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1993-04-09
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1,454 lines
072010303050000144002006006010000
11
2Page #1
F0110000001
9[..◆.◆....◆....◆....◆....◆....◆....◆....◆....◆....◆....◆....◆....◆....◆.]0110
Ç=========================================================================
CommodoreAmiga4000/300Specifications
=========================================================================
Subject:Somefuckinglamespecsonthea4000...
Date:Sat,12Sep9214:32:23EST
Herearetherealspecs...moreofaworkstationthanahomecomputer:
040+6megsram+120HDforabout$3000US[seenaddsfor$2800US]...haha!
Thelowendmachineisdueoutjustbeforechristmas.
ForRelease:Immediate
Contact: CommodoreBusinessMachines,Inc.
1200WilsonDrive
WestChester,PA19380
MonaAstraLissor
AmandaK.Griffies
(215)431-9354
üCOMMODOREINTRODUCESTHEAMIGA4000ATWORLDOFCOMMODORESHOWÇ
(Pasadena,CA---September11,1992)---CommodoreBusinessMachines,
Inc.todayintroducedtheAmiga(R)4000,thecompany'srevolutionarynew
premiermultimediacomputer.TheAmiga4000marksthecompany'smost
significantnewtechnologyadvancementinitsAmigalinesincethe
product'sintroductionin1985.InadditiontotheAmiga4000,Commodore
announcedseveralothersignificantproductintroductionsincludingthe
Amiga600and600HD,AmigaDOSTMRelease3OperatingSystem,A570CD-ROM
Drive,andAmigaVisionTMProfessionalAuthoringSystem.
JamesDionne,PresidentandGeneralManagerofCommodoreBusiness
Machines,Inc.,commented,"Theseproductannouncementsexemplify
Commodore'scontinuedcommitmenttooffercomputerswithprobablythe
bestprice/performanceratiosinthecomputerindustrytoday.Weare
confidentthattheseproducts,particularlytheAmiga4000,willkeep
Commodoreattheforefrontofmultimediatechnologyandenableusto
continueouraggressivepushinthemultimediamarketplace."
üAmiga4000
Ç
ThispowerfulnewmachinefeaturesCommodore'sAdvancedGraphics
ArchitectureTMcustomco-processorchipsetthatenablesusersto
displayandanimategraphicsinmultipleresolutionsatupto256,000
colorsfromapaletteof16.8million.Thenewhardwarefeaturesare
drivenbyAmigaDOSRelease3,thenewestversionofCommodore's
multitaskingoperatingsystem,incombinationwiththemachine'smain
processor,theMotorola(R)68040.Whilethisnewversionofthe
operatingsystemtakesadvantageofthelatesthardwarefeatures,italso
maintainsbackwardscompatibilitywithAmigasoftwarenotwritten
specificallyfortheAmiga4000.
TheAmiga4000willcomestandardwitha120MBharddrive,6MBofmemory,
adualspeedhigh-densityfloppydrive,andCrossDOSwhichenablesusers
toreadandwritetoMS-DOS(R)formattedfloppyandharddrives.Other
keymultimediafeaturesinclude:adedicatedslotforvideodevices;
selectableNTSCscanratecompatibility;fourvoicedual-channeldigital
audio;upto8sprites,enablinghighspeedanimations;andfullhardware
videooverscan.TheManufacturer'sSuggestedListPricefortheAmiga
Ç4000-040/120is$3699.00.
üAmigaDOSRelease3
Ç
ThenewestversionoftheAmigaoperatingsystemaddsseveralsoftware
enhancementstotheprevious2.04operatingsystem.Amongthenew
featuresare:CrossDOS,allowingaccesstoMS-DOSformattedfloppyand
harddrives;anewInstallerutility;andaPostscriptprinterdriver.
Additionally,AmigaDOSRelease3.0offersfullsupportforthenew
AdvancedGraphicsArchitecturechipsetfeaturedintheAmiga4000.
üAmiga600
Ç
TheAmiga600isapowerfulentry-levelcomputerwithasmallfootprint
andlowprofileshape,makingitveryattractivetothehomecomputer
buyer.TheAmiga600and600HDwillcomewithAmigaDOS2.XXanda
selectionofsoftwarepackages.
üA570CD-ROMDrive
Ç
TheA570isahighcapacityread-onlystoragedevicefortheAmiga500
series.TheA570acceptsstandard5"compactdiscsinaCDcaddyand
playsallCDTV(R),audioCD,CD+G,andCD+MIDIdiscs.Itcanalsoread
industry-standardISO-9660CD-ROMdiscs.
üAmigaVisionProfessional
Ç
AmigaVisionProfessionalbuildsandexpandsonthevisualprogramming
environmentusedinearlierversionsofAmigaVision.Thenewfeatures
includesupportfortheCDTVplayer,speedandmemoryimprovements,and
enhancementstotheauthoringenvironment.Inaddition,afreely
redistributableruntimemodulehasbeenincluded,enablingflowscreated
inAmigaVisiontobeplayedbackwithoutloadingAmigaVision.
CommodoreBusinessMachines,Inc.,basedinWestChester,PA,istheU.S.
subsidiaryofCommodoreInternational.Thecompanymanufacturesand
marketsacompletelineofAmigacomputersandperipheralsforthe
business,consumer,educationandgovernmentmarkets.
Commodore(R)andCDTV(R)aretrademarksofCommodoreElectronics
Limited.Amiga(R),AmigaDOS,AmigaVision,BridgeboardandAdvanced
GraphicsArchitecturearetrademarksofCommodore-Amiga,Inc.MS-DOS(R)
isatrademarkofMicrosoftCorporation.Motorola(R)isatrademarkof
MotorolaInc.
###
üëAmiga4000TechnicalSpecifications
Ç
CPU:
-Motorola(R)68040series32-bitprocessor
-25Mhzclockspeed
-Removableprocessormodule
MEMORY:
-2MB32-bitChipRAM
Ç-Upto16MB32-bitFastRAM
-EasilyexpandableviastandardSIMMunits
-AdditionalstandardRAMissupportedbytheAmiga'sproprietary
AUTOCONFIG(TM)capability
SOFTWARE:
-512KB32-bitROM
-AmigaDOS(TM)3.0MultitaskingOperatingSystem
-Supportsprogrammableresolutions
-Supportsoutlinefonts
-Localizedformultiplelanguage/countries
-CrossDOSMS-DOS(R)filetransferutility
INTERFACES:
-Keyboard
-Mouse/Joystick/Lightpen/Tabletports(2)
-Serial(RS-232)
-Parallel(Centronics)
-Video(RGBanalogorRGBIdigital)
-RightandLeftstereoaudio
-InternalandExternalfloppydiskdriveports
-InternalATIDEport.OptionalSCSIadapter
SYSTEMSLOTS:
-CPUslot(200-pin)supportshigh-speedmemoryandadvancedprocessors
-Amigasystembus-Four16/32-bitZorroIIIexpansionslots(100-pin)
withAUTOCONFIG
-PCbus-ThreePCATT(M)slots
VIDEOSLOT:
-Extended24-bitVideoslot
-Inlinewithstandard100-pinZorroslotforeasyintegrationofZorro
andvideoboards
ZorroIIISlots
____________________________________________
||
1|[==========][======][=================]|
2|[==========][======][=================]|
3|[==========][======][=================]|
4|[======][=========][=================]|
|______|
|_________________||_________________|
1,2,3=PC/ATSlots;4=VideoSlot
HowtheSlotsWork:IfMS-DOScompatibilityisdesiredaBridgeboard
maybeplacedinslot1,2or3.WhenaBridgeboardisinstalled,the
emptyPCslotsarecapableofsupportingawidevarietyofXTorAT-
styleboards.TheremainingZorroIIIslotssupportboth24&32-bit
Zorroboards.
