From: dtiberio@libws4.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio)
Subject: Re: EGGPLANT, IMPLANT, EMPATH, BLAZEPLANT...
Organization: State University of New York at Stony Brook
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 15:02:11 GMT

In article <1992Nov13.012234.20048@gn.ecn.purdue.edu> jess@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Jess M Holle) writes:
>Does an A3000 have a 25 MHz 040, like the Quadra 700???

	No. That is why it only costs $1100, not $4,000+.

>No one has as of yet answerered this question. 

	I do believe I have twice.

>is not in the same league as the Quadra, regardless of whether it has 
>all the other features of a Quadra, which I gather it doesn't.

	It is not as fast as a Quadra, but then again a Quadra is not
as fast as an 040 Amiga simply because the windows are so slow (I have
used Quadras before).

>How much does it cost to take a 25 MHz 040 Amiga system (is this the 
>A4000?), add Emplant, and the other essentials for using Mac software?  

	A3000 + 040 + Emplant = $1100 + $850 + $300 = $2250

>Then add Ethernet, add 24-bit accelerated color (which most Amiga 
>programs don't even support, as I understand), 3 NuBUS 90 slots, and 

	Well, if you are running Mac emulation, then the Amiga software
doesn't matter. BTW, any program that can open on the Workbench supports
24 bits, and most programs that don't open on the Workbench do try to 
support 24 bits, such as renderers and landscsapers.

>>$1100. Second of all, who cares about 3 NuBus slots when you can get 5
>>32-bit Zorro II slots and three PC-AT slots for your IBM emulators. Also,
>
>First, who in the hell makes cards for Zorro slots, I've never even heard
>of Zorro slots.  Can you get National Instruments boards for Zorro slots,
>for instance?  I don't think so.

	First, who in the hell makes cards for NuBus slots. I've never even
heard of NuBus slots. Can you get NewTek boards for NuBus slots, for 
instance? I don't think so.

>Second, who wants PC-AT slots.  Given that we are talking about a machine
>in the same league as the Quadra 700 (supposedly), PC-AT slots would be
>a horribly bottleneck in the system.  The throughput could not compare

	Excuse me, Mr Bottleneck, but they don't slow down anything. They
are simple ISA slots for IBM compatible cards, which are very abundant and 
very cheap. That is why the Amiga has around 8 or 9 expansion slots; some
are 32 bit Zorro III slots, others are IBM compatible ISA slots, and then
the 32 bit accelerator slot and video slot.

>In a portion of your post, which I deleted, you mention that you might 
>be able to install NuBUS slots at a later date, with further developments.
>Any guess as to how much will 3 NuBUS 90 slots cost??

	No, but Jim Drew said he was planning on adding NuBus slots. BTW,
the Amiga slots are removable as one full backplane in another slot. It
is very easy to add change the slots in the Amiga, but I know Jim Drew
would not design it that way to keep it compatible with the A2000.

>>	24 bit graphics boards cost as little as $400. Sound input costs

>I don't believe that ACCELERATED 24-bit graphics boards cost as little 
>as $400, however.  The Quadra has a 24-bit accelerated graphics card.

	I am buying a $6,000 24 bit card next week, if it makes a 
difference. 160 MFLOPS is a little bit on the fast side. Supposed to
render 3D images in real time.

>on the PC for several lifetimes.  Printers and monitors are both available 
>from 3rd party sources at lower prices than those charged by Apple.

	A lot lower.

>>it have an accelerator slot? Does it support the Video Toaster? Does it
>
>The Quadra 700 has 3 accelerator slots if that's how you wish to use them,
>you can plug 3 Radius Rockets into the NuBus slots and blast off.  Add

	So you're saying it does not have an accelerator slot? Imagine
what it will be like when the 100+ MIP Alpha chip plugs into the Amiga
via the accelerator slot.

>I could care less about the Video Toaster, personally, or built-in VCR/TV
>output.  I want a workstation, not something to make videos with. Video
>creation, etc. is Amiga's strongest niche, but I don't think that this
>area is really all that important to the average user.  Joystick ports 

	AppleTalk networks, 24bit, 68040s, Rocketshares, etc, are of
no interest to the average user.

>are of no interest as well.  You don't get a machine of this level to 
>play games on.  That's silly.  Besides, I find the mouse and keyboard
>perfectly adequate.  Joysticks belong on Nintendos.

	Nintendos use keypads. BTW, the joystick thing was a joke, and
the machines with the best graphics usually have the best games.

>>Does the software cost under $500? Does the hardware cost the same as
>>IBM compatible hardware? Does it have true pre-emptive multitasking?
>
>Depends which software.  All of mine does.  At least it has a wide variety
>of QUALITY software.  No, the hardware does not cost the same as an IBM
>compatible, but then again, neither does the Amiga's as far as I know.

	I believe I stated that Amiga hardware is the same as IBM hardware
in almost all cases.

	BTW, when you say your software is under $500, does that include
$80 shareware packages that are crippled to death, free viruses, etc?
On the AMiga, if you pay $80 for shareware the author gives you the
source code and practically hands you the rights to it. :)

>For the mere $500 that you mentioned, the Mac can be pre-emptively
>multitasking under A/UX.  For the average user, pre-emptive multitasking
>is a non-issue.  For the workstation user, it is one, BUT a wide variety
>of quality, multi-platform, high-end software is arguably more important.

	I HARDLY believe that pre-emptive multitasking is a non-issue.
Macs suck at multitasking, including the Quadras. So should I get A/UX
in order to get pre-emptive multitasking? Okay, I will, but does it
run Photoshop? :)

	If you think high-end software is more important, then ask me
how glad I am that I can run almost all IBM and Mac software for 
under $1,000 of additional hardware, and under $1 in software only.


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