From: fheitkamp@desire.wright.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: The Amiga-1200 is not for me...
Date: 7 Nov 92 10:48:15 EST
Organization:  Wright State University 

In article <1992Nov6.163116.6846@sol.cs.wmich.edu>, 22black@sol.cs.wmich.edu (Martin Black) writes:
> fheitkamp@desire.wright.edu writes:
> 
>>In article <1992Nov5.131851.90515@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au>, bull@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au writes:
>>> 10667547@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (JIMMY "Nosferatu" FANG) writes:
> 
>>>> Why is the Commodore Bridgeboard so expensive?  Commodore can buy lots of
>>>> parts for its clones, why not subsidize the BridgeBoard production?
>>>> Commodore should make a cheap '386 clone bridgeboard for the A1200.  I
>>>> couldn't recommend it to anyone except for current Amiga owners.  I don't
>>>> believe you can get by at University without something that is IBM
>>>> compatible to some extent.  Why get an Amiga at all?  Because I believe that
>>>> it is much easier to use than a Windows or DOS system, has more creative
>>>> applications and is more fun to use on a daily basis.  IBM PC compatibility
>>>> should be there for those who *may* need it.
>>> 
>>>         It is there, C= has released 2 Bridgeboards. If you can't run
>>> something on an A2286 Bridgeboard, you're probably better off running it
>>> on a dedicated 386 box in the first place.
>>> 
>>	I would be perfectly happy with a bug free 286 BB.  Too bad one
>>	doesn't exit.  The 386sx BB with CGA is not cost effective because,
>>	for the most part CGA software is obsolete on that class processor.
>>	i.e  Know anyone using Windows with CGA?  The BB is a good idea,
>>	it just hasn't been executed properly and is too expensive.
>>  
> Well I wouldn't say it is real expensive I saw a 386bb for about $550.  Of
> course there is now a need for a new janus software to emulate vga and svga.
> But vga and svga is only a software thing on the a4000.  I would think that
> the emulation should be pretty snappy on the aga chips, and wouldn't mind
> buying a 386bb if I got an a4000 and there was an update of janus.
> 

	The CGA emulation on the A2286 is fairly slow, not bad, but slow.
	I'm not even close to understanding how the A2286 works, but maybe
	too much of the CGA emulation is being done with software. 
	Is it possible to build a BB with a TSENG4000 chip(s) on board to do
	part of the display crunching before sending it to the Amiga side?

	I am just a little disapointed with Commodores BB attempts.  They
	don't seem to have displayed the creativity that I have seen with
	their other products.  I don't really care though.  I would buy a
	clone (and might) if I really wanted 100% compatibility.  For the
	money I've spent making the A2286 I have work (until I found the HW
	bugs :-( ), I could have bought a 386DX box.

	Here is two things I would like to see on a BB:  *Good* VGA emulation 
	and ability to have a *actual* MS-DOS partition on the Amiga disk.  
	Do this with as little speed penalty as possible.  The translation of
	data from the fake partitions is too slow.  Anyone know the DI rating
	of the 386sx BBs fake drive?
 
> Martin
> 
> 
Fred Heitkamp,  ** Not an organization,  My opinons only **