From: sparks@disk.uucp (John Sparks)
Subject: Re: Its a sad sad day...
Organization: Digital Information Systems of KY
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 04:22:21 GMT

ggiles@cie.uoregon.edu (Gregg Giles) writes:
>   As technology advances, the older technology gets left behind. If we keep
>holding it back with compatibility arguments, it will never go anywhere. Then
>everyone would be upset. Computers change and grow. It's time to move on, and
>I am glad Commodore has done that with the Amiga. It's time to break from the
>past and move on.

I have been a loyal Amiga owner since 1985 when I bought an Amiga 1000.
I am not someone like Mark Barrett who likes trashing commodore at every
chance. But I am getting pretty fed up with the way they "improve" their 
technology.

IBM machines and clones, while upgrading the processors and even the bus
(ISA, micro channel, EISA), still allow owners of older machines to 
upgrade peripherals like graphics, sound, etc. to the latest and greatest
without having to trash their computer every time an improvement came out.

I started with the A1000. 512k chip ram. Then the Amiga 2000 came out.
1 Meg chip ram, completley redesigned motherboard (very nice). I had to 
decied whether to sell my A1000 and get a A2000 or sit quietly by with
my A1000. I stayed with the A1000 cuz the 2000 wasn't that great of an
improvement. But even though 2000 was a better machine, the problem was
that CBM basically orphaned A1000's unless we traded up. Then the A3000
came out. 2 meg chip ram, ECS, onboard SCSI. no way to upgrade the A1000
or A2000 without trading in for a A3000. 
At this point I bought a 3000. I figured all new amigas should be compatible
with the A3000's design philosophy. NOT.
The 4000 breaks the mold again. different size mother board. IDE. SIMMs 
instead of ZIPs, New AGA chipset not available for older amigas.

But, they didn't improve the sound, or amount of chip ram available.
So I guess when CBM does improve the sound and chip ram, and maybe come
out with an even better AGA chipset, they will make an A5000 and the 4000
owners will be stuck. When will it end? never. Thats what makes me mad.

Here is what I think CBM should do (should have done a long time ago):
The special chips (graphics and sound) should be like they did with the
CPU on the A4000, be on a modular system. a separate board. Then when
CBM comes out with improved systems, CPU's, graphics, sound, whatever,..
old customers can improve their machines to the latest and greatest without
having to trash their whole investment.

Why couldn't CBM do this? WHY? Even Dave Haynie said this was what he 
wants in a machine (totally modular). If they can put the CPU on a separate
board, why not the graphics chips? why not the sound chip?
PC's do it, Macs do it. CBM should have done it with the A2000 forward.

I also have a question for CBM. what happens after all the current stock
of A2000 and A3000 motherboards are used up? will you continue to produce
them with ECS or re-design them to the AGA chipset, or discontinue them
altogether?

If you re-design them, please make the motherboards available to us poor
suckers who own pre-AGA amigas, ok?

And please make the A5000 totally modular and stop this crazy trade-in
crap.

-- 
John Sparks        |"Help Fight Continental Drift!"| (502)957-4200 2400 BPS
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