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- Here is a technical comparison between Atari's new Falcon 030, Commodore's
- new Amiga 1200 and Apple's new Performa 400. All of these machines are aimed at
- the home computer user in price and power. They each feature their own
- Multitasking Graphic User Interface (GUI) operating system, which is not
- compatible with MS-DOS. Each of these computers has their own software library.
- They are all based on Motorola brand CPU's. You won't find "Intel inside" any of
- these machines, unless it's in the form of an emulator board! ;^>
-
- Atari Falcon CBM Amiga 1200 Apple Performa 400
- CPU 68030 68EC020 68030
- speed(Mhz) 16 14.32 16
- MIPS 3.84 2.5 3.84
- data path(bit) 32(16used w/COMBEL) 32 32(16 used)
- address space(bit) 24 24 24
- instruction cache 256 bytes 256 bytes 256 bytes
- data cache 256 bytes no 256 bytes
-
- FPU optional optional optional
- socket on board yes no no
- type 68881/68882 68881/68882 68881/68882
-
- DSP yes no no
- type 56001 N/A N/A
- speed(Mhz) 32 N/A N/A
- MIPS 16 N/A N/A
-
- MEMORY & EXPANSION
- ram(base model) 4MB(32bit) 2MB(32bit CHIP) 4MB(16bit)
- max ram 14 MB 10 MB(>w/3rd party) 10MB
- type proprietary proprietary/PCMCIA SIMM
- rom 512K 512K to 2MB 512K
-
- DISK DRIVES
- floppy 3.5" 1.44HD 3.5" 880K 3.5" 1.44HD
- format Atari\MS-DOS(SAME) Amiga w\MS-DOS Mac w\MS-DOS
- hard internal internal internal
- type 2.5" IDE 2.5" IDE 3.5" SCSI
- size 65MB 40MB 80MB
-
- I/O PORTS
- mouse/joystick 2reg 2analog 2 reg 1 mouse/ADB
- serial RS-232C RS-232 2 RS-422
- parallel BI-directional Centronics no
- video-out analog RGB\VGA analog\RGB\VGA analog RGB\VGA
- composite\RF composite\RF
- audio-in stereo 1/8"mini no mono RCA
- -out stereo 1/8"mini stereo RCA mono RCA
- external floppy no yes no
- internal IDE yes yes no
- external SCSI yes SCSI II w/DMA no yes
- midi in, out/thru no no
- DSP yes(1 MHZ trans) no no
- network Localtalk LAN no Appletalk LAN
-
- EXPANSION internal bus exp cpu expansion slot Processor
- 128K cartridge PCMCIA 2(16bit) Direct Slot
- DSP port
- SOUND
- resolution 16bit\50Khz 8bit\50Khz 8bit\22Khz
- channels 8 4 1
- input yes\stereo no yes\mono
- output stereo stereo mono
- internal speaker yes no yes
-
- VIDEO
- resolution
- -minimum 320x200 320x200 640x480
- -maximum 640x480 1280x400\640x960(i) 640x480
- palette(colors) 262,144 16.8 million 16.8 million
- maximum displayed 65,536(640x400) 256,000(all res) 256(to 32K)
- overscan yes yes no
-
- MISC
- clock yes no yes
- keyboard type attached full attached full detached full
-
- OPERATING SYSTEM
- type multitasking gui multitasking gui multitasking gui
- location rom\disk rom\disk rom\disk
-
- PRICE
- retail $1299.00 $1099.00 $1450.00
- street N/A $850.00 $1100.00
-
- SOFTWARE(included)
- Atari Falcon 030: MultiTOS 4.0-operating system
- SpeedoGDOS-scalable font extension w/14 Bitstream fonts
- Falcon D2D-audio direct to disk recording & editing
- Atari Works-integrated word processor,database,spreadsheet
- Audio Fun Machine-DSP digital audio FX
- System Audio Manager-record & assign sounds to system event
- Various Accessory programs:calculator,calendar,Talking Clock
- games, etc.
-
- CBM Amiga 1200 AmigaDOS 3.0-operating system
- CrossDOS-allows reading & writing MS-DOS format disks
- *Deluxe Paint IV AGA-full featured 2D paint & animation
- *Final Copy-full featured word processor
- Various Utility Programs:Calculator,screenblanker etc.
- (*indicates a limited time offer)
-
- Apple Performa 400 System 7.1-operating system
- Symantec Greatworks-integrated word processor,database,
- spreadsheet,charting,paint & telecomm program
- At Ease-program launcher
- Teleware M.Y.O.B.-checkbook & cardfile program
- T/Maker Clip Art-business graphics
- Various Accessory programs:calculator,alarm clock,games etc.
- * (This software package may vary depending on place of purchase)
-
-
- FINAL NOTES: The Atari & Commodore machines are housed in a single case. They DO
- NOT have detached keyboards. The Atari Falcon is in the same case as it's
- predecessor the 1040STE, and the Amiga 1200 is in a restyled case similar to the
- Amiga 500. Also, each of these computers is available without a hard drive for
- less money. However, models with hard drives were used for comparison purposes.
- These configuraions are those as supplied by the manufacturer. Individual
- dealers may offer other configuration options. The Apple Performa 400 has a
- separate keyboard, it is in the same case as the MAC LCII(In fact, that's
- exactly what it is!).
- The Atari & Commodore machines can operate at many different screen
- resolutions and would require a multisync monitor for optimum flexibility. Also,
- the Commodore Amiga 1200's maximum resolutions are interlaced(i). It's maximum
- non-interlaced resolution is 640x480. Both the Atari Falcon & Commodore Amiga
- 1200 will also overscan, giving them more resolution in that mode and making
- them suitable for Desk Top Video (DTV). The Apple Performa would require an
- analog VGA type monitor. With additional Video Ram, the Performa can display up
- to 32,000 colors maximum.
- The data path on the Atari Falcon is listed as 32bits wide with 16 bits
- used with COMBEL. The COMBEL chip sits between the CPU and the memory chips.
- The bus from the CPU to the COMBEL chip is 16 bits, however, since there are no
- waitstates on this bus, it operates at rates comparable to 32 bits. The bus from
- the COMBEL to the memory is 32 bits. The data path on the Performa is 32 bits
- wide, although only 16 are used and the RAM accessed is 16 bits.
- The Atari Falcon is the only computer here with a DSP (digital signal
- processor) chip.
-
- revivsion 1.3
- Information compiled by Ken Baum 1992/93
- E-mail on GEnie or Delphi:<KEBAUM>
- Sources: Amiga World, Amiga Format, AtariUser, ST Format, MACWorld
- GEnie & Delphi.
-
-
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