Power UP Amiga goes PowerPC The innovation leap into the next decade of Amiga-computing If you also rank among the Amiga users looking forward to tomorrow, we are delighted to inform you that there is life for the Amiga after the 68000 version PowerUP Amiga goes PowerPC Since it's foundation, phase 5 digital products year after year has introduced new and significant innovations for the Amiga - in 1993 the Fastlane Z3, the first Zorro-III-DMA-Controller, in 1994 the Cyberstorm 060, the worlds's first 68060 board for Amiga systems, in 1995 the CyberVision64 and the CyberGraphX-software, which jointly have defined a new standard in graphic capabilities on the Amiga or the Blizzard board for the Amiga 1200, which in it's present 4th generation is setting standards in respect of price and performance. This success is based upon the experience of the engineering team, which has been working with the Amiga for almost 10 years since the introduction of the legendary Amiga 1000. phase 5 digital products has now imported all it's expertise and know-how into a new sensational project, the PowerUp-program which will provide the basis in 1996 for taking the decisive innovation leap into the next decade of Amiga-Computing: the PowerPC-RISC-processors will provide the Amiga with a new and powerful heart. 68000 and then.... The 68060 processor represents the state-of-the-art performance peak of the 68k processors currently used in the Amiga; it is installed in such products as the Cyberstorm 060/50, the Blizzard 1260 or the Blizzard 2060. Even though this processor features outstanding topical performance and is the No. 1 choice for all Power users seeking to expand and accelerate their system today, significant advance development with this processor family is not possible, as the 68060 will be the last of the 68k processors. Any increases of clock rates would only result in marginal capacity increases. Sufficient power ultimately is the only option. The Power-PC-RISC-processors provide a way out of this dead-end road by bridging the gap between the 68k processors and the Amiga future. With their enormous power performance at favourable prices and the innovative energies of the producers Motorola and IBM which are advancing the PowerPC architecture as alternative to conventional PC processors, the PowerPC processor family provides the solution assuring Amiga a position among the future high-performance desktop workstations. And that's not all: by combining this new processor generation with Amiga's unique features, this computer's performances in numerous specific applications are fully developed and raised to new heights. A number of PowerPC models in various performance classes already obtainable as well as a wide range of future models even more powerful in addition offer the right processor for each application and price range. With a fast RISC architecture and their high Floating-Point-Performance, the Power-PC processors today and in the future are more than adequately equipped for the most demanding tasks in the sectors of multimedia, 3-D, image processing, video processing, rendering, and animation. Hardware for the next millennium In mid-1996, the PowerBoards marketed by phase 5 digital products will introduce two novel types of PowerPC processors as new heart for the Amiga: MPC603e-processors with clock rates of 100MHz upwards will open new performance dimensions in the lower price bracket, while MPC604 processors (also in the range above 100MHz) will be installed in accelerator boards for professional utilization. 150MHz versions of these CPUs have already been announced for 1996. In addition, more high-performance members of the PowerPC family including the genuine 64-bit processor MPC620 with clock rates up to 300MHz are being developed and will open new performance dimensions in the near future. Next to utilization of PowerPC processors, the phase 5 PowerBoards naturally will also feature other state-of-the-art technical details. 64-bit memory expansion options naturally are standard, just as much as a fast 64-bit local bus system (with optional PCI-Bridge) which allows connection of both favourably-priced accessories and high-performance expansions for the PowerBoards. The PowerBoards offered by phase 5 digital products will be offered in a number of capacity categories and price brackets depending on the performance category between approximately US$ 700 and US$ 1500 initially for the Amiga 1200, Amiga 3000, and Amiga 4000 - naturally with the outstanding quality, compatibility, and flexible expansion options typical for phase 5 products. There is a wide variety of system software described below as well as CyberGraphx 3.0 Native, which is included in the phase 5 PowerBoard's scope of delivery. The full program The phase 5 digital products PowerUp program is concerned with development of a PowerPC solution suited as complete and convenient upgrade of existing Amiga systems based upon 68k technology. In addition to development of high-performance hardware