X-Organization: Potsdam College of the STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK (SUNY)
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.i-amiga
Date:         Sat, 22 Aug 1992 01:32:00 EDT
From:         ARGO <FRASER50@SNYPOTVA.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Amiga Chip Set

            *---== AM-REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
                   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                      "The Online Magazine of Choice!"
                                    from
                             STR Publishing Inc.
                             """"""""""""""""""


 May 20, 1992                                                  Volume 2.03
 =========================================================================

 > 05/20/92: AM-Report  #2.03      The Online Magazine of Choice!

    -Desktop Video Show     -Commodore Earnings     -Commodore Tax Problems
    -S&P on Commodore       -Mac Emulator News      -TexTiles
    -MiGraph OCR            -GVP Color Splitter     -High Density Floppies


                          -* Black Belt Speaks Out *-
                            -* Amiga TeX Review *-
                           -* PD & Shareware Gems *-

                             -* Much, Much More *-

                           TODAY'S NEWS ..TODAY!

  """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

 > AMReport's Staff              The regulars and this week's contributors!
   ================

                            Publisher - Editor
                            ------------------
                             Ralph F. Mariano


          PC DIVISION         AMIGA DIVISION           MAC DIVISION
          -----------         --------------           ------------
          Robert Retelle      Charles Hill             R. ALBRITTON


                         Contributing Correspondents
                         ---------------------------

     Mike Todd (CIX)                         Jim Shaffer, Jr. (UseNet)
  70117,634 on CompuServe                   amix.commodore.com!vanth!jms

                               Andrew Farrell
                    Australian Commodore and Amiga Review
                                      &
                      Professional Amiga User Magazine

      Mike Ehlert, SysOp: PACIFIC COAST MICRO BBS -- FidoNet 1:102/1001



                             IMPORTANT NOTICE
                             ================
      Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
                              via E-Mail to:

                 Compuserve....................  76370,3045
                 Internet/Usenet...............  76370.3045@compuserve.com

 ****************************************************************************


EDITORIAL
~~~~~~~~~
Well, well, another issue and not even a week has passed by!  Since the last
issue was the first one for months, I had a glut of information just waiting
to go.  Combining that with the new information I received and I had 73K of
stuff by Monday.  [Actually it is guilt, but I'm not going to admit it! :-)]

This issue has some interesting items.  Commodore's last quarter numbers
(the complete numbers) are out and seem to conflict with other information
I have.  Word is that CBM sold 800,000 C64 units last year, most of them
in Eastern Europe, the ex-Soviet Union and many "Third World" nations.
Folks, that is the biggest year *EVER* for the C64.  That also puts a nice
foot in the door for future upgrades to, say, the new A600.

GVP has finally finished the color splitter they were working on for the IV24
board and the real good news is that they are giving it away to all the people
who purchased the IV24 and didn't get one.  Future IV-24 purchases will
include the color splitter.  (Call your dealer for the splitter.)

The Amiga finally has OCR software, but it doesn't come cheap.  Migraph's
price is $299 U.S. and 2.5 megabytes of RAM.  Four megs and a 68030/25 are
recommended.

I have more specs on Emplant from Utilities Unlimited.  I should be getting
some brochures early next week.

Rumors floating around include the fabled '386 Bridgecard, Workbench/Kickstart
2.1, an A3000 Toaster, a digital Toaster, an Amiga compatible laptop, a part
number for the elusive high-density floppy drive, nice prices on Amigas and
the possibility of Commodore being acquired in the near future.


Now that I'm back in business, if anyone who is supposed to be getting AMR
through email, isn't, let me know.  AM-Report is available through email
(internet, usenet, ATT Mail, & MCI Mail) for those who don't have access
to it otherwise.

Thank you for your support!

 -Chas
AM-Report

 ============================================================================


 ============================================================================


                                 -* RUMORS *-

1. Commodore is getting ready to release a '386 based Bridgeboard (finally!)
   and the specs look like this:

        20 MHz 80386SX
         1 Mb RAM (can be increased to 8)
       CGA video on the motherboard (what a joke!)
       Uses the Amiga's serial/parallel/disk drives/hard drives/mouse


   The board is supposed to be a single-board package like the XT-Bridge,
   not a dual-board type like the AT-Bridge.  That helps a bit, but the CGA
   video is a joke.  It should have at least EGA if not 16-color VGA.  The
   circuits for either don't take up enough space to really make that much
   difference.  Still, the specs are only second-hand and I haven't seen
   silicon yet...

   Oh, yes.  The expected price is $779 Canadian and at least one dealer in
   Canada set their price at $699 Canadian.  The Board was supposedly on
   the February pricing list but again, I haven't seen it first-hand.


2. A beta-test copy of Workbench 2.1 has been floating around pirate BBSes
   and while I haven't seen it, and everyone denies its existance, here is
   the scoop:

   Beta copies went out to developers