From: jayson@tbag.tscs.com (Jayson Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Amiga 4000: My Two Cents Worth
Date: 1 Oct 92 02:35:29 EST
Organization: Tampa Bay Amiga Group

 
I  know  this  subject has been hashed and rehashed but here's my two cents
worth  anyway.   But first let me say that I have been one of the strongest
Amiga advocates since the first one hit the market.  I bought an Amiga 1000
in  Jan  1986 which I sold when I bought an Amiga 3000 in Apr 1991.  I have
been  quite  satisfied with both machines.  In fact I'm pretty much in love
with  my  A3000  (my  wife can verify this) and use it extensively for word
processing,  on-line  communications,  programming  and  sometimes even for
graphics applications :)  Having said this, on to the Amiga 4000.
 
The  Amiga  4000  seems  to  have  been rushed (pushed) out the door just a
little  too  soon.  History repeats itself.  The Amiga 1000 came out before
the  OS  was  really ready but Atari had already released the 500ST and CBM
had  to get something out in a hurry.  I had money in hand ready to buy the
ST when I heard about the Amiga.  I checked it out and the rest is history.
Then  the  A2000  &  A500  came  out  and  the  A1000 was left more or less
abandoned and un suported.  The A1000 still, however, continued to serve me
well  with it's 2nd floppy and 2MB RAM board add-on.  I wasn't worried that
the  A1000  price  was  dropping  faster  and lower than Bush's ratings.  I
expected  that.   But  then  KS/WB 2.0 came out (on A3000) and it turns out
that  CBM doesn't plan to support it on the A1000.  Uh, excuse me?  All the
original Amiga buyers and owners who belived in the machine and the company
dropped  like  hot potatos?  Well, I ran 2.0 on my A1000 anyway and decided
to  save  my  pennies  and go for the A3000.  I was in computer heaven.  An
Amiga  with  68030/882 and a hard drive, not to mention a multiscan monitor
with a rock steady (de)interlaced display.  And one of these days I'm gonna
finish  paying for it too.  Like many other A3000 owners I knew this system
would  carry me on for a long time because it has bus slots, CPU slot, SCSI
port,  32-bit  CPU  ECS  access  etc.   And it will serve me for a long(er)
time... now.
 
Enter  the  Amiga  4000.   I'm  not going to bash the machine or wine about
price  drops  on the A3000 (which was expected).  I will say that the A4000
does  not  have what I want in a computer and therefore I will not buy one.
Yes, the extra color capability in the AGA is fantastic.  But I want higher
resolution  even more than I want color.  Actually I want both, 8-bit color
and at least 1024x768 non-interlaced, or something near that would be fine.
Both  of  the  "other  guys"  have  had  this  for  years.   It's not a new
capability.   It's  a  minimum  capabiltiy if you want to compete in todays
(oops,  yesterdays) market.  But then it look's like CBM has positioned the
A4000  as  a  "TV"  computer.   Well  that's  OK,  for  people  who want to
specialize  in TV video.  But I'm not one of them.  I want basically what I
already  have:   a  semi-almost-workstation  with  an easier (then UNIX) to
handle OS.  I don't feel motivated to put out $3500 just for more color and
an  040.  And I won't trade "down" to a machine with no SCSI.  I don't mind
having an IDE interface but I do mind not having the expasion capabiltiy of
SCSI.   This deal is 180 degrees backwards in the A4000.  SCSI should be on
the  mother  board and the IDE should come as an option on a plug-in board.
I'm not too worried about the audio thing, but if the A4000 did have 16 bit
audio out it would definitly provoke more interest in me.  Like I said, I'm
not  really  bashing the A4000.  I'm just pointing out that it doesn't have
what  I want.  If you don't make what the customers want then they have two
options:  (1) go somewhere else, (2) wait until you make something new(er).
 
After  hearing  that  the  AGA (yes I would like more color at a reasonable
price)  "will  not  go into any previous machine" it became obvious *again*
that  CBM  dosen't  care  too much about my segment of their customer base.
CBM  should  be more than happy to produce a Zorro III AGA card for A3000's
(if  it's technically possible - and it is).  But no, they think this loyal
user  base  will  just run right out a plop down another $3 grand for a new
machine.   Sorry Charlie, not me.  If the A4000 had higher resolution, SCSI
and  16-bit  sound  I might then consider a "trade-up".  As it is I plan to
check  out third party graphic/video boards like the Ameristar 1600GS.  The
1600GS  is  a  Zorro  III board with a Wietek graphics co-processor, 24-bit
color   palette   and  displays  8-bit  color  from  640x480  to  1600x1200
non-interlaced.   Hopefuly  the  1600GS,  Resolver,  etc  will  gain decent
software  support  and  A3000  owners like me can upgrade the way we really
want.  And I can always add an 040 card too.
 
To  sum  up:  No, I don't plan to "jump ship" and buy a Mac or MSDOS clone.
But  neither  do  I  plan  to  buy  an  Amiga  4000.  It would be much more
advantageous  for  an  A500  to  "power  up" to the A4000 then for an A3000
owner.  If you're one of these then go for it.
 
Please  don't flame me for "bashing" the A4000.  I'm merely stating that it
doesn't  have  what  I  want for my next computer.  And if CBM wants repeat
business  from  this  customer  then  they  are gonna have to support me by
recognizing  that  I  supported them by buying two Amigas already.  And the
support  I  require  is  (1)  make a machine with something close to what I
want, (2) provide a reasonable upgrade or trade-in offer.
 
PS:   I'm  really  hoping  the  next NeXT Computer really is an 88110 based
machine.   The  (standard) 50MHz 88110 has 5 times the integer and 10 times
the  floating  point thruput of a 25MHz 68040.  And color NeXTs have hi-res
color  video  screens  too:):) (approx 1100x830 with 12-bit color displayed
out of a 24-bit palette standard, 24-bit display as option)
 
 Jay Phillips * Tampa FL
 Amiga 3000 25Mhz/105HD/10MB
 USENET: tbag!jayson@tscs.com     (or roast me on Genie: B.Phillips13)

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