Author: Bruce Moreland
Date: 20:56:39 10/17/97
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On October 17, 1997 at 13:34:36, Chris Whittington wrote: >Well the spirit of the WMCCC is uniform platform in so far as that is >possible. I've been to two of them and I hadn't gotten that impression. Lots of people use the supplied machines, but others, professional and amateur, bring their own machines. The best programs often bring great hardware. >As in W-Micro-Computer-CC. Certainly more so that in the totally open >WCC. > >Sure there's been a range of microprocessors around, and sure those >dreadful hardware manufacturers had the thing sewn up in more ways than >one in the past. > >But now is now. PC's are standard and fast. alpha's are more like the >old idea of a mini-computer. My Alpha (533 mhz) is a PC. It is the same size as a PC (actually, mine is smaller than my P6/200), and uses the same components. The difference is a different motherboard, with a procesor that doesn't run the x86 instruction set. Just because it is faster than the fastest Intel chip or Intel clone, doens't make it a mini-computer. >And, since some 'amateurs' now have the resources to spend or acquire >these ultra fast machines; while some 'professionals' can't or can >barely afford the $1000 - something seems wrong somewhere. I bought mine, but I think that is the only one that was actually paid for. Dark Thought is sponsored by Digital, and I think Chess Guru is also. I believe that some of the PII/300's are also "sponsored" hardware. I am amateur not because I am poor, but because I am not selling my program. I am not adverse to the idea of selling programs. I plan to sell my program eventually, but it is not for sale yet. If you are suggesting that the ICCA switch to a financial aid model that is based upon the income of the applicant, without regard to where the income comes from, that bears discussion as a new topic, I think. I don't have a strong opinion either way, but it might be interesting to talk about. >So, i'm not too worried about Dark Thought on an alpha. They are a >university research team, they don't 'compete' in the market. Crafty and >Ferret do. I'm crying foul and unfair. Sigh. >The other thought is how much influence these 'amateurs' with resources >have on some of the commercials decisions to not attend. Probably quite >a bit to do with it would be my guess. Why bang your head against 750 >Mhz when you can stay away ? Ok, so last year they all stayed away because of Suharto, and this year they are all staying away because of me. Whatever, Chris. >I plead with you both to run on fast K6's and not on alphas. Then the >event will be in the spirit of equal resources for all, and a better >event. I'm going to bring my alpha. If there is something better than that waiting for me in Paris, and it meets with ICCA definition of a micro, and it meets with *my* definition of a micro, I will use it. I am not going to use a K6/233 and let Fritz et al walk all over me. bruce
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