KEYBOARD:
-Detachable
-94keys,including10functionkeys
-Separatenumerickeypad
-Separatecursorkeys(inverted"T"layout)
MOUSE:
-Opto-mechanical
-2-buttondesign
Ç
DISKDRIVES:
-Built-in3.5-inchhighdensitydiskdrive(880KB/1.76MBformatted)
-HardDrivemodelspre-formattedandpre-loadedwithsystemsoftware
andutilities
-2rearand2front3.5-inchdrivebays
-1front5.25-inchdrivebay
GRAPHICMODES:
-AGAcustomchipsetproducesresolutionsrangingfrom320x200to
1280x400(morewithoverscan),including800x600
-NTSCandPALvideoresolutions
-Colorpaletteof16.8millioncolors
-2to256,000user-definablecolorsdisplayableonscreen
VIDEODISPLAYOUTPUT:
-WorkswithRGBanalogVGAormultiscanmonitors(notallmodes
supportedwithnonmultiscanmonitors)
-Horizontalscanrats15kHz-31kHz
-Verticalscanrates50Hz-72Hz
SOUND:
-Fourchannelstereosound,capableofreproducingcomplexwaveforms
-8-bitD/Aconverters
-6-bitvolume
DIMENSIONS:
-151/4"deepx15"widex5"high
WEIGHT:
-Approx.20pounds
POWERREQUIREMENTS:
-110volt/60Hz150wattpowersupply
A4000CONFIGURATIONS:
A4000-040/120
-Amiga4000withMotorola68040Processor,6MBRAM,internal3.5"
1.76MBFloppyDriveand120MBIDEHardDrive
-94-keyKeyboard
-2-buttonMouse
-AmigaDOSRelease3.0SystemSoftwareandUtilities
-GoldServiceWarrantyPackage
AmigaDOS(TM)Release2.1SystemSoftwareUpgradeTechnical
Specifications
NEWFEATURES:
-DynamicLocalizationofProgramstodifferentlanguagesandlocales
-IncludesCrossDOSforeasytransferofMS-DOS(R)andAmiga(R)files
-IncludesPostscript(R)PrinterDriver
-SupportsMultipleSerialandParallelPrinterPreferences
-NewPreferencesEditing
-Motorola(R)68040compatible
-Screenmoderequesteraddedforselectionofscreenmodeorvideomode
FONTS:
-SupportsAgfaCompugraphicIntellifontscalabletypefaces
-IncludesCGTimes,CGTriumvirateandLetterGothictypefaces
Ç-Supportsscalingofbitmapfonts
-BettercontroloffontrenderingforDesktopPublishingapplications
AREXXPROGRAMMING:
-IncludesARexx,apowerfulinter-processcommunicationlanguage
-CanbeusedtocontrolapplicationswhichsupportARexx
-AllowstheintegrationofdifferentapplicationsthatsupportARexx
intoasingleenvironment
-Abilitytolaunchapplicationsfromwithinotherapplications
USERINTERFACE:
-Professionalthree-dimensionallook
-Improvedeaseofuseandconsistency
-ExtensivelyconfigurablethroughPreferencesEditors
-Standardfileandfontrequesters
-Supportsscrollingscreenslargerthanthemonitor
-SelectLocale/CountrybyclickingonWorldMap
-KeyboardselectioninInputPreferences
WORKBENCHFEATURES:
-AllfilesareaccessiblefromtheWorkbench
-Filesareaccessiblebynameorbyicon
-Dragselectionofmultipleicons
-IncludesNewDrawercommand
-Easiercleanupsandpositioningoficons
-Iconscanbe"leftout"ontheWorkbenchbackdropforeasieraccess
OTHERFEATURES:
-Generalpurposeinstalleraddedwithinstallationactivationof
Keymaps,Monitors,PrintersandDOSDrivers
-SelectkeyboardfromPreferencesEditor
-PrinterDriversforpopularprintersadded
-Splineanimationsonblankedscreens
-SupportforEuropeanmonitors
-Enhancedreliabilityevenunderlowmemorysituations
-Fasterandmorereliablefloppydiskaccess
-ImprovedIconEditor
SHELLENHANCEMENTS:
-AmigaDOScommandsarefaster,morepowerfulandrequirefewer
keystrokes
-Newcommandshandleenvironmentvariablesandlinks
-CutandPasteinshellwindows
-Extendedwildcardcapabilities
-Backtickfeatureallowsembeddedcommandswithincommands
-Shellwindowshaveaclosegadget
-ARexxscriptscanberundirectlyfromtheShell
ECSFEATURES:
EnhancedChipSetRequired
-640x480non-interlacedProductivityMode(requires31kHZ-capable
monitor)
-1280x200and1280x400Super-HiResModes
-800x600requiresMultisync
-Newgenlockfeatures
HARDWAREREQUIREMENTS:
-Requiresany2.0XROM-readyAmiga500,600,2000or3000series
computer
-Amiga2500,A2620or2630requiresrev-06orgreaterROMsonthe
Çacceleratorcard
-ECSfeaturesrequireoptionalEnhancedChipSet
-ContactnearestCommodoreresellerfordetailsandinstallation
ORDERINFORMATION:
AS215AmigaDOSRelease2.1SoftwareUpgradeincludes:
-6disks
-3-manualset
AS216AmigaDOSRelease2.1ROMandSoftwareUpgradeincludes:
-2.0XROM
-6disks
-3-manualset
ContactyourCommodoreresellerfordetails.TolocateaCommodore
resellerintheU.S.,call1-800-66-AMIGA;inCanadacall1-800-661-
AMIGA.
Amiga600TechnicalSpecifications
CPU:
-Motorola(R)68000,16/32bit
-7.16MhzNTSC
-Multi-ChipcoprocessorsystemforDMA,Video,GraphicsandSound
MEMORY:
-Expandableto2MBChipRAM
-MaximumRAMexpansion6MBwithPCMCIA
SOFTWARE:
-512KBROM
-AmigaDOS(TM)Release2MultitaskingOperatingSysteminROM
-Workbench2.XandUtilitiessoftware
KEYBOARD:
-Integral78KeyInternational
MOUSE:
-Opto-mechanical
-2-buttondesign
DISKDRIVES:
-Built-in3.5-inch880KBfloppydisk
-External3.5-inchfloppydisk
-InternalIDEharddiskdrive(optional)
GRAPHICMODES:
-Colorpaletteof4096colors
-Selectableresolutions
-Supportsfulloverscan
VIDEODISPLAYOUTPUT:
-RGBanalog15KHzHorizontalScanRate
-ColorComposite
-RFModulated
SOUND:
-Fourchannelstereosound
DIMENSIONS:
Ç-14"deepx9.5"widex3"high
WEIGHT:
-Approx.6lbs.
