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- PowerUp - The Next Generation
-
- * Power to the people!
-
- * Extensive support from software developers
-
- * Show your Support!
-
- * Deliveries to software developers commence
-
- * PowerUp Your Amiga!
-
- * A pioneering step into the future
-
- The take-off into a new performance dimension begins
-
- Oberursel, 10/30/1996: After some delay in the first six months of 1996 due to
- the unclear situation at Amiga Technologies and the break-off of negotiations on
- a possible joint venture, the PowerUp project of phase 5 digital products is now
- really getting up steam. The start of deliveries of the PowerUp-Alpha Developer
- Boards to leading software developers who actively support the Amiga has given
- the green light for the birth of a new generation of high-performance processor
- cards. What this means is that Amiga will now be doing more than merely keeping
- step with the rising standards of performance in the field of personal
- computing. Due to the implementation of a novel dual processing technique which
- involves the parallel operation of 68k and PowerPC processors in an integrated,
- multi-tasking Amiga environment, this enormous boost in performance will go
- hand-in hand with full compatibility. The existing software runs as usual on the
- 68k side while new, optimised program versions supported by the strength of the
- PowerPC processor offer vast potential for an outstanding performance.
-
- Power to the People!
-
- The commercial PowerPC acceleration cards from phase 5 digital products, which
- will be ready for delivery by the end of the first quarter of 1997, are
- powerful, dynamic dual-processor systems in 64-bit technology. Here the two
- processors installed, either a 68040 or a 68060 together with a PowerPC
- processor, share the memory and the system bus as required. At the same time a
- complex interrupt system ensures dynamic distribution of the bus cycles,
- depending on the activity of the processors. The obligatory option of expanding
- the memory to 128 M-bytes is integrated as a 64-bit memory while full burst mode
- implementation for the 68k and PowerPC processors ensures a high data transfer
- rate so that both processors have rapid parallel access to the RAM. Due to this
- active parallel operation the power of both processors can be used
- simultaneously. The tasks running on the different processors are able to
- exchange data and signals via a message system. Of course both processors can
- access the entire available address space so that the PowerPC processor can
- write directly into the chip memory or into graphic cards.This integration
- allows software manufacturers or active programmers to easily optimise existing
- programs step by step on the PowerPC.
-
- Beginning of October 96, in the labs of phase 5: Worlds first dual processing
- Amiga system with a 68060 and a PowerPC processor, here connected to Tektronic
- TLS520 and Phillips PM3585 logic analysers, runs the first Amiga-PowerPC
- program!
- Along with the powerful hardware, the PowerPC acceleration cards will also go
- hand-in-hand with a versatile range of software. The users of commercial
- programs will certainly be most interested in the CyberGraphX V3 Native, in
- which multi-media functions for the display of MPEG video and the new 3D
- implementation, CyberGL, are realised. The exceptional power of the PowerPC
- processor and the optimised design of the mighty PowerUp accelerator give reason
- to expect outstanding performance in this field, elevating the product into the
- crme de la crme of the modern world of personal computing.
-
- Extensive support from software developers
-
- Many well-known software manufacturers for the Amiga greet the concept of phase
- 5 digital products as an avantgarde step which ensures the success of the Amiga
- system in the future and have announced their support. This means that Amiga
- users who decide in favour of the PowerUp board can already reckon with a wide
- range of programs optimised for the PowerPC as soon as the turbo cards become
- available. Some of the most important software manufacturers who will be giving
- their support to the PowerUp Project are (in alphabetical order):
-
- Cloanto Software
- Cloanto is planning an adaption of the well known Personal Paint for the next
- release version 7, which also will be featuring a lot of new functions. The
- program is due to its modularity well prepared for a fast and easy migraTION TO
- THE PowerPC. In addition Cloanto is planning to port other programs of the
- actual product palette to the PPC.
-
- Contact Cloanto under [http://www.cloanto.com] http://www.cloanto.com
-
- Digita International
- Digita International is working with phase 5 to find the best method of porting
- Wordworth and other Digita applications. Digita's Managing Director, Jeremy
- Rihll, commented: "phase 5 has developed some really stunning technology that
- would work really well with Wordworth. After the launch of Wordworth 6 in
- November, we will be turning our full attention to looking at working with phase
- 5 and its products."
