From: chucks@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Erik Funkenbusch)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: Its a sad sad day...
Date: 29 Sep 92 00:45:04 GMT
Organization: People-Net [pnet51], Minneapolis, MN.

sparks@disk.uucp (John Sparks) writes:
>IBM machines and clones, while upgrading the processors and even the bus
>(ISA, micro channel, EISA), still allow owners of older machines to 
>upgrade peripherals like graphics, sound, etc. to the latest and greatest
>without having to trash their computer every time an improvement came out.

Hmm.. Let's see you put an AT 16 bit graphics or sound card into an XT
machine, what?  You have to upgrade your motherboard to do it?  oh gee.. Let's
see you put an XGA card in your ISA system, what?  XGA is only produced for
Micro Channel systems? oh no.. let's see you put a 32 bit Bus Mastering SCSI
EISA controller into your ISA system... won't work?  gee.. 

Commodore is *NOT* the only one that does this.. to get better
performance you *NEED* to break the old technology.  Get a clue, PC's aren't
THAT standard..

>
>I started with the A1000. 512k chip ram. Then the Amiga 2000 came out.
>1 Meg chip ram, completley redesigned motherboard (very nice). I had to 
>decied whether to sell my A1000 and get a A2000 or sit quietly by with
>my A1000. I stayed with the A1000 cuz the 2000 wasn't that great of an
>improvement. But even though 2000 was a better machine, the problem was
>that CBM basically orphaned A1000's unless we traded up. Then the A3000
>came out. 2 meg chip ram, ECS, onboard SCSI. no way to upgrade the A1000
>or A2000 without trading in for a A3000. 
>At this point I bought a 3000. I figured all new amigas should be compatible
>with the A3000's design philosophy. NOT.
>The 4000 breaks the mold again. different size mother board. IDE. SIMMs 
>instead of ZIPs, New AGA chipset not available for older amigas.

You can add scsi, more ram of any type to any machine in the line (except the
600)  You can't upgrade old technology that way.  The Amiga is designed for
performance, not upgradability.  If it were designed for upgradability it
would not have the performance it has.

>
>But, they didn't improve the sound, or amount of chip ram available.
>So I guess when CBM does improve the sound and chip ram, and maybe come
>out with an even better AGA chipset, they will make an A5000 and the 4000
>owners will be stuck. When will it end? never. Thats what makes me mad.

You have no proof of this. 

>
>Here is what I think CBM should do (should have done a long time ago):
>The special chips (graphics and sound) should be like they did with the
>CPU on the A4000, be on a modular system. a separate board. Then when
>CBM comes out with improved systems, CPU's, graphics, sound, whatever,..
>old customers can improve their machines to the latest and greatest without
>having to trash their whole investment.
>
>Why couldn't CBM do this? WHY? Even Dave Haynie said this was what he 
>wants in a machine (totally modular). If they can put the CPU on a separate
>board, why not the graphics chips? why not the sound chip?
>PC's do it, Macs do it. CBM should have done it with the A2000 forward.

It's already been explained.  Surface Mounting reduces capacitance and othe
r factors that improve video speed.  Also, SMD makes them cheaper.  If you put
them on a detachable card, you just canceled any effects SMD gives you.. It
just doesn't work.

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