POWERREQUIREMENTS:
-Switchingpowersupply23watts
INTERFACES:
External:
-FloppyDisk(DB23)
-Mouse/Joystick/Lightpen(2DB9)
-Serial(RS-232,PC-compatible)
-Parallel(Centronics--PC-compatible)
-VideoRGBanalog(DB2315KHz)
ColorComposite(RCA)
RFModulator(RCA)
-PCMCIACardSlot
Internal:
-InternalATIDEconnector
A600CONFIGURATIONS:
A600P
-Amiga600withMotorola68000Processor,internal3.5"880KFloppy
Drive,1MBRAM
-IntegralKeyboard
-Release2.XOperatingSystemandUtilities
-2-buttonMouse
A600HD
-Amiga600withMotorola68000Processor,internal3.5"880KFloppy
Drive,1MBRAM
-Internal40MBIDEHardDrive
-IntegralKeyboard
-Release2.XOperatingSystemandUtilities
-2-buttonMouse
Amiga570ExternalCDROMStoragefortheAmiga500
TechnicalSpecifications
FEATURES:
-HighCapacity,Read-onlyCD-ROM
-CDTVCompatibility
-2MBFastRAMexpansion(internal)
-Rearexpansionslotforplug-incartridges
OPERATINGSYSTEM:
-ISO9660filesystemhandler
-High-speeddecompressionforgraphics,audio,CD+GraphicsandCD
DigitalAudio
CD-ROMDRIVESPECS:
-DataTransfer-Normal:153KBytes/sec(Mode1)
:171KBytes/sec(Mode2)
-Averageaccesstime:0.5s
-Maximumaccesstime:0.8s
-Softreaderror:Lessthan1in10^9
-Hardreaderror:Lessthan1in10^12
Ç-Seekerror:Lessthan1in10^6
-Commands:CD-ROM,CD-Audio,CD+G,CD+MIDI
-Standardsupported:ISO-9660
-DataCapacity:540MegaBytes(approx.)
-Mechanism:ProtectiveDiskCaddyType
CDAUDIOSPECS:
-8xoversampling
-Audiooutput:External2.0Vp-p,10KOHM
-Frequencyresponse:4-20KHz
-Signal/Noise:-96db
-ChannelSeparation:-85db
-HarmonicDistortion:0.02%at1KHz
-Maximumaudiocapacity:about28hours-AMquality
-SampleRates:variablefromCDAudiorate(44KHz)
-Dual16-bitD/Aconverterplus64levelsofattenuation
PHYSICALCHARACTERISTICS:
RearPanel:
-PowerSupplyConnector
-PowerSwitch
-AmigaAudioIn(LeftandRight)
-CDTVAudioOut(LeftandRight)
FrontPanel:
-StereoHeadphoneJack
-CompatibilitySwitch
-Power-OnPilotLED
-DriveActivityLED
-DiscLoadingSlot
Dimensions:
-Approx.256x180x68mm
Weight:
-Approx.6pounds
POWERREQUIREMENTS:
-110volt/60Hzfromexternalsupply
AmigaVisionProfessionalspecs
CDTV(R)SUPPORTFEATURES
-PlaybackofCD-XLMotionVideoFiles
-PlaysCDDigitalAudiotracks
-CursorandJumpingHighlightModes
-ReadsCDTVIRController
-FullSupportforCDTVPreferences
-ControlMIDIoutfilestoMIDIorAmiga
VIDEOCONTROLFEATURES:
-Supportsfull-motionvideo
-SupportsGenlocks
-On-screenvideodisccontroller
-Videosetupandconfiguration
-SupportsSony,PioneerandPhillipslaserdiscplayers,NECPC-VCR,
PanasonicTQ3032F,SonyUmatic9TapePlayers
-Supportsdriversforcustomplayers
USERINTERFACE:
Ç-PrimaryInterface(s)
DirectManipulationofIcons
RequesterBoxes
-Presentationinflowchartformat
-Userinputfromkeyboard,mouse,joystickortouchscreen
-Auto-openandreduced-sizeicons
GRAPHICS&ANIMATION:
-CombinesTextandGraphicsonscreen
-UsesAmigastandardIFFILBMfilesasforegroundandbackground
-SimultaneousplaybackofAnimationandAudio
-34Transitionswith4speeds
17palette/resolutionindependent
-VisualDisplayElements:Graphics,Text,Animation,Video
SOUND:
-SupportsAmigaStereoAudio
-SupportsAmigastandardSMUSfileswithtempo,dynamicsandchord
support
-Digitizedsoundinstandard8SVXformat
-Speechsynthesisandtext-to-speechconversion
-Pre-loadingofaudioandstreamed-inanimationandsoundforincreased
displayandplaybackspeed
-AudioDisplayElements:DigitizedSound,Music,SpeechSynthesis
DATABASE:
-IntegratedintoAmigaVision
-dBaseIII(R)datafilecompatible
-upto10filesopensimultaneously
-ReadandUpdatefunctions
-Variabledefinitionandmanipulation
-Definedatainputforms
-String,numeric,dataandBooleanoperations
VISUALPROGRAMMING:
-Features:
FlowControlSubroutines
InterruptsAVEngine
LibrariesofEventsObjectEditor
ConditionalStatements
-UnlimitedNumberofHitBoxes/ButtonsperScreen
-UnlimitedTextWindows
-HypertextBrowsing
-RunsexternalprogramsviaARexx
-Chainingofprograms
-Selectablememoryconstraints
-Createruntimemodules
-Relocateapplications
-Name,PositionandMoveobjectsincludinganimationbrushes
-DefinePathsandTraversalOptions
RUNTIMEPLAYER:
-IncludesfreelydistributableRuntimePlayer
HARDWAREREQUIREMENTS:
-MinimumDeliverySystem:Amigacomputerwith2MBRAM
-SuggestedDevelopmentSystem:AmigaComputerwithHardDriveand
4MBRAM
-RuntimePlayerRequiresapprox.270KB,1MBRAMrecommended
ÇAMIGAVISIONPROFESSIONAL(PN:AS251)INCLUDES:
-ProgramDisk
-InstallDiskwithprinterandvideodrivers
-DemoDiskwithGuidedTourbooklet
-ExamplesDisk
-User'sGuide
-RuntimePlayer
-RequiresAmigaDOS(TM)1.3orhigher
=========================================================================
Subject:A3400/A4000specs...(possiblythisisajokepost)
Date:Sat,5Sep199215:46:23GMT
Hereisalittlesomethingthatmaybeinterestingto.advocacyreaders.
Ihavenoideawhowrotethearticle,butitseemstobesomeonefroma
hardwarecompany.Thearticlehasbeencirculatedviaemailtoseveral
persons,yetithassomehowmanagedtoescapebeingpostedonthenet.
Istheinformationrealorfake?Ifreal,isthisthetypeofmachine
thatpeopleareexpecting?
Hereitis:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A3400orA4000.ThestickeronthebackofthemachinesaidA4000,the
labellikethe2000/3000keyboard,butstuckontheupperlefthandside
ofthefrontofthemachinesaidA3400.Itwillbethesamecolorasthe
oldCommodoreVIC-20(refridgeratorwhite)..guessit'llbecalledthe
'Fridge(NOT!).
*-NomotherboardCPU.TheCPUslotisthesameasthe3000(T)andhas
adifferentformfactor,socurrent040boardswon'tworkitin.The
defaultmachineissupposedtohavea25MHz040(notECorLC,butfull).
SincethereisnoonboardCPUslotthereisnoarbitrationcircuitry
needed,soacceleratorswillbecheap.The040boardintherewasvery
completeandclean.
*-IDE,yesIDE,notSCSI.Cheapcheapcheap.Thispissedoffquitea
fewdeveloperssincetheycouldn'tplugtheirCDROMsorFlopticalsinto
it.MakesZorroIIISCSIcardsahotitemtoproduce(we'reprobably
gonnacomeoutwithonebasedonthe53C710liketheMagnumuses).They
hadadifficulttimeacceptingthattheindustrystandardisIDE,and
thatIDEisn'tthatslow,especiallysincetheyaretargettingnewAmiga
sales,notexistingusers.
*-4xAAchipset,sincethereis5SIMMslots,4forFAST,1forCHIP,
theCHIPusesaDualCASSIMMfor2M,otherwisecanhold512or1.The
FASTcanholdupto16MofPAGEmodeSIMMs,whichyieldthe4xspeedup,
whereasnonPAGE,wouldyielda2xsystem.Machinesshouldbeshipping
with1or2MCHIPand4MFAST.16MlimitisduetousingthesameBUSTER
RAMSEYcomboasintheA3000(T).
*-NoDisplayenhancer.Allmachineshada1960,whichletyoupromote
thedisplaysintoFlicker-free.
*-5drivebays,2floppy,and3harddrive,withoneofthe3underthe
2floppybays.Allare31/2"formfactor.1avaiableunderIDEoron
topofCPUdaughtercard.
Ç*-Backplanediffersfromthe3000onetomovethevideoslottothe
bottomrow,andmakeit24bit,thoughyoucanpluganormal12bitvideo
cardintoit.
*-Allsurfacemountcomponents.SIMMsareuserinstallable.
*-StatusoftheA3000+is"unknown",whichpissedoffafewdevs,since
theywereseriouslyconsideringDSPsoftware.
*-Nonetworkcontroller(COM20200).
*-Thismachinecaterstoaninexpensive040/AAentrymachine,whichis
supposedtobehighend.Itisalso,theBASEbox...youcanputanyCPU
intheslototherthana68000/010,solookforC=tousethisasacheap
020/AA(2x)(512kCHIP/4MFAST)systemthatyoucanupgradelater.
[cheapASCIIdrawing]
NotquiteanA3000formfactorontheoutside,definetlynotonthe
inside.
+----------------------+
|###===AMIGA[1.]*|(HighDensity)
|----------------[---]-|(emptyfloppy)
|[---]|(emptyharddrive)
+----------------------+
{FRONT}
###=A3400sticker====LEDs(power,FDD,HDD)*=powerswitch
.=floppybutton
+----------------------+
|\
|--
|LR|
+-[**]----------------+
*=Mouseports{LEFT}-WHYONLEFTSIDE???
+----------------------+
|@+---+$$$=====|
|%|FAN|???=====|
|+---+---+++.###**|
+----------------------+
{REAR}
%=normal3prongsocket@=(switched)socket$$$=A4000sticker
???=expansioncover---=serial+++=parallel###=video**=
audio.=miniDINkeyboardconnector(alaPS/2)======ZorroIIIslot
cover.
+----------------------+
|Z:+---++-------+|
|O:|IDE||POWER||
|R:|HD||SUPPLY||
|R:|||||
|O:+---++-------+|
|||^|
|3:|0++^|
|:|4S#+----+^|
Ç|+++S|0L#C|FDD|^|
|+++I:|O#P|HDD|^|
|+++M:|T#U|BAYS|^|
|+++M:+----#+----+^|
+---------------------*+
{TOP}
Finalnotes:Itwasclosetocompletion.Thisisthefirsttimethat
I'veseenamachinefromCommodoresoclosetobeingshipped,soexpect
thatitwillbeshownandintroducedattheWOCinPasadena.Alsoexpect
itto_ship_byChristmasorearly'93ifnotsooner.Thiswillbea
firstthatC=canactuallymeetanannouncementwithmachines.Alsonote
thatKS39AmigaOSRelease3isinfinaltest.Theyaregivingusa
coupleofmoreweekstofinishbetatesting.TheAAchipsetissnappy,
adequateforanentrylevelmachine,and8bitplaneswasnotevenas
slowas4bitplanesarenow,whichisgonnamakeitshinewhenthe
reviewscomeout.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
SungaRettaf
=========================================================================
From:spence@cbmvax.commodore.com(SpencerShanson)
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject:AAFeatures
Date:14Sep9221:43:36GMT
NowthatAA(AGA)hasbeenfinallyreleased,andtoquashanyfuture
questionsastowhatAAcanandcannotdo,hereisalistofdisplay
modesthatIcompiledwhenIfirststartedworkingontheAAproject.
Thisisthedefinitiveguide!Thereisnomoreandnolessinformationto
behadwithregardsAA.
AllAAfeaturescanbeusedthroughtheappropriatecallsprovidedbythe
operatingsysyem(AmigaDOSRelease3,kickstartV39).Allothermethods
ofenablingfeatures(suchaswritingdirectlytothehardware,poking
copperlistsetc)will*NOT*besupportedinfuturemachines.
YOUHAVEBEENWARNED!
Youwantafeature,usetheOS.That'swhatit'sfor.
NB-
1colourclock=280ns
1Lorespixel=140ns(2percolourclock)
1Hirespixel=70ns(4percolourclock)
1SuperHirespixel=35ns(8percolourclock)
1VGApixel=35ns(8percolourclock)
üNEWAADISPLAYMODES
====================
Ç
Wenowhaveapaletteof2^24colours.Eachcolourhas8bitseachof
Red,GreenandBlue(hence24bitsofcolour),+1genlockbit.
ÇLORES
-----
6Bitplane(nonHAM,nonEHB)64colours!
7Bitplane128colours!
8Bitplane256colours!
8BitplaneHAMAnyof2^24colours!
DualPlayfield,Max4Bitplanesperplayfield!
16coloursperplayfield.Thebankof16colours
inthe256colourpaletteisselectableper
playfield.
HIRES
-----
5Bitplanes32colours@
6Bitplanes64colours@
7Bitplanes128colours@
8Bitplanes256colours@
6BitplanesEHB32*2colours@
6BitplanesHAM4096colours@
8BitplanesHAManyof2^24colours@
DualPlayfield,Max4Bitplanesperplayfield!or@
16coloursperplayfield.Thebankof16colours
inthe256colourpaletteisselectableper
playfield.
SUPERHIRES
----------
1or2bitplanes,asECS,bitwithnocolourfudging!
3Bitplanes8colours@
4Bitplanes16colours@
5Bitplanes32colours$
6Bitplanes64colours$
7Bitplanes128colours$
8Bitplanes256colours$
6BitplanesEHB32*2colours$
6BitplanesHAM4096colours$
8BitplanesHAManyof2^24colours$
DualPlayfield,Max4Bitplanesperplayfield@or$
16coloursperplayfield.Thebankof16colours
inthe256colourpaletteisselectableper
playfield.
Allplayfieldscrollingisnowin35nsincrements,range0-63.
PreAAscrollingwasin140nsincrements,range0-15
VGA
---
1or2bitplanes,asECS,bitwithnocolourfudging!
3Bitplanes8colours@
4Bitplanes16colours@
5Bitplanes32colours$
6Bitplanes64colours$
7Bitplanes128colours$
8Bitplanes256colours$
Ç6BitplanesEHB32*2colours$
6BitplanesHAM4096colours$
8BitplanesHAManyof2^24colours$
DualPlayfield,Max4Bitplanesperplayfield@or$
16coloursperplayfield.Thebankof16colours
inthe256colourpaletteisselectableper
playfield.
KEY:
!needs1xBandwidth
@needs2xBandwidth
$needs4xBandwidth
NB-theA4000isconfiguredfor4xbandwidth.
TheEuro72andSuper72modesarevariationsoftheVGAmodes(just
differentresolutionsandrefreshrates).
Thereisalsoa"ScanDoubling"feature.Thisallowseachscanlinetobe
showntwice.Thepurposeofthisistoenableasoftwarework-aroundto
replacethedisplayenhancerfoundontheA3000.Withthe"promotion"
featureenabled,NTSCandPALdisplaysare"promoted"toaflicker-free
versiondefinedintheDblNTSC/DblPALmonitors.Thesetwomonitorsare
alsovariationsoftheVGAmonitor,butdesignedtoresembleasclosely
aspossibletheNTSCandPALdimensions,butattwicetherefreshrate.
Inotherwords,theDblNTSCmonitorwillprovide640x400dimension,non-
laced,at60Hzrefresh,theDblPALwillprovide640x512nonlacedat
50Hz.Non-lacedNTSC/PALscreens(suchas640x200)willalsobepromoted,
butwilltakeupasmuchspaceonthescreenasthe640x400willthrough
scan-doubling.
Ofcourse,alltheECSgenlockingfeatureshavebeencarriedthroughto
AA.
SPRITES
=======
PriortoAA,spriteswerealwaysdisplayedwith140nspixels,excepton
SuperHiresorVGAscreens,wherespritepixelswere70nslong.
WithAA,allspritescannowbedisplayedineither:
1)ECSmode!
2)140ns(thisisnotthesameasECSmode-seeabove!)!
3)70ns@
4)35ns$
onanydisplayresolution.eg35nsspritesonaloresscreen,or140ns
spritesonasuperhiresscreen.
Spritescanbepositionedto35nsresolution.
Spritesareeither16,32,or64bitswide.
Spritescanbeattachedinanymode(couldnotattachspritesinthenew
ECSmodes).
Spriteresolutionaffectsallthesprites,inotherwordsyoucannothave
sprite364bitswidewith70nspixels,andsprite432bitswidewith
35nspixels.
Ç
Evennumberedandoddnumberedspritescanselectanybankof16colours
fromthe256colourpaletteforthespritecolours.
Spritescanalsobescandoubled(tomaintainaspectratio).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
SpencerShanson-AmigaSoftwareEngineer|email:spence@commodore.COM
|oruunet!cbmvax!spence
Allopinionsexpressedaremyown,anddonot|Bix:sshanson
(necessarily)representthoseofCommodore.|"Render?Ihardlyeven
|knowher!"
=========================================================================
From:cpca@marlin.jcu.edu.au(ColinAdams)
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Keywords:newchipsets,WOC
Date:Sun,13Sep9213:09:52GMT
Inarticle<1992Sep13.001854.21763@cco.caltech.edu>
andrey@cco.caltech.edu(AndreT.Yew)writes:
>IjustgotbackfromtheseconddayoftheWorldof
>CommodoreshowinPasadena,andtodaywasdefinitely
>moreimpressivethanyesterday.
[stuffdeleted,butalotincludedforadvocacypeoplewhodidn'tread
itthefirsttimesoapologiesforpeoplewhohavealreadyreadmostof
it]
>Eggebrecht,whoworkedatIBMasahardwareguybeforecomingto
>Commodore,presentedthefuturehardwaregoalsofCommodorefirst.
>Firstoffwasthelow-endchipset.Hesaiditwouldbe2chipswith
>about100Ktransistors.Asacomparison,theECSuses60Ktransistors
>andtheAGAuses80Ktransistors.Itwouldaddress32-bitDRAMandhave
>a57MHzpixelclock.ItwouldbeverymuchECSandAGAcompatible.
>Eggebrechtsaidthatbackwardscompatibilitywasveryimportantforthe
>low-endstuff.Youcouldhavea4MBfloppydrive(hesaid"four
>megaBIT",butIthinkhemeantbyte),andthechipsetwouldsupport32-
>bitprocessors.Thememorybandwidthwouldbe8xwhatitisnow,and
>72Hzrefreshratesarepossibleinsomemodes.Hesaiditwouldbe
>"easy"todo2xtheblitterperformanceanda800x600x8bit72Hzmodes
>(!).Thelow-endchipsetwouldsupport16-bittruecolor,meaningyou
>couldhave65536colorsatonce,andaFIFO'edserialportwouldbepart
>ofit.TheFIFOwillclearupalotofpresentserialportproblems
>presentnow.Gee,Iwouldn'tmindhavingthelow-endstuffnow:).
Thisislow-end!?!?IthinkC=havebeenlisteningtous!
>Now,Eggebrechtcontinued,let'stalkabouttheexcitingstuff--
>thehigh-endchipset.Thehigh-endchipsetismadeof4chipswitha
>totalof750Kto1Mtransistors.Itcoulduseeither32-bitor64-bit
>VRAM,givingitmuchincreasedperformance.Itwouldhavea
>reprogrammablepixelclockof57to114MHz.Thepresentpixelclockis
>28MHz(AGA,Iassume).Letmegooffonatangenthere.Apparently,
>Commodore'snewphilosophyonsystemsdesignistomakesubsystems
>clock-asynchronous,soeachpartcanbetunedtoitsmostoptimalspeed.
>Thedecouplingofthegraphicschipsetfromtheprocessorclockisone
>example.Futureprocessorswillalsohaveasynchronousclocksfromthe
>restofthesystem.
DaveHayniehasmentionedthisinthepastasbeingafuturebigstep.
ÇHesaiditwouldprobablybreakquitealotofstuff.Breakit,break
it,breakitguys!
>Anyway,goingbacktothenewchipset,itwouldalso
>supportchunkymodes,withoutlosingitsbitplanenature.
>ItwouldsupportCD-ROM[...]
>Itwouldhaveframegrabbing[...]
>Itwouldhavea1Kx1Kscreen[...]
>Itwouldalsohave8channelsof100KHz16-bitsound[...]
>Supportingallthiswouldbeon-demandDMA--Iassumethismeanswe
>aren'ttiedtohavingcertainDMAchannelsforcertain
>partsonly.Itwouldbebackwardscompatiblewiththe
>ECSandAGA,althoughEggebrechtdidn'tstressitasmuch.
>Theperformanceofthischipsetis12-20xcurrentbandwidth.
>Therewillbea32-bitblitterwith8xtheperformanceofthe
>presentone.
Absolutelyawesomestuff!
>Thesystemiscapableofhaving1blitterfor
>EVERYbitplane!
ThisisjustlikeSGsystems.InfactthewholepostsoundedliketheSG
CrimsonmanualIhave:-)
>[...]
>Thesystemismodularsoyoucanupgradetolaterchipsets.
>Thedefaultscreenrefreshis72Hzwiththesystemcapable
>of100Hz.
>Eggebrechtnextwentontotalkabouttheupcoming
>productfeatures.AGAwillbeincorporatedintoall
>upcomingAmigaproducts.AllfutureAmigacomputers
>wouldbemodularallowingyoutoaddstufflikeRISC
>processors(hesaiditagain!).Commodorerealizes
>thatinthepastthey'vekindofstayedapartfrom
>everyoneelseandhaven'tbeenkeepingup.Nomore
>ofthatnow--Commodorewillkeepupwiththeindustry,
>whichmeans,Eggebrechtsays,theywillintroduce100MHz
>processorsassoonastheyareout.Commodore"won't
>dilly-dally"anymore.DSPsupportiscoming.32-bit
>SCSI-IIiscomingaroundJan1993,andmaybeincorporated
>intofuturemotherboards.CDTVisgoingtomergewith
>theAmigaline.We'regoingtogetfull-motionvideo
>withMPEG.CDTVitselfisgoingtobecost-reducedand
>enhanced.Eggebrechtstatedinnouncertaintermsthat
>CommodorestillthinksCDTVisoneofitsmostimportant
>projects.Softwareisgoingtobeupgradedtohandleall
>this.
IREALLYhopemanagementisbehindalloftheseprojectsanditisn't
justengineeringgettingexcited.Timewilltell,butthisisthebest
vapourwareannouncementI'veeverseen:-)Allwecandotohelpisbuy
anA4000,whichIwillbedoingifIheargoodnewsaboutfuture
employmentthisweek...
>Speakingofsoftware,Eggebrechtalsomentionedthe
>newOS'sthataregoingtobecomingout.Hestatedthat
>bothcompatibilityandstabilityaretheirtwogreatest
>goals.Retargetabilityisalsoamajorgoal(hehadabout
Ç>5).Specifically,release3hasallofthe2.1stuff
>plusAGAsupportandmultimediasupport.3.1hasAPI
>networkextensions.IaskedAllenHavemoseaboutthis,
>andheseemedtoimplythatthe2.0TCP/IPsoftwareis
>notgoingtobereleasedbutinsteadintegratedinto
>theOS.3.1alsowillhavefileandprintersharing,
>andDSPsupport.Release4willberetargetableand
>havefullPostscriptprintersupport.
Iwonderwhattheymeanaboutpostscriptprintersupport.
>IaskedHavemose
>aboutresourcetracking,andhesaid,"Notinthenext
>version",meaning4.0,buthesaiditwillbeinlater.
>I'msomewhatsurprisedatthisandIhopeIheardwrong.
Wouldn't3.1bethenextreleasethough?
WarningEarly4.0rumour:I'veheardVMiscomingfor4.0.Takeitasa
grainofsaltatthisstage.
>Astohowfaralongthesethingsare,Eggebrecht
>saysthey'reclosetoworkingsilicon,butwouldnot
>giveanydatesatall.
IfindithardtobelievethisincrediblebreakfromtheAmiga
architectureisalmostinworkingsiliconwhenithastakensolongfor
theAGAchipset(C=probablychangedthenametogetbackatallthe
peopleonthenet:-)).
>--Andre
>(whoisn'tmakinganyofthisup,really)
Areyousure:-)It'shardertobelievethananyoftheAmigaX000fake
posts.
--
ColinAdamsHonoursStudent-JamesCookUniversityofNorthQueensland
"AndifIseemalittlestrange,wellthat'sbecauseIam."-TheSmiths
=========================================================================
From:andrey@cco.caltech.edu(AndreT.Yew)
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:13Sep9215:02:25GMT
cpca@marlin.jcu.edu.au(ColinAdams)writes:
>Inarticle<1992Sep13.001854.21763@cco.caltech.edu>
>andrey@cco.caltech.edu(AndreT.Yew)writes:
>ThisisjustlikeSGsystems.Infactthewholepostsounded
>liketheSGCrimsonmanualIhave:-)
Hee,hee,notwhenyouhaveaCrimsonElanrightinfrontofyou,it
doesn't:).
>>IaskedHavemose
>>aboutresourcetracking,andhesaid,"Notinthenext
>>version",meaning4.0,buthesaiditwillbeinlater.
>>I'msomewhatsurprisedatthisandIhopeIheardwrong.
Ç>Wouldn't3.1bethenextreleasethough?
Idon'tthinksobecausewhenhesaid,"nextrelease",Isaid,"3.0?"
andhesaid,no,"4.0."
>>Astohowfaralongthesethingsare,Eggebrecht
>>saysthey'reclosetoworkingsilicon,butwouldnot
>>giveanydatesatall.
>Ifindithardtobelievethisincrediblebreakfrom
>theAmigaarchitectureisalmostinworkingsilicon
>whenithastakensolongfortheAGAchipset(C=
>probablychangedthenametogetbackatallthe
>peopleonthenet:-)).
Thisistrue,butEggebrechtsaidthattheirimprovedVLSIdesign
processesarehelpingthembringproductstothemarketfasterthan
before.
>>--Andre
>>(whoisn'tmakinganyofthisup,really)
>Areyousure:-)It'shardertobelievethananyoftheAmigaX000
>fakeposts.
Well,I'mgladtosayno,thiswasallsaid.Besideswhocoulddreamup
ofstufflikethis?Therewerefirecodebreakingnumbersofpeopleinthe
roomandtheyallheardthesamespeech(Ihope:).
--Andre
AndreYewandrey@tybalt.caltech.edu(131.215.48.100)
=========================================================================
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
From:ecarroll@maths.tcd.ie(EddyCarroll)
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:Sun,13Sep199215:15:14GMT
cpca@marlin.jcu.edu.au(ColinAdams)writes:
>andrey@cco.caltech.edu(AndreT.Yew)writes:
>>IjustgotbackfromtheseconddayoftheWorldof
>>CommodoreshowinPasadena,andtodaywasdefinitely
>>moreimpressivethanyesterday.
Understatementoftheweek!:-)
[LotsofamazingstuffwhichleadsmetobelievethatEggebrechthadtoo
muchtodrinkonFridayNight.I_really_hopeCBMmanagementfollow
throughonallthis!I'llevenforgivethemfornotincludingaDSPin
thebaseA4000.]
>Absolutelyawesomestuff!
Yousaidit.
>AllwecandotohelpisbuyanA4000,whichIwillbedoingifIhear
>goodnewsaboutfutureemploymentthisweek...
Icertainlyhavemyeyeonone.
Ç
>>Astohowfaralongthesethingsare,Eggebrecht
>>saysthey'reclosetoworkingsilicon,butwouldnot
>>giveanydatesatall.
>
>Ifindithardtobelievethisincrediblebreakfrom
>theAmigaarchitectureisalmostinworkingsilicon
>whenithastakensolongfortheAGAchipset
ThisisthebitIreallywantedtoreplyto.AttheEuropeanDevConin
Milanthistimelastyear,theyhadthefirstsiliconversionsoftheAA
chipsetondisplay,andwereshowing1280x512HAM8pics.Theylooked
awesome.(Theinterveningyearwasmostlikelytogetbugsoutofthe
chipsetandgetthesystemsoftwaretosupportitfullywritten.)
SoIcanquitebelievethatthey'vehadateambeaveringawayforthe
past12months(orlonger)onthisnewchipsetwhoarealmostreadyto
showsomethingforit.
Theonlythingis,Ihopepeoplewon'tputoffA4000purchasesinthe
hopethatallthisstuffisrightaroundthecorner.I'dsaythechances
ofseeinganyofthisnextgenerationstuffbefore1994areprettyclose
tozero.
