Masjsta's A500 Vampire

[PPC]

Can you explain the benifits of having a "complex, modern, fast core" is? ( other than running 30 year old software fast? Is there an end game for it?

Is the end game complete replacement hardware that's backwards compatible or??

The benefit is that it opens doors for new software on classic Amiga that wasn't possible before because even a 060 would be too slow.
The end Game is providing a path forward for our ageing hardware with full backwards compatibility.
The second benefit is that this hardware is a lot cheaper and faster then current 68060 accelerators and you get RTG as a really nice bonus.

Even a V600 running at x11 is already over twice as fast as a 68060 50Mhz.
Running at x13 or x14 it's over 3 times faster then a 68060 50Mhz.
And that's with existing software/code that is not even optimized for Apollo-core on a low end FPGA the cyclone 3 is.
And with almost every core update the Apollo-core is gaining speed.

Since I got my V600 I use the A600 every day again with much joy.
It boots my quite GFX heavy OS3.9 in 720p res in about 3 seconds, it plays MP3 while I Surf the web, share files with my PC, chatting on IRC,watch a slide show all at the same time with no sweat at all.

I'm really looking forward to the V1200 that will be faster and have a lot more memory.

[PPC]

You do not need to re-compile older/current software to use the upcoming FPU on the Apollo-Core, it's fully backwards compatible (and a lot faster)
Until silver 9 core 50% of the FPU instructions where implemented and AFA OS (that uses the FPU) worked flawless.

In raw integer performance the Vampire leaves a 68060 in the dust, it is way faster then 060, the benchmarks do not lie, you can look them up.
Once the FPU is implemented (it's done and currently being tested) this also will leave a 060 in the dust on FPU performance.
And what is the point implementing a FPU that does not support current software ?!?

You are right when you want to take full advantage of Apollo Core like using AMMX you'll have to do some ASM code or inline ASM code.
But the main point is that Apollo-Core is fully backwards compatible and existing software will run and a lot faster then on 060.

Also The Vampire activated a lot of ex-Amiga users that where inactive for years, so was I for for 10 years, until this happened.
And the Vampire is affordable even with the current price raise to 250 euro for V600 and V500. (060 card will cost double, triple  that ?)
There is nothing in the classic Amiga market that even comes close in price/performance.

And quit comparing 25 year old systems to modern ones, you cannot beat those, Classic Amiga is a hobby it will never be mainstream again.
And from this point of view Vampire/Apollo-core is the best thing that happened for classic Amiga since PPC cards.
Besides that My A600 with vampire2 can play a MP3 without stuttering unlike my old S3, what does that sometimes for no reason at all, though having more processing power.

[PPC]

You're right, I don't see the point. However at various times through development they've said they aren't really bothered about being compatible. The same with the MMU.
Apollo isn't really aimed at being compatible with Amiga applications, we're just a soft launch for Gunnars bid to take on the embedded fpga cpu market. It just needs to be good enough to look good when people are selecting a cpu.

They may have seen the light and changed their minds, I can only go on what I've seen them post publicly.

Well Gunnar actually stated more then once that Apollo Core will be the most compatible 68K CPU ever, it even has 68040 instructions that Motorola left out in the 68060.