From: hyc@hanauma.jpl.nasa.gov (Howard Chu)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy,comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: 500 Pound Atari Falcon?  Re: Sydnes is gone?!!
Date: 18 Aug 92 23:17:49 GMT
Organization: SAR Systems Development & Processing, JPL

In article <1992Aug14.172527.26639@uwm.edu> gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gregory R Block) writes:
>jyoung@nyx.cs.du.edu (Jeff Young) writes:
>: People said these are true specs of Falcon! IF 500 Pound price == $500-$700
>: in America, Sydnes MUST know new information to make new Amigas!!
>
>Just a few backwards-compatible thoughts.

According to some other reviews (article in Atari Advantage mag, for one) the
Falcon is fully backward-compatible, i.e., it still supports all the older
video and audio modes.
>
>: first models expected in UK September
>: to be shown at London trade show - September 6.
>
>: 68030 @ 16 MHz
>: DSP56001
>: 	8 channel 16 bit digital DMA, sampling up to 50KHz
>: 	4 channel stereo with recording and playback
>
>Anyone notice there's no ST-compatible audio mode here??

Both the Yamaha 2149 and the STe's 8-bit audio are supported.
>
>(None of which usable by available ST software, and how are they
>handling palette translation?  The ST had a 512-color palette, the STe
>a 4096-color palette.  Backwards-compatible screenmodes aren't listed
>either.  What will this do to ST/STe software?  Try to fudge the
>palette?)

All the old ST and STe graphics modes are still supported.
>
>And if the max res is 640x480, SVGA goes at least 800x600...  But
>they can say that, as there's no standard SVGA, so there's really
>noone to dispute.
>
>"Overscan mode" caught my eye.  It's not selectable?  One set size for
>overscan?  And they're sure this is a video machine?

I was wondering about that as well. But 800x600 in overscan mode has been
quoted in a number of places, so I'm not gonna argue that one.
>
>"15-bit overlay".  I'm curious.  That's about it.  Not much mention on
>exactly what it's good for...  Can you select any 15-bit value as
>being transparent?  (ECS allows any color register to be the
>transparent value.  See, that's technology.  ;)

Dunno. Not explained in a way that I understood.
>
>: MultiTOS
>
>Which really says nothing, since nobody REALLY knows what it is.  Just
>that it "is like UNIX", which might mean it has 10 different functions
>for the same operation and is lots larger than it should be, or that
>it'll have lots of bugs for at least 5 versions and 4 releases.  (SYSV
>joke)  And it's pre-emptive.
>
>Doesn't really say much about the OS, does it?

Based on MiNT, which a lot of us in ST land are already familiar with. MiNT
provides a number of BSD-style system calls, dynamically loadable filesystem
drivers, lots of other good stuff. And it's nowhere near as bloated as Unix.
All in all, it's a Good Thing.
>
>: 1.44 MB Floppy
>
>This is redeeming, while...
>
>: IDE port for internal 2.5in 44MB hard drive
>
>Remember this.  Because later on...
>
>: RAM: 1,4 or 14 MB
>
>Anyone noticed how that's supposed to work?  1, 4, or _14_?

Yeah, seems a little cheesy to me. Like, mebbe they were still thinking of
living in a 24 bit 68000 address space. Dunno why.
>
>: Optional 68882 
>: Expansion slot for 386PC emulators or JPEG and MPEG data compressors
>
>(Might as well just say "Expansion slot", because none of the boards
>for it exist.  Also notice, there's only one.  Which means, if you
>want a 386 and MPEG, you get two Falcons.)

Piggyback boards, just like certain piggyback cartridges for the Atari 800.
No big deal.
>
>: Ports
>: 	SCSI II with DMA
>
>And here's where I get curious.  Why include IDE on the motherboard if
>they've got a SCSI II chipset on-board?  I have a feeling that it's
>just another DMA port which has been designed to have enough bandwidth
>for the information which would be passed by an external SCSI-II.
>
>Also, it may not have FAST or WIDE SCSI-II implementation, not many
>do.  Actually, I'd say it's likely it doesn't have fast or wide.

