PERQ

From: Doug Spence <ds_spenc_at_alcor.concordia.ca>
Date: Mon Aug 17 02:29:22 1998

On Sun, 16 Aug 1998, Tony Duell wrote:

> > > (the WCS - Writeable Control Store I mentioned), so you can redefine the
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > > Unlike just about every other machine of that time, there is no text
> > > mode. However, the designers wanted it to be as fast at displaying text
> > > as machines with said hardware text mode, so they designed a 'raster op
> > > machine' - what we'd now call a blitter - to handle screen updates.
> >
> > Sounds like an Amiga 1000. ;) ;) ;)
                               ^^ ^^ ^^
I thought that three winking smileys would be enough, but apparently not.

> The Amiga never had user-writeable microcode AFAIK. All of them were
> 68000-based. On the PERQ you can redefine the CPU instruction set if you
> want to.

Yup, I know. Note that I cut everything about the user-writable
microcode, leaving only "Writable Control Store". The Amiga 1000 also has
something called "Writable Control Store" (WCS), but for a different
purpose.

I also selectively left in the bits about the PERQ not having a text mode,
and about it having a blitter.

I have a feeling my little attempt at humour got me mistaken for a rabid
"Amiga-against-the-world" religious fanatic. I like my Amigas, but my
participation on this list almost guarantees I'm not one of the
nut-brigade.

<other impressive PERQ stats snipped>

> -tony

Is there anywhere where I can see what the PERQ's OS looks like, Tony?


Doug Spence
ds_spenc_at_alcor.concordia.ca
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
Received on Mon Aug 17 1998 - 02:29:22 BST

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