Eddy
--
EddyCarroll----*GenuineMUDWizard|"Youhaven'tliveduntilyou've
Internet:ecarroll@maths.tcd.ie|diedinMUD!"--RichardBartle
=========================================================================
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
From:andrey@cco.caltech.edu(AndreT.Yew)
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:Sun,13Sep199221:08:01GMT
ecarroll@maths.tcd.ie(EddyCarroll)writes:
>cpca@marlin.jcu.edu.au(ColinAdams)writes:
>>andrey@cco.caltech.edu(AndreT.Yew)writes:
>[LotsofamazingstuffwhichleadsmetobelievethatEggebrechthadtoo
>muchtodrinkonFridayNight.I_really_hopeCBMmanagementfollow
>throughonallthis!I'llevenforgivethemfornotincludingaDSPin
>thebaseA4000.]
Iguesshewassodrunk,heevenmadeanAmigaVisionflowforhis
presentationwhichhadallofwhathesaidinit:).
>Theonlythingis,Ihopepeoplewon'tputoffA4000purchasesinthe
>hopethatallthisstuffisrightaroundthecorner.I'dsaythechances
>ofseeinganyofthisnextgenerationstuffbefore1994areprettyclose
>tozero.
Well,itseemstomethatthemagicofthe4000isthatit'smodular--
wecangetthesenewchipsetsbybuyinganewcard.PerhapsaCommodore
engineercancommenthere.
--Andre
AndreYewandrey@tybalt.caltech.edu(131.215.48.100)
=========================================================================
ÇNewsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
From:copes@cs.curtin.edu.au(SimonCope)
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:Mon,14Sep199205:28:26GMT
ecarroll@maths.tcd.ie(EddyCarroll)writes:
>>>CommodoreshowinPasadena,andtodaywasdefinitely
>>>moreimpressivethanyesterday.
>>AllwecandotohelpisbuyanA4000,whichIwillbedoingifIhear
>>goodnewsaboutfutureemploymentthisweek...
>Icertainlyhavemyeyeonone.
>>>Astohowfaralongthesethingsare,Eggebrecht
>>>saysthey'reclosetoworkingsilicon,butwouldnot
>>>giveanydatesatall.
>>
>>Ifindithardtobelievethisincrediblebreakfrom
>>theAmigaarchitectureisalmostinworkingsilicon
>>whenithastakensolongfortheAGAchipset
>ThisisthebitIreallywantedtoreplyto.AttheEuropeanDevConin
>Milanthistimelastyear,theyhadthefirstsiliconversionsoftheAA
>chipsetondisplay,andwereshowing1280x512HAM8pics.Theylooked
>awesome.(Theinterveningyearwasmostlikelytogetbugsoutofthe
>chipsetandgetthesystemsoftwaretosupportitfullywritten.)
>SoIcanquitebelievethatthey'vehadateambeaveringawayforthe
>past12months(orlonger)onthisnewchipsetwhoarealmostreadyto
>showsomethingforit.
>Theonlythingis,Ihopepeoplewon'tputoffA4000purchasesinthe
>hopethatallthisstuffisrightaroundthecorner.I'dsaythechances
>ofseeinganyofthisnextgenerationstuffbefore1994areprettyclose
>tozero.
ThemainreasonAGAtooksolongisthatC=neverhadanycompetition
tillSVGAcameoutacoupleofyearsago.Tilltheneverythingwas
sweet,sotherewasnorush,andtheyjustdilliedaroundwithECS,which
RJwasworkingonbackinthedarkages.
SuddenlySVGAcardsappearedwith1024x768x8etc.C=hasnogooddesign
facilities,smalldevelopmentteametc.TheygetECSoutthedoor.
Witnessthelackof8bitloresECSscreens.Thentheyemploynew
engineers/designersetc.Startwithacleansheetdesignforthefirst
ofanewbreedofchipsets.AA/AGAiscompleted.Theyshowdevelopers.
StartmakingtheOScompatible.NowWEhaveAGA.C=willnowcontinueon
itsway,andknockoutsomegood,powerful,CHEAPgraphicsworkstations.
>Eddy
>--
>EddyCarroll----*GenuineMUDWizard|"Youhaven'tliveduntilyou've
>Internet:ecarroll@maths.tcd.ie|diedinMUD!"--RichardBartle
copes@cs.curtin.edu.au
=========================================================================
From:marks@castle.ed.ac.uk(MarkSteyn)
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
ÇSubject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Keywords:newchipsets,WOC
Date:14Sep9211:14:19GMT
Iseemtohavemissedtheoriginalpostsandwouldbegratefulifsomeone
couldmailthemtome.
thanks,Mark
?Aslongastheyoungestchildisfreetodream,?MarkSteyn:
?Intheforestthatwecallimagination,?marks@castle.ed.ac.uk
?ThereshallalwaysbeaUnicorn.?mpjs@dcs.ed.ac.uk
KnowledgeisnovirtueandInnocencenovice
=========================================================================
From:fineberg@wupost.wustl.edu(CharlesM.Fineberg)
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:14Sep199217:44:26-0500
marks@castle.ed.ac.uk(MarkSteyn)writes:
>Iseemtohavemissedtheoriginalpostsandwouldbegratefulif
>someonecouldmailthemtome.
Thisismyfirstever"Metoo"post.Ourversionofinndwentnuts
andexpiredeverythingover24hrsold...
Charlie
=========================================================================
From:fineberg@wupost.wustl.edu(CharlesM.Fineberg)
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:14Sep199218:06:16-0500
AndIfindthatmessagecancellationisouttolunchtoo.Ihavesome
worktodo.FounditincsahsoIdon'tneeditsenttomeorreposted.
Sorryaboutthatchief!
Charlie
=========================================================================
From:marks@castle.ed.ac.uk(MarkSteyn)
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:14Sep9215:17:32GMT
I'vehadtworepliesinthatpastcoupleofhours(thanksguys!)andhave
thehorriblefeelingthatmymailboxisgoingtodoubleinsizeunlessI
postthissayingnomore-please:-)
Mark
--
?Aslongastheyoungestchildisfreetodream,?MarkSteyn:
?Intheforestthatwecallimagination,?marks@castle.ed.ac.uk
?ThereshallalwaysbeaUnicorn.?mpjs@dcs.ed.ac.uk
?KnowledgeisnovirtueandInnocencenovice
=========================================================================
From:andrey@cco.caltech.edu(AndreT.Yew)
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
ÇDate:14Sep9215:49:08GMT
copes@cs.curtin.edu.au(SimonCope)writes:
>ThemainreasonAGAtooksolongisthatC=neverhadanycompetition
>tillSVGAcameoutacoupleofyearsago.Tilltheneverythingwas
>sweet,sotherewasnorush,andtheyjustdilliedaroundwithECS,
>whichRJwasworkingonbackinthedarkages.
Idon'twanttoseemlikeI'madvertisingmyarticles,butdoyou
actuallyreadorjustscaneveryotherwordandinterpolate?Eggebrecht
(theVPofengineering)saidthattheAGAchipsetwasthefirstproduct
oftheirnewVLSIdesignprocess.That'swhyitwasfasteroutthedoor.
Asforcompellingcompetition,perhapsthathelped,perhapsitdidn't.
--Andre
AndreYewandrey@tybalt.caltech.edu(131.215.48.100)
=========================================================================
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
From:mike@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG(MikeSmithwick)
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:Mon,14Sep199222:10:11GMT
Inarticle<1992Sep13.150225.21925@cco.caltech.edu>
andrey@cco.caltech.edu(AndreT.Yew)writes:
>
>>Ifindithardtobelievethisincrediblebreakfrom
>>theAmigaarchitectureisalmostinworkingsilicon
>>whenithastakensolongfortheAGAchipset(C=
>>probablychangedthenametogetbackatallthe
>>peopleonthenet:-)).