It's likely that it supports fast mode. Dunno about wide mode. Otherwise,
if it as you describe "enough bandwidth for ..." there is no distinction
from SCSI-1.
>
>: 	stereo microphone
>
>It'll come with a little cheesy mike.  Great.  Audiophiles will blow
>chunks and bolt.  :)  Seriously, it doesn't say whether this will get
>any use.  It may be up to the application to handle using the DSP to
>get the information in.
>
>: 	audio out
>
>I'd hope so.
>
>: 	monitor
>
>What kind isn't mentioned.  I'd imagine it would be a VGA-style, as
>the specs for video look like a wish-me TSENG.

Any currently existing Atari monitor, any multi-scan monitor. No hassles there.
>
>: 	midi
>
>Naturally, it's Atari's trademark.  Let's hope old midi software
>doesn't break when trying to access the possibly relocated ports, I
>don't imagine they'd be that stupid though.  And lets hope this time
>they gave proper ports.  Anyone remember the hacks for an ST to have
>MIDI-THRU ports?  I sure do.
>
>: 	hi speed LAN (no they don't say what)
>
>It's been said that it's LAN through the joystick ports...  I HOPE
>that's not it.  It also may not have good software support.  I don't
>expect it to be AppleTalk-like invisibility, but it may not even be
>usable, who knows.

Nope, thru an additional serial port. They include the Zilog 8530 SCC, just
like Mega STe and TT.
>
>And again, the OS is up in the air with support for that feature.
>Sounds like Atari isn't even done with it, to be honest.

The hardware has been around for ages. Appletalk software, well ...
>
>: 	Joystick & analog joystick
>
>Again, I'd hope so.  And a question:  How many?  Is it one digital
>joystick port and one analog joystick port?  Is it two digital, one
>analog, or did they do it right and give you two ports that support
>digital and analog?

Two original ST ports, i.e., digital joystick/mouse ports. Two additional
STe compatible analog ports.
>
>: 	printer port ``more industry standard''
>
>"more" industry standard?  Either you are, or you're not.  Centronics
>or RS-232 compliant would be good, but I wouldn't expect either from
>Atari, to be honest, they've got a tradition with that.

Centronics, as before. Older STs only supported the Busy line, this port
also supports ACK and Select, as I recall. Still bi-directional, as before.
>
>: working name was Sparrow
>
>Because it's going to be eaten by the panther.  :)
>
>: 50 machines worldwide many at top software houses in UK (I presume
>: 	others are in D :-) )
>
>Wow.  50 machines.  Only 2,999,950 to go until it's where the Amiga
>was about a year ago...  ;)

Developers' machines. Geeze, get a grip, eh?  }-)
>
>: Atari Germany ``at least one model above and below Falcon030 including
>: 	68040''
>
>I think going "one below" would be a bad idea.  Don't remove any more
>features from this relatively-featureless machine, to be honest.  Did
>you notice you listed more ports and video modes than you did features?

Hm. What is your distinction between "features" and all of these various
(for lack of a better word) features?
>
>: 	price == 499 UK pounds
>: 	new case design next April
>
>Why release it with an ugly case design if they're going to put out a
>system with the same features and a new case later?  Sounds kind of
>tacky.

Yeah, I agree. Mebbe it was just the only case they had on hand.
>
>Anyways, just thought I'd make that little commentary.  The Falcon has
>already lost much of the glory of the original posts with this one.
>Not nearly as flashy as was thought, is it?

Dunno, I still like the sound of it. Would prefer a better case design,
that's about all I'd take exception to for now. Certainly the "one below"
model better not be missing any features, nor should it run slower than
the current speed. I guess, given that constraint, I can't really picture
what a one below model would offer. Oh well.
-- 
  -- Howard Chu @ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
 ::To the owner of the blue Mazda, license 742-XLT, your headlights are on...::
 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy