Date   : Wed, 08 Mar 2006 17:11:09 +0000
From   : Fragula <fragula@...>
Subject: Re: Warning: Sad case on list!

Hi Dave!

David Hunt wrote:
 > I think that's a great idea, get the mainframes/minis talking to the
Beebs
> over serial sending VDU commands. Then all you need to do is get the Beebs
> into serial input mode and you're away.
I've changed my mind now.. Think Econet and the pixel queue is a better
way to go, unless there is no Econet available. Ok.. the programming is
harder, but the whole thing would run faster as the processors dealing
with the easy bits would otherways be speding most of their time doing
nothing.

>  You could have banks of Beebs driven by different mainframe/mini computers.
Or a whole bunch of them driven via econet from one really fast machine.
A Cray, An 11/750.. <shudder> A Sequent Balance.

> If you drew blocks on each Beeb at 1280x1024 (160x256 Mode 2) and then
> tunnelled down, so you then have four blocks of 640x512 and then sixteen
Yes. thats definitely the way to go.

Ohh. Does anyone remember the "greek key" demo from Acornsoft Forth?

 >    10 MODE2:VDU23;8202;0;0;0;
Yeh. That looks familiar, well it would if it was in BASIC2.
>    20 *FX9
Gahh.. *FS9? lost me there.. Mine started
*TV255,1 (Microvitec - and yes I )
MODE 2
VDU23;8202;0;0;0;
And also used the integer variables where appropriate, very similar to
my original version. I did try to speed it up, and had a xored rectangle
controlled off the arrow keys, move/size/zoom  on function f0/f1/f2 to
move the outline to mark a "zoomed" area, hit enter to zoom. Then it got
/really/ slow. I don't think I ever went for a third image, life being
too short.

BTW, though I totally approve of posting short source codes (and BASIC
programs) in-list, is this O.K. with the masses, or should I put on web
server and post a link?

Cheers!

M.