>
>Thisistrue,butEggebrechtsaidthattheir
>improvedVLSIdesignprocessesarehelpingthembring
>productstothemarketfasterthanbefore.
>
>>>--Andre
>>>(whoisn'tmakinganyofthisup,really)
AsonewhoistiredofMBslittletiradesandtheAX000hoaxpostings,I
willverifyLouisEggebrectstalk.Afterall,Ihaveitonvideotape.Dan
Zerklewasrightinfrontofmetakingnotesforcomp.sys.amiga.announce.
Onethingthathasn'tbeenmentionedisthatmanyotherthingswere
subtlyimpliedthattheycouldn'ttalkabout.Particularyaboutsomenew
hardwarethatissupposedtobeannouncedattheWinterCESinLasVegas.
ItalkedtoJimDionneaboutdoingamodularCDTVunit,cartridgedbased,
thatcouldbeexpandedintoafullfledgedAmiga.Henoddedinagreement
andsuggestedIcometotheCES(VRLIwillhaveabooththere,soI'll
postareport).GoingbackinmynotesonhistalkhementionedthatCA
isgoingtoattempttogetbackintothe"C64market",meaningalow-cost
machineinthe$150to$200rangethatcouldbesoldatToys-R-Us.Itall
dependsonwhethertheycanmakeitcostseffective.Hedidsaythatthey
atonetimehadasimplecartridgemachineprototyped,butthatthey
didn'tthinkthatitcouldeffectivelycompeteagainstSEGAortheNES.
Sotheyhadtocomeupwithsomethingbetter.
Ialsoaskedhimiftheyhadplansforlo-end68020machinessothey
Çcouldphaseoutthe68000.Hesimplyreplied"YES!ButIcan'tsay
anymore".
mike
>>Areyousure:-)It'shardertobelievethananyoftheAmigaX000
>>fakeposts.
>
>Well,I'mgladtosayno,thiswasallsaid.Besides
>whocoulddreamupofstufflikethis?Therewerefirecode-
>breakingnumbersofpeopleintheroomandtheyallheard
>thesamespeech(Ihope:).
>
>--Andre
>
>--
>AndreYewandrey@tybalt.caltech.edu(131.215.48.100)
"Thereisnoproblemtoobigthatcan'tbesolvedwithhighexplosives"-
Rush
MikeSmithwick-ames!zorch!mike
=========================================================================
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
From:mike@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG(MikeSmithwick)
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:Mon,14Sep199222:17:30GMT
Inarticle<1992Sep13.151514.26401@maths.tcd.ie>ecarroll@maths.tcd.ie
(EddyCarroll)writes:
>cpca@marlin.jcu.edu.au(ColinAdams)writes:
>>andrey@cco.caltech.edu(AndreT.Yew)writes:
>>>IjustgotbackfromtheseconddayoftheWorldof
>>>CommodoreshowinPasadena,andtodaywasdefinitely
>>>moreimpressivethanyesterday.
>
>Understatementoftheweek!:-)
>
>[LotsofamazingstuffwhichleadsmetobelievethatEggebrechthad
>toomuchtodrinkonFridayNight.I_really_hopeCBMmanagementfollow
>throughonallthis!I'llevenforgivethemfornotincludingaDSPin
>thebaseA4000.]
>
Heseemedclearlysober.JimDionnewasseatednexttohim.
>Absolutelyawesomestuff!
>
>>>Astohowfaralongthesethingsare,Eggebrecht
>>>saysthey'reclosetoworkingsilicon,butwouldnot
>>>giveanydatesatall.
>>
Heimpliedthattheywouldhavechipsreadyinamonthorso,and
prototypesnottoolongafterthat.GiventhatthenextDevConisinJan.
1992,Icanonlyassumethattheywillhavesomecoolstufftoshowus.
>>Ifindithardtobelievethisincrediblebreakfrom
>>theAmigaarchitectureisalmostinworkingsilicon
Ç>>whenithastakensolongfortheAGAchipset
>
>ThisisthebitIreallywantedtoreplyto.AttheEuropeanDevConin
>Milanthistimelastyear,theyhadthefirstsiliconversionsoftheAA
>chipsetondisplay,andwereshowing1280x512HAM8pics.Theylooked
>awesome.(Theinterveningyearwasmostlikelytogetbugsoutofthe
>chipsetandgetthesystemsoftwaretosupportitfullywritten.)
>
>SoIcanquitebelievethatthey'vehadateambeaveringawayforthe
>past12months(orlonger)onthisnewchipsetwhoarealmostreadyto
>showsomethingforit.
ADOS3.0wasprobablydevelopedwiththe>AAchipsetinmind.Inthat
casetheturnaroundtimeforfutureproductdevelopementisgoingtobea
lotshortersincesoftwaretradionallytakesmuchlongertoproducethan
thehardware.Atthe1991DevConinDenvertheyshowedusthefirsttwo
prototypeAAmachines.TheimpressionIgotwasthattheywereslapped
togetheronlyashorttimebefore.It'sbeenayeartogetthemoutto
themarketplace,mostofthatprobablybeingtheOSwork,sothenext
generationofmachineswilllikelybeoutwithinayear.Providingof
courseDionneisn'tfired.
>Theonlythingis,Ihopepeoplewon'tputoffA4000purchasesinthe
>hopethatallthisstuffisrightaroundthecorner.I'dsaythechances
>ofseeinganyofthisnextgenerationstuffbefore1994areprettyclose
>tozero.
>
>Eddy
>--
"Thereisnoproblemtoobigthatcan'tbesolvedwithhighexplosives"-
Rush
MikeSmithwick-ames!zorch!mike
=========================================================================
Newsgroups:comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
From:dnavas@oracle.uucp(DavidNavas)
Subject:Re:WorldofCommodoresummary,9/12,part2(LONG)
Date:Tue,15Sep199215:25:29GMT
Inarticle<BuL9xC.2Jw@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG>mike@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG(Mike
Smithwick)writes:
>hardware.Atthe1991DevConinDenvertheyshowedusthefirsttwo
>prototypeAAmachines.TheimpressionIgotwasthattheywereslapped
>togetheronlyashorttimebefore.It'sbeenayeartogetthemoutto
>themarketplace,mostofthatprobablybeingtheOSwork,sothenext
Inallfairness,you'reprobablyrightabouttheOSnotbeingquitethere
yetwhenthehardwarecouldhavebeen.Thequestioniswhetheryouship
hardwarew/osoftwareorwithBeta/Alphasoftware.Iwouldhavetaken
oneofthoseAAmachineshomewithmein91hadtheyletme:)Even
thoughthepicturewasn'tanywherenearstabletoo!
Atanyrate,whatIwantedtosaywasthatthereweretheusualbonehead
decisionsfrommanagementjustatidafterDevConwhichalteredthetime-
to-marketaswell.AndthuswasborntheA600[w/ECS];)
>generationofmachineswilllikelybeoutwithinayear.Providingof
>courseDionneisn'tfired.
Ç
Atleastayear,methinks--althoughtheremaybesomeinterimrelease-
thingsthatwillinteresthigh-endpeople.SCSIIIandsomesortofnew-
sound/DSPhasbeenmentionedIbelieve.
DavidC.Navasdnavas@oracle.com
Workingfor,butnotspeakingonbehalfof,OracleCorp.