4 ms·

You misuderstood. When the turbo button is pressed, computer runs on nominal speed. When turbo button is un-pressed, computer would run on half of nominal speed

You misuderstood. When the turbo button is pressed, computer runs on nominal speed. When turbo button is un-pressed, computer would run on half of nominal speed. So, unpressed button makes computer slower, not pressed one. Source: actually used the button on my 386 SX 20/40 MHz

p_l 5y ago
Yep. I always had the turbo button pressed, except for occasionally deciding to play Test Drive 3 at speeds lower than "light speed". It was the one game I had that didn't calibrate the delay loop properly and my 486 was waaay too fast for normal playing - something that I didn't know so I learnt to play a very twitchy version...
googlryas 5y ago
Sorry, but I think you're confused in the same manner my coworker was. Activating the turbo button decreases the speed of your computer. Maybe yours operated differently, but everything I can find about turbo buttons on the internet indicates that they operated as I remember them - your computer gets slower when you turn the button on. I specifically remember playing certain DOS games where, if I didn't activate the turbo button, the entire game would speed through at what felt like double or triple speed. From wikipedia on Turbo button: > On IBM PC compatible computers, the turbo button selects one of two run states: *the default normal speed or a reduced "turbo" speed*. It was relatively common on computers using the Intel 80286,[1] Intel 80386 and Intel 80486 processors,[2] from the mid 1980s to mid 1990s. The name is inspired by turbocharger, a device which increases an engine's power and efficiency. *Contrary to what it suggests, the "turbo" button was generally intended to let a computer run slower than the speed for which it had been designed when pressed.*[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_button https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_button
- coolspot 5y ago
  sigh Look, you read about it in wikipedia, but I actually lived with this computer for my whole childhood. I know for sure how the turbo button worked, because I actually used it to cheat in F1 and Lotus racing games. Best I can find in 10m I dedicated to this is this video showing switch between 22 and 40 MHz modes with a turbo button (around 8:50): https://youtu.be/TdenDH7S8LM https://youtu.be/TdenDH7S8LM
  - googlryas 5y ago
    I've literally told you multiple times that I did too, and my computer behaved in the exact manner that all of the results googling the concept turns up.
    - rileymat2 5y ago
      You both may be right and wrong… further down in wikipedia page: “ On most systems, turbo mode was with the button pushed in, but since the button could often be wired either way, on some systems it was the opposite.”
- jazzyjackson 5y ago
  i dont know why the summary paragraph is so authoritative about what pressing the button means when a couple paragraphs down basically says “sometimes it’s wired backwards, so really it could be either faster or slower”

p_l 5y ago

Yep. I always had the turbo button pressed, except for occasionally deciding to play Test Drive 3 at speeds lower than "light speed". It was the one game I had that didn't calibrate the delay loop properly and my 486 was waaay too fast for normal playing - something that I didn't know so I learnt to play a very twitchy version...

googlryas 5y ago

Sorry, but I think you're confused in the same manner my coworker was. Activating the turbo button decreases the speed of your computer. Maybe yours operated differently, but everything I can find about turbo buttons on the internet indicates that they operated as I remember them - your computer gets slower when you turn the button on. I specifically remember playing certain DOS games where, if I didn't activate the turbo button, the entire game would speed through at what felt like double or triple speed. From wikipedia on Turbo button: > On IBM PC compatible computers, the turbo button selects one of two run states: *the default normal speed or a reduced "turbo" speed*. It was relatively common on computers using the Intel 80286,[1] Intel 80386 and Intel 80486 processors,[2] from the mid 1980s to mid 1990s. The name is inspired by turbocharger, a device which increases an engine's power and efficiency. *Contrary to what it suggests, the "turbo" button was generally intended to let a computer run slower than the speed for which it had been designed when pressed.*[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_button https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_button

coolspot 5y ago
sigh Look, you read about it in wikipedia, but I actually lived with this computer for my whole childhood. I know for sure how the turbo button worked, because I actually used it to cheat in F1 and Lotus racing games. Best I can find in 10m I dedicated to this is this video showing switch between 22 and 40 MHz modes with a turbo button (around 8:50): https://youtu.be/TdenDH7S8LM https://youtu.be/TdenDH7S8LM
- googlryas 5y ago
  I've literally told you multiple times that I did too, and my computer behaved in the exact manner that all of the results googling the concept turns up.
  - rileymat2 5y ago
    You both may be right and wrong… further down in wikipedia page: “ On most systems, turbo mode was with the button pushed in, but since the button could often be wired either way, on some systems it was the opposite.”
jazzyjackson 5y ago
i dont know why the summary paragraph is so authoritative about what pressing the button means when a couple paragraphs down basically says “sometimes it’s wired backwards, so really it could be either faster or slower”