From: gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gregory R Block)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy,comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: CDTV is dead.
Date: 22 Aug 92 21:36:05 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

rhealey@kas.helios.mn.org (Rob Healey) writes:
:Please forward your proof that C= has shown a viable Multimedia solution
: 	on the Amiga, and I mean the full computer not CDTV. To date I've seen
: 	MultiMedia presentations on IBM "Ultimedia" systems, various Windows
: 	3.1 setups and Mac setups using integrated voice, video and CD-ROM. I
: 	have yet to see an Amiga 3000 with stock 2.04 do anything even remotely
: 	close to what the other systems can do. It can do toaster stuff and
: 	some animations but that's it. Toaster+anims != MultiMedia.

You're right:  Toasters do not equate to multimedia.  I was not,
however, referring to that.  There are several high-end multimedia
authoring systems available.  There are mid-level packages such as
Scala.

I'm not sure what you're looking for that you're not finding.

: 	Where are the programs to access the gigabytes of CD-ROM disks? The
: 	OS certainly doesn't have support for viewing or retrieving data
: 	from CD-ROM. And the drivers that do exist just access raw data.

Neither do other OSes.  The lack of those types of programs is
definitely a lack, but I wouldn't define it as being C='s fault for
not having it in the operating system.

Those are most likely in ISO format.  An ISO cd-rom driver exists.
Graphics files can be converted by programs such as ADPro.  Text files
can be displayed, depending on their format.  Applications with ARexx
interfaces could allow the author to apply conversions.

: 	CDTV doesn't have the horse power for business multimedia, it's
: 	the only "Amiga" I've seen that can decently use basic multimedia
: 	components of video, audio and CD-ROM at the same time.

It's not much different than any other Amiga.  The 3000 makes a very
good multimedia platform.  For instance, AmigaVision allows control
over VideoDisc players through itself.  Many drivers are available.
CD-Roms are a bit harder, but the software would not be impossible to
write as an arexx command.  It's the power and flexibility of this
that lets the Amiga's multimedia platform do things the others can't.
Theoretically, AmigaVision could control toaster effects through
itself and ARexx.

: 	The 3000T '040 ad in byte this month was sad because it showed
: 	how far behind the times Amiga really is. On one page you
: 	had the 3000T '040 for $5998.00. 5 pages later you have a DELL
: 	33Mhz 486 system that can do more for $2699.00. It's sad really
: 	because it shows just how out of touch C= is bang/buck wise in
: 	a mainstream publication like BYTE where EVERYONE can see...

The same can be said for Apple systems.  I'm not about to start
comparing system prices:  It's obvious IBM systems are cheaper.
However, an IBM system with the functionality of an Amiga in a
multimedia environment would not be as cheap.

: 	Reality fault, brittle Amiga Universe falling apart... Let's at
: 	least make REMOTELY realistic statements here eh?

I'm doing my best to stay realistic:  Why don't you do your best to
stay optimistic?

Greg

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(:	gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu			Gregory R. Block         :)
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy,comp.sys.amiga.misc