🚀 go-pugleaf

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