From: skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (Skip Sauls)
Subject: Re: Amigas are cool
Organization: University of Mississippi, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 16:22:53 GMT

In article <1992Jul27.131609.29947@crash.cts.com> hawk@pnet01.cts.com (John Anderson) writes:
>
>>BTW, many people keep telling those of us who don't worship the Amiga      
>>like a deity to "just leave and get a PC or Mac!"  Don't worry, I'd        
>>bet that you will get your wish in the near future if Commodore continues  
>>to sit on their ass.  If and when the exodus starts, believe me when I     
>>say that I'll be there to remind you should you decide to join in.  :-)    
>                                                                            
>Go for it now, Skip. If the Amiga doesn't fit your needs then buy a computer
>that does. No one's stopping you.                                           

Considering the several thousands of dollars that I've invested in Amigas
over the last six years, I find it a little difficult to just throw in
the towel.  I bought an A1000 because it offered the best graphics, sound,
and OS (potentially) for the money.  When the Mac II and VGA came out with
graphics as good or better than the Amigas, I thought that it would be only
a short time before Commodore introduced machines with better video.  Rumors
of the A3000 began to circulate and I knew that it would be the machine 
which restored the excitement that the Amiga had lost.  Upon introduction
of the A3000 with only the ECS, I felt let down but I was still encouraged
by all of the talk about high-end Amigas.  I bought an A3000 a little over a
year ago with the intention of buying one of those "under $1000 040 boards"
that many people, Commodore employees included, were sure to hit the market.
All of the talk about DIG/RTG on the net gave me hope that I'd also be able
to buy a video board which was not only affordable, but also worked without
resorting to hacks.

At this time there are only a couple of 040 boards for the A3000 and the 
prices are closer to $2000.  DIG/RTG is no where in sight and the rumored
"AA chipset" specs will barely bring the Amigas video up to what the rest
of the industry has had for some time now.  I've received email from three
sources listing the specs of this chipset and while some of the items look
nice, others are truly upsetting.

What has Commodore introduced since the A3000?  Two or three A500 spinoffs
(CDTV, A500+, A600), a repackaged A3000 (A3000T), and a few peripherals.
They are doing their best to kill of the high-end by abandoning what could
have been a really nice UNIX setup and stifling the A3000 by using the ECS
and 030/882 instead of something with an 040 and support for items such as
8-bit graphics, 18 or 24 bit palette, and high-density floppies.  

I'm sorry if I piss you off because I don't think that the Amiga is the
end-all be-all of computers.  That does not mean that I don't like it and
would just as soon junk it in favor of something else.  If I really felt
that way I don't think I'd have just purchased over $900 in new hardware
and software.  That money could have been used towards the purchase of a
nice PC system, but I still have some hope for the Amiga.  

If Commodore can deliver a truly competitive high-end Amiga by the end of
the year I will most certainly purchase one.  An A4000 with 040, at least
8-bit 640xXXX graphics, 16 bit sound, and HD floppies or flopticals would
be enough to convince me to stick with the Amiga.  Of course I would like
to think that it would be price competitive with the Mac Quadras, but 
Commodore's A3000 and A3000T prices don't offer a lot of hope.  I don't
expect them to compete with PCs as they don't have the volume, but few
people will buy one if they are more expensive than a Mac or a NeXT.

Sorry for this long-winded reply, but I would like readers to know that I
am not out to bash the Amiga at every chance.  I have been very patient
with Commodore, but six years is a little long for anyone to wait for an
upgrade to the features that the machine was purchased for.  

I use the Amiga daily for both work and play, but I program the PC and have 
come to realize how far behind the Amiga is in terms of resolution and color.
Granted, it can move pixels very quickly, but so can a 486-33 with SVGA
when you limit it to the resolutions and color depths that the Amiga
can display.  

Is keeping up with the industry too much to ask of Commodore?

>UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd ucsd nosc}!crash!pnet01!hawk
>ARPA: crash!pnet01!hawk@nosc.mil                 
>INET: hawk@pnet01.cts.com

                                                          ___         __
  Skip Sauls, TKKC Charter Member                          |  |/  |/ / 
  skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu                                |  |\  |\ \__