for various Amiga computers, it thus also encompasses adaptation to the new PowerPC processors. A team of experienced system programmers is involved in realization of these necessary phases; it is developing an image of the Exec and Multitasking function of the Amiga-OS into PowerPC native code. This image - fully compatible to the previous Amiga Exec - as lowest level and supported by the superior 68k emulator will allow utilization of the existing operation system versions 3.0 and higher. Native coding of the important Exec and Multitasking functions will guarantee a high level of performance from the very beginning. The remaining operation system functions are initially generated in the fully compatible emulation and are optimized as required in following versions via new function libraries on the PowerPC native code. CyberGraphx 3.0 Native In order to avoid an essential performance bottleneck from the very beginning, a new version of the popular CyberGraphX software will be developed in the scope of the PowerUp project. It will be available as PowerPC native code and thus will considerably accelerate the entire graphical output on graphic boards or also (a new feature for version 3.0 and higher) via the AA chipset of the Amiga 1200 and the Amiga 4000. As the high demands on graphic output in today's multimedia applications requires a major share of the computer performance, this version of CyberGraphX adapted to the PowerPC processors will immediately provide for massive performance increases and a high utilization rate of the PowerPC processors' RISC performance. In addition, CyberGraphX functionally will be expanded by new interfaces for 3D applications and multimedia allowing utilization of a new generation of applications on the Amiga. The availability of powerful 3D routines and multimedia functions for audio and video independent from hardware will allow software producers to generate programs at extremely low costs which are operable on a wide variety of computer configurations. This considerably increases the system's attractivity and will result in a record demand for high-quality applications and for games of the next generation. We are not alone Already at commencement of the PowerUp project, a large number of leading software producers, among these Almathera, Maxon Computer, ProDad, and Softwood, to name just a few, plans to actively support the PowerUp project by adapting their high-performance programs to the new PowerPC processors. The anticipated support by additional software producers will provide for a wide range of extremely capable native software already at the time the PowerPC accelerator boards are introduced to the market. In the scope of the PowerUp project, phase 5 digital products has already initiated far-reaching measures to support software producers on the Amiga market. Evaluation boards enabling software development on the Amiga under a PowerPC processor will already be available in early 1996 for established and new commercial developers. Software tool for development systems are being prepared by phase 5 digital products and partner companies. Commercial developers will be provided full support by phase 5 digital products; development of strategical applications also is supported in direct cooperation with Motorola. Secure your investments But what can today's Amiga users do, who desperately need more power for their applications and cannot or are unable to wait between six and eight months until the new processor board generation is on the market? Here, too, phase 5 digital products has thought of it's users' demands and therefore offers appropriate upgrade solutions: all customers who have purchased a 68k acceleration board from phase 5 digital products after September 1, 1995 will be made special upgrade offers for purchasing one of the new PowerPC acceleration boards* upon submission of a copy of their retail dealer's purchase receipt. A more extensive trade-in program is planned for owners of higher-price-bracket 68060 boards, which will facilitate conversion to the PowerPC generation. phase 5 thus already today provides the opportunity to utilize a 68k accelerator for required additional performance and at the same time to invest into the future. We won't leave you out in the cold. *The upgrade program is available to all registered initial users who have purchased a 68k turbo board from the phase 5 production through authorized retailers or directly from phase 5 digital products. Purchasers of used appliances are exempted from this offer. Just dreams of the future? Yes - but of the near future. Already in full operation today and supported by massive investments, the PowerUp program will result in PowerPC based accelerator boards for various Amiga computers by mid-1996. phase 5 digital products is one of the leading and best established producers on the Amiga market; it's capabilities and innovative energies give you the security of purchasing state-of-the-art and proven technology for your Amiga's future...