»CL6:------------------------------------------------------------------------------- »CL0: The PC Scene Is Not Our Standard! »CL6:------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by »CL5:Alvin »CL6:of »CL5:Nah Kolor »CL1:With the introduction of the 1 GHz processors by AMD and Intel, the PC has reached new standards when it comes to speed. Even though currently a bit out of reach for the normal user, »CL6:prices drop rapidly when it comes to computer hardware.»CL1: Now, imagine owning one of these monster machines. Together with the new graphics card from ATI (maybe the one that was supposed to be in the computer Amiga announced, while owned by Gateway), it would be a killer. Imagine then a demo produced and made especially for this computer. Yeah, that would be something, would it not? Or would it? »CL8:For many years, the Amiga Scene set the standards when it came to demos and Scene productions»CL1:. The PC Scene came out of the Amiga Scene. Things are very different these days. It seems like the PC Scene is setting the standards. Whatever Amiga Sceners see in PC demos, they try to duplicate to show that "Hey, we can do that too and we can do it better!" Vanity, is it not? »CL6:In a sense it does seem like the Amiga Scene is a bit arrogant.»CL1: We desire to beat the PC Scene in their back yard by doing the very same things they do. We are trying to play in their league even though wedo not quite qualify. We are trying to kick their tail, but we cannot quite reach it. The PC boasts hundreds of MHz when it comes to speed. »CL7:The graphics cards available are fantastic and superior to Amiga cards and with that combination, anything the PC Scene puts out will be superior technically.»CL1: Surely the Amiga demos has shown that the Amiga can do amazing things but one cannot deny that »CL7:we will never quite reach our goal if this is the PC Scene and their productions.»CL1: Lately, there has been some discussion in the Eurochart concerning this issue. One camp does not understand why the whole Scene does not just jump on the PowerPC bandwagon and upgrade so that new productions can take advantage of the power. »CL6:These people seem to desire a change similar to the one the Scene experienced when AGA was introduced.»CL1: The other camp is not as excited about this though. To them, PowerPC is a dead-end, a futile exercise in spending money that leads nowhere. While the first group sees more speed as the foundation for greater production, this group does not. Instead, they are content with 030 and 040 and the thing called demos-with-design. »CL7:On its face, the race to go faster and faster seems to be a reflection of the PC Scene and a desire to go where the PC Scene is and even beyond this point.»CL1: They set the standards, we follow. From another point of view, it seems like the people that dislikes this move towards PowerPC are the ones scared of taking risks, people that does not like unknown territory. These people have always been around, always complaining when they are left behind. However, both parties have good points. First, we need to be creative, we need to think different. What the Amiga Scene needs is not necessarily fast amazing hardware since this will only produce copies of the PC Scene. We need to be unique and we will not accomplish this by running after the GHz chip. »PIC:4.iff» »PIC:4.iff» »PIC:4.iff» The C64 Scene is respected and their demos are looked at with awe. It is amazing what they can squeeze out of such limited hardware. »CL8:The creators of the C64 demos are respected for what they can do with the limited hardware they have,»CL1: not for the lots of speed and powerful graphics cards they do not have. Watching the latest C64 demos is truly amazing and Amiga demos needs this status as well. »CL6:On the other hand, PowerPC does not have to be a dead-end. »CL1: If it is a dead-end for Amiga demos and programs, it is in many cases because we, the users, are not supporting it. With all that have happened the past years and most recently the demise of Phase5, the future of PowerPC sure seems dark and it is understandable if users are not willing to cough up big bucks for something uncertain. However, those who keep an eye on the hardware developments on the Amiga market knows that the Phase5 PPC-cards are still available and other PPC-only cards are also under development. »CL7:It is also worth considering that the new Amiga OS will actually run on these new PPC cards»CL1: while at the same time not closing the door to old software. So, to say that PPC is a dead-end is not quite true. Surely, the PPC has its place but if we only use the power available to copy others, we will not accomplish much. »CL8:Amiga demos will be truly great when we no longer try to be what we are not.»CL1: The Amiga Scene is different from the PC Scene. At least this has always been one of its claims. So, let us be different. Let us not strive to be like others, let us strive to be different. Walk away from the standard set by the PC Scene. Let us set our own standards, speed or no speed. If setting new standards and innovation comes from using PowerPC and high speeds, so be it. If not, let us be content with what we have and »CL7:let us show the world that amazing things can be done with limited resources.»CL1: »PIC:3.iff»