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Subject: Re: Saphire II - Why don't we have updated chess engines for chess computer

Author: dario

Date: 13:42:20 12/06/00

Go up one level in this thread


On December 06, 2000 at 12:40:49, Ian Osgood wrote:

>On December 06, 2000 at 08:22:23, Osorio Meirelles wrote:
>
>>
>> I have the Sapphire II and even though it is much slower than a PC, I believe
>>that any top program playing at the same speed as the Sapphire, would beat it
>>badly ( it looks like the Sapphire II lacks a lot of chess knowledge ). Since
>>it's release, I have not seen anything better.
>>
>> What happened to chess computers ?  Why don't they have the best chess playing
>> algorithms as we have on chess playing software? ( I think if we had
>> versions of Tiger, Rebel , Fritz or Junior on a pressure sensory chess
>>computer, it would easily beat the sapphire II ).
>
>Easy: no market.  Existing dedicated computers can beat 99% of chess players.
>The hardcore 1% would want the best anyway, which means the fastest processor,
>lots of RAM for hashtables, and lots of storage for endgame tables and opening
>books (not to mention databases and other bells and whistles).  This means PC's
>+ chess software.
>
>The high end dedicated market died when desktop computers became a) faster than
>33 MHz and b) affordable and c) pervasive.  At that point, it became easier to
>sell a $100 chess program that was stronger than a $300 or more dedicated chess
>computer.
>
>There might be a "boutique" market for a strong luxury dedicated computer.  The
>TASC R30 tried to sell in this market at the end of the dedicated boom, but
>wasn't very successful, possibly due to its boutique prices.  This market is
>partially met by auto-sensory boards which work with programs running on a PC.
>
>(BTW, there are dedicated computers stronger than the Sapphire.  They are
>programmed by Lang and Morsch, and are ancestors of the modern Fritz and
>Genius).
>
>> I keep wanting to purchase a new chess computer, but I can't find any
>>significant improvement over the old ones.  Is the chess computer market
>> being replaced by chess software  ?
>
>At the cutting edge, yes.
>
>> Osorio
>
>Ian

Let me say first of, that Osorio you make an interesting point and state
some rigid facts, but if i could get Gandalf_432*, Fritz etc. engines
on a pressure sensory chess cpu and say you just had to change a cardtridge like
on the old nintendo's lol to change engine, even though they where weaker than
the pc versions and assuming they where affordable, i would love to
own one such. By the way do you have any idea or qualified guesses as
to how strong you could make a pressure sensory chess (given todays strong
engines mentioned above) cpu within the
reasonable pricerange of say, 350 dollars??



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