🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <4ohjbc$qt4@cisu2.jsc.nasa.gov>,
        wally@nirvana.jsc.nasa.gov (Walter B Kulecz PhD) writes:
>
>Anyone who runs real calculations (fft's, matrix algebra, etc) doesn't consider
>a machine without FP hardware (this has been true since the XT), so people
>serious about multimedia won't consider machine without MMX asuming the
>hardware actually delivers the improvements promised.  I expect it will.
>
I might tend to differ here. People who are really serious about
multimedia will have dedicated boards, which give overall better
system performance. MMX is really for people who are 'moderately
serious' - in other words: cheapskates, or normal folks. MMX will
give a good boost over non-MMX for multimedia and games, but it
taxes the CPU heavily to do so. A dedicated board does the same
thing, but leaves to CPU free to do other things. (What other
things... perhaps the MM board is playing MPEGs while the CPU is
working on motion, collision detection, and user interface logic.

Dale Pontius
(NOT speaking for IBM)