From: baffoni@aludra.usc.edu (Juxtaposer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Article on FALCON in German mag c't
Date: 19 Aug 1992 14:03:22 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu
Keywords: falcon, review, c't

In article <H.rYMcKrPZhMM@wpcst1.phys-chemie.uni-wuerzburg.dbp.de> kruel@wpcst1.phys-chemie.uni-wuerzburg.dbp.de (Thomas-Martin Kruel) writes:
[specs deleted]
>   true color mode:
>   - 320 x 200, 32768 colors
>   - 320 x 480, 32768 colors
>     either overscan or interlaced mode, may be sychronized from outside
>     overlay mode, HF modulator

	I thought you would get the TC mode at 640x480...guess not.


>   - Blitter at 16 bit, 16 MHz
>   Interfaces:
>   - DSP connector, Sub-D, 26pol. fem.

	What is a Sub-D, _26_?  Is this a 26pin variant of the db25/db9 that
is the standard for RS232C?  If so, how will you know if it is upside down?

[specs deleted]

>   Miscellaneous:
>   - operating system unclear; currently TOS 2.07, MultiTOS to be expected 

_2.07_?????   I would think it would be a 3.XX variant since it has an '030
in it.  Why are they using a 2.XX????  Granted, it will (supposedly) come
out with Multitos, but ... that is still confusing....

>   - real time clock, battery backed
>   - internal expansion port
>   - fan
>   - connectors for microphone and speaker

	These are normal micro-jacks:  the same kind as most earphones/portable
radios (like walkmans) have.  Very convienient - I wish the TT used these, so 
that I wouldn't have to use the cheesy RCA-jack to micro-jack converter I use
now for my amplified speakers.

>   - case like 1040
>
>   Price: around DM 1500  (~ UK L 500, ~ FF 5000).

	Well, according to Security Pac. Bank, the exchange rate today is
1.504 (or thereabouts) so that would make a US model about $1000.  Not bad, 
but could be better - lets hope so.

>
>   
>   In particular, it might be interesting that ordinary MultiSync or VGA 
>monitors can be connected now instead of just a SM 124.
>
>   The machine presented to "c't" had no MultiTOS yet, but a modified TOS 
>2.07 (whatever this may be). "tms" claims that they were able to port their 
>program "Cranach" easily to the new system.

	Pardon my ignorance, but what is Cranach?

> QuickIndex reveals a CPU 
>performance of about 50% of the TT030.

	That is dissapointing.  I was hoping to get around 60% since it 
wouldn't have to deal with as many memory wait-states as the TT does.  BTW,
is this rating comparison with the TT from Qindex running in Slow or Fast
memory?  Since the Falcon's RAM is (likely) to be designed similarly to TT
slow memory (Video/CPU time slices, etc.), I guess a 50% speed is to be
expected.

>It's quite unclear to me what the LAN 
>interface is meant to be.

	This is a Lan connector that is identical to the mac localtalk 
connector.  They just need to implement software that uses it (for use in a
local talk network - they already have Atari-specific network software).

>   I'm personally quite unsecure if I should replace my old MegaST by such 
>a machine. I think it's better to wait for a high end machine such as the 
>speculated Falcon040. There is still a need for MultiTOS to become ready, 
>before.

	I don't know.  If you can put up with the built in keyboard, then
I would say go for it.  It is more than a replacement for the MegaST(E).
What I want to know is, can it use the previous color/mono monitors that you
are using with the MegaST (probably not), and if so, what are the max 
resolutions with the SC1224?

>
>
>Regards,
>         Thomas
>-- 
>Thomas-Martin Kruel  Institut f. Physikalische Chemie / Universitaet Wuerzburg
>                     Marcusstr. 9-11, D-8700 Wuerzburg, Tel. +49 931 31579


-Mike