From: barrett@iastate.edu (Marc N Barrett)
Subject: Re: Commodore Announces CD Solution Promotion
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 22:57:40 GMT

In article <16889@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> sue@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com (Sue West - CATS) writes:
>(West Chester, PA --- September 2, 1992) Commodore Business Machines
>Inc. today announced that through October 31, 1992, purchasers of the
>Amiga (R) 3000-25/50 or the Amiga 3000-25/100 will receive a free CDTV
>(R) Multimedia Player and Interface Kit. The "Amiga CD Solution"
>promotion offers an attractive option for Amiga users who want expanded
>audio and MIDI capabilities, access to CD-ROM discs from other
>platforms, and who want to run CDTV applications. 
>
>	Adding the CDTV Player and Interface Kit to an Amiga enables
>owners' access to hundreds of CD-ROM discs based on the ISO-9660
>format. According to David Archambault, Commodore Director of Business
>Marketing, "Utilizing the CDTV Player as an intelligent peripheral opens
>the door for users to hundreds of text, music and picture collections
>available on CDTV-readable ISO-9660 disks. Text data and picture file
>formats can be converted from MS-DOS (R) and Macintosh (R) formats
>using existing Amiga-based software. The promotion is ideal for any
>Amiga user, particularly home and educational video enthusiasts seeking
>expanded, low-cost features."
>
>	The "Amiga CD Solution" also offers users expanded audio and MIDI
>capabilities through the CDTV Player. The unit can play standard audio
>CDs, CD+Graphics, CD+MIDI discs, and access the large library of CDTV
>specific titles. Both the Amiga and the CDTV player maintain the ability
>to run thousands of Amiga disk-based applications as well. 
>
>	The Interface Kit includes: a specially configured parallel port cable,
>for connection between an Amiga and CDTV player; the ParNET file
>system, allowing two-way communication between the systems; and the
>Fred Fish CD-ROM collection, containing of over 600 freely
>redistributable programs.
>
>	The Manufacturer's Suggested List Price for the Amiga 3000-25/50
>and the Amiga 3000-25/100 are $2729 and $3379, respectively. Current
>Amiga owners can purchase the CDTV Player and Interface Kit for
>$599.00. This promotion is offered through Commodore authorized reseller
>locations.

   This is not quite what I've been looking for from Commodore, but it will
do for the VERY short term.  For a real solution to allow Amiga 3000 systems
to operate as CD-ROM multimedia systems, it does not cut the mustard.

   The ideal solution is still an external CD-ROM drive which connects to the
A3000 SCSI port, and includes a modified CDTV OS ROM-kicked into the A3000
memory, and a similar software-only package for existing owners of third-party
CD-ROM drives so that these pioneering people do not end up with white
elephants.

   The advantage of the ideal solution is that it would be vastly more 
flexible in the long run.  For instance, with a Commodore or third-party CD-ROM
drive connected via the SCSI port, it would be possible to allow the system
to run Macintosh CD-ROM multimedia software under Emplant or A-Max.  It would
also be potentially possible for Commodore to modify the Janus software to
allow an Amiga equipped with a SCSI CD-ROM drive and a BridgeBoard to run
IBM MPC software.  None of this is possible with this cheap hack, connecting 
a CDTV to an Amiga via the parallel port.

   IMO, this temporary solution -- which will very likely end up becoming a
permanent one -- is damage control due to Commodore's inept decision to include
an IDE port and not a SCSI port in the new Amiga systems.  The ideal solution
for Amiga CD-ROM multimedia is now less workable on the new Amigas because of
their lack of a SCSI port.  The real tragedy is that replacing the SCSI port
with an IDE port will not have the cost advantages that people are saying it
will have, due to other bad decisions on Commodore's part.

>Please see monthly postings for the disclaimer, the introduction, the charter,
>and submission instructions.  Comments to zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu.
>MAIL ALL SUBMISSIONS TO announce@cs.ucdavis.edu (don't auto-post).

---
| Marc Barrett -MB-  |  email: barrett@iastate.edu
--------------------------------------------------