Re: Wishes

[rubywand@aol.com (RUBYWAND)]

In article <49n3nl$c37@apocalypse.dmi.stevens-tech.edu>,
khorster@attila.stevens-tech.edu (Karl Horster) writes:

>Ok, so I used Rsounder for the first time today to see how it 
>worked, and I wanted to convert some files to WAVs for my friends in the 
>PC World.  I chose the fit method and basically watched paint dry.  I 
>have an 8mghz GS, and it was still pretty slow.
>... wouldn't a math coprocessor 
>help, especially in something math intensive like convert sound files, or

>new graphics with the SS.  Do the applications need to be specifically 
>written for the coprocessor, or would it just help automatically?

    You can handle many tasks with the usual math functions and numeric
variables; but, often, things go more quickly with bit maps and simple
logic. Graphics processing is a good example. As for Rsounder, it could be
that the program is not yet optimized for speed.

     If a program, say in C or Pascal, employs math functions, then it
might run faster with a math co-processor. However, the co-processor would
not be able to guess when it is supposed to grab number data or what it is
supposed to do with it. To use an add-on co-processor, the language would
have to include specifically tailored routines.