D

It will be anywhere from the $750 to $1200 US range. They have no fixed price either, yet. It's a small run, combined with, hey, they spent a little more than FIVE YEARS working the details out!!!!

But if you examine ALL the specifications carefully and compare them to what was the BEST of the last model made, factor in that it's BRAND NEW, also, imagine what the A4000 would cost today if you included inflation, it an AWESOME deal on the newest Amiga that no one has EVER laid their hands on before! It IS a bargain, and then some!! Oh, and did I forget to mention adventure?