-
- Contact Digita International under [http://www.digita.com] http://www.digita.com
-
- GP Software
- The producer of such famous applictions as Directory Opus and GPFax supports the
- PowerUp program and is planning the adaption of all applications to the high
- perfomance PowerPC processors.
-
- Contact GP Software under [http://www.livewire.com.au/gpsoft/]
- http://www.livewire.com.au/gpsoft
-
- Haage und Partner
- With the introduction of the phase 5 PowerUp accelerators, StormC, an integrated
- software development solution, will become available, which is the first
- integrated package to support the PowerPC software development. This powerful
- development tool will offer state-of-the-art options and comfort for
- programmers. A demonstration of the first version is planned for the Computer 96
- show in Cologne.
-
- Contact Haage &Partner under:
- [http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Haage_Partner]
- http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Haage_Partner
-
- Irseesoft
- "We are very interested in the PowerUp project. There is a strong demand on
- bringing back the Amiga to the latest hardware development state available. Most
- important is the increase of computing speed. The step to the PowerPC is the
- only solution we can imagine for that purpose. By knowing about these facts, we
- are going to port our products, such as Turboprint Professional and
- Picturemanager Professional, to the PowerPC."
-
- Holger Kruse
- Holger Kruse The author of Amiwin and Miami is going to port his products to the
- PowerPC to keep up to the current level of computing.
-
- Contact Holger Kruse under [http://www.nordicglobal.com]
- http://www.nordicglobal.com
-
- Maxon Computer
- Maxon Computer is planning the migration to the PowerPC version of the famous
- raytracer and animator MaxonCinema4D with the PowerUp project.Adaptions to the
- PowerUp accelerator for other current and future applications is also planned.
-
- Contact Maxon Computer under [http://www.maxon.de] http://www.maxon.de
-
- Nova Design
- The adaption and optimization for the PowerPC is planned for the high perfomance
- applications ImageFX and Alladin 4D to achieve the highest possible computing
- perfomance from the PowerUp accelerator boards. Users of these programs can
- expect powerful upgrades in early 1997.
-
- Contact Nova Design under [http://www.novadesign.com] http://www.novadesign.com
-
- Oberland Computer
- Oberland Computer states the PowerUp project as the only possible future of the
- Amiga. By knowing this, the software engineers are already working to fly their
- famous REFLECTIONS raytracer on the PowerPC. First results are expected for the
- Computer 96 in Cologne. First test calculations show up a new era for Amiga
- raytracing to come with the PowerUp accelerator boards.
-
- Contact Oberland Computer under [http://www.oberland.com]
- http://www.oberland.com
-
- ProDAD
- ProDAD is supporting the PowerUp project as Alpha Developer from the very first
- days on. Andreas Huber, general manager of ProDAD: "ProDAD appreciates the
- realisation of the PowerUp project and will surround this project with own ideas
- and innovations. CockTel, the picture phone system, for example will be one of
- the first PowerPC compatible applications with especially the compression and
- decompression routines taking advantage of the PowerPC resulting in higher
- transmission quality. The products Monument V3 Professional and Adorage will
- also take advantage on the increased perfomance capabilities of the PowerUp
- project by providing new features and functions at higher speeds. Updates with
- PowerUp support of the mentioned products will follow soon. The first PowerPC
- native operating system onthe market will be "p-OS", which was designed to
- support the PowerPC CPU from the first days of development on. With this in
- mind, the PowerUp project has first priority on the development of p-OS. The CPU
- perfomance of the PowerPC together with the lean and fast modern operating
- system will surprise not only the Amiga community. Innovation, not emulation is
- the wayto maximum perfomance and the PowerUp project as well as the p-OS
- development are following this guideline. So they will support each other to be
- innovative and to serve the users!"
-
- Contact ProDAD under [http://www.prodad.de] http://www.prodad.de
-
- RBM Computertechnik
- RBM Computertechnik RBM is planning to port their scanner software ScanQUIX to
- the PowerUp accelerator boards. Also future developments are announced to be
- PowerUp aware.
-
- Info for all software developers: If your name does not show up on this page,but
- you are going to officially support the PowerUp project, please feel free to
- contact us.
-
- Several of the above mentioned vendors plan to show first demos of software
- supporting the PowerUp accelerators already on the Computer 96 show in
- Cologne.In addition to these well-known names about 500 software developers have
- registered for the phase 5 PowerUp Developer Support Programme and it can be
- expected that they will develop numerous applications for the future especially
- in the shareware and PD field. In addition to this, phase 5 digital products
- will give particular support to special projects such as Linux porting and
- similar, with the result that such projects will probably have already produced
- results by the time that the PowerUp accelerator becomes available.
-
- Show your Support!
-
- All active Amiga users who are interested in PowerPc upgrades for their
- preferred system are invited to contact the vendors of their preffered software
- products and inquire for updated versions of these software applications which
- are optimized for the PowerUp accelerator boards. Send your requests or wishes
- by post, fax, or email to the vendors of the software you'd like to see reaching
- a new performance level - even to those vendors which are not (yet) listed here.
- Your strong feedback will help the software vendors to quickly realise the
- products that you are waiting for! Go ahead and show your support for a
- Power(PC)ful Amiga future!
-
- Deliveries to software developers commence
-
- When deliveries of the Beta Developer Boards start the worldwide support from
- active Amiga software developers will grow. All developers registered in the
- phase 5 Developer Support Programme now immediately have access to information
- on the PowerUp Beta Developer Boards and are able to order them. Delivery will
- commence by middle of November, according to developer status and in the
- sequence that the orders come in. The Beta Developer Boards are designed as
- plug-in boards for the Cyberstorm MkiI accelerators and allow professional
- software development in the accustomed software environment.
-
- PowerUp Your Amiga!
-
- The amazingly fast, 64-bit PowerPC accelerators which will be available soon
- mean that existing Amiga systems can be upgraded to a level of performance which
- is on a par with that of today's fastest personal computers at prices which will
- make the hearts of convinced Amiga enthusiasts beat faster.Switching to a
- PowerUp Board will become a worthwhile investment for practically any Amiga user
- and one which offers outstanding value for money.
-
- In order to give you an impression of the prices for the coming 64-bit
- high-performance accelerators there follows a list of the prices currently
- anticipated for some typical PowerUp configurations, calculated on the basis of
- current market prices for components.
-
- The table above gives you an informative overview of the coming PPC604e-based
- accelerators. The prices for the extremely low-cost PowerPC603e-based
- accelerators, which are also in the planning, have not yet been decided. But
- they will also offer attractive upgrade possibilities, particularly for Amiga
- 1200 users and the owners of blizzard boards for the Amiga 1200. As the PowerUp
- boards for the Amiga 1200 will make it absolutely essential to upgrade the A1200
- with a tower housing (if only for EMC reasons), phase 5 digital products will be
- working closely with the manufacturers of the relevant systems. Look out for
- more - you will be receiving further information on a regular basis.
-
- A pioneering step into the future
-
- With the PowerUp project we will be taking an initial, pioneering step into the
- future, a step so long awaited by the Amiga community. We at phase 5 digital
- products and our partner firms mentioned here are aware of our commitment to
- continue to promote and support the outstanding concept of the Amiga. Providing
- accelerator cards in a performance class which puts the Amiga on a par with
- today's high-end PC's is a major step forward. An equally important step will be
- the active support from software manufacturers.More steps will follow. A 100 %
- Amiga-OS 3.1-compatible operating system core has already been realised in the
- development laboratories of phase 5 digital products and is currently undergoing
- intensive testing. We also anticipate further important innovations in this area
- - also in co-operation with major software developers and partners who are eager
- to enhance the system and pursue the Amiga vision. The final goal is to produce
- a full PowerPC-based operating system.
-
- But in addition to this, here an ambitious project is assuming concrete
- form.This is a project that represents major step in innovative design and which
- is being consistently implemented using all the necessary resources: We are
- proud to present the
-
- (Click here to warp into the next dimension of computing)
-
- Kontakt:
- phase 5 digital products
- In der Au 27
- 61440 Oberursel, Germany
-
- Telefon: 06171/583787
- Intl. Phone: +49 6171 583787
- Fax: 06171/583789
- Intl.Fax: +49 6171 583789
-
- Email: mail@phase5.de oder: aproject@phase5.de
-
- Specifications are subject to change without notice. AMIGA is a registered
- trademark of the respective owners. PowerUp is a registered trademark of phase 5
- digital products. PowerPC is a registred trademark of the IBM Corporation.
-
-
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