*BSD News Article 39581


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From: sl14@crux4.cit.cornell.edu (S. Lee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.powerpc,comp.sys.intel,comp.os.misc,comp.unix.bsd,comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit,comp.unix.sys5.r4,comp.unix.misc,comp.os.linux.development,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.386bsd.development,comp.os.386bsd.misc
Subject: Would the design be right this time? (Re: Interested in PowerPC for Linux / FreeBSD / NetBSD?
Date: 16 Dec 1994 08:04:18 GMT
Organization: Nekomi Institute of Technology
Lines: 36
Message-ID: <3crhm2$fm8@tuba.cit.cornell.edu>
References: <3cilp3$143@news-2.csn.net> <3cit0i$mjf@tut.msstate.edu> <3clp1c$q6p@news.iastate.edu> <3cqe6o$aog@kaleka.seanet.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.253.232.66

I'm definitely interested in a Linux- or *BSD- running PowerPC computer.

Waiting for IBM's Power Personal Systems (or whatever it is called) I
wonder if they'll get the design right this time.

Is there anything people really *don't* want IBM (or clone makers) to put
in their new computer?  Like:

- IRQs and DMA channels that must be configured by the user manually
- non-sharable IRQs
- lame sound
- 2 FD/2 HD limit (I know this is no longer true, but I hope they get this
right the first time)
- 1 display limit (I think solutions exist, but are really expensive)

Having the following will be nice:

- Hot-pluggable peripherals (Keyboard, mice, disk drives?)
- built-in DSP
- built-in graphics accelarator (better, one that can handle sprites and
  several levels of background scrolling)
- auto-eject floppy drives
- built-in networking

I hate to admit this really sounds like a Mac, but Apple did get their
designs right.  If people are making clones, I hope they'll not clone the
flaws also.

Really, if somebody can get Linux running on a PowerMac, I might just go
ahead and buy one...

sl14@cornell.edu
Witty .sig under construction.

P.S. somebody please suggest a good followup newgroup, I don't know where
this belongs to.