[Coco] CoCo Video Player

[Steve Batson]

Adding my 2 cents...I'm actually kinda of surprised to see this type of 
debate on this list....Yes hardware and software depend on each other, both 
are required to make everything work. I have to disagree that Software is 
more powerful than hardware since the hardware is ultimately what makes it 
all happen in the end. Yes the software directs actions and does all sorts 
of calculations and such, but that is all because the hardware is busy 
working on what the software tells it to do.

I would submit that any task you might have software do, could be faster, 
more efficient and more robust if implemented completely in hardware. I'm 
not saying that everything should be, or is feasible to do in hardware, I'm 
just trying to make a point. As someone already said, you can't make 
software do more than hardware is capable off. The main thing that software 
has over hardware, is that you have the flexibility to change things 
anytime, including on the fly. We wouldn't have computers as we do today if 
it wasn't for software of course. 

And just because you might be able to use software to force the hardware to 
do something that maybe it wasn't necessarily designed for, doesn't make it 
more powerful than hardware. The hardware is a wall for the software. Once 
you have written the tightest, most efficient machine code that can be 
written, you hit a brick wall. You then need that next more powerful, 
faster hardware to go further. 

Bottom line, use the right tools for the job. With computers, it's Hardware 
and Software. Regardless of what you are trying to do, using the best of 
both will get the best results.

----------------------------------------

From: "Roger Taylor" <operator at coco3.com>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 8:13 AM
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Subject: Re: [Coco] CoCo Video Player 

At 12:33 PM 3/17/2011, you wrote:
>I have to agre with Mark on this one.
>
> > Being a hardware guy, the hardware sets the pace for the software. 
Software
> > can be good or bad but if the hardware does not support the cool 
features
> > which the software is pushing, then NONE of it would be possible. 
Another
> > way to look at it is that the software can only make the hardware 
> goes as fast
> > as it was designed in a optimized environment. If it was up to 
> the software,
> > the CoCo would be running at 100GHZ today...... :)
>
>You can do a lot in software but the hardware provides the means.
>
>For example, the video project is quite amazing what it is doing on 
>the hardware the CoCo provides but as Steve implies, it's not 
>something I would want to watch a movie from.
>
>Now, if there was some hardware acceleration inluded by an add-on, 
>such as a harware decoder or a 256 color mode... then software can 
>be written to take advantage of the new capabilties and improved 
>video output could be achieved.
>
>As I said, impressive software, but you can only do so much in software.
>
>Nick

Like I said, this kind of debate is one of those 50/50's. True, 
hardware and software depend on each other. Hardware biased guys 
will claim the hardware is more powerful and responsible for the 
whole accomplishment. Software guys will claim that without their 
masterpiece you would have nothing at all. My theory is that because 
software can "think" and change without limits, it is the more 
powerful of the two.

-- 
~ Roger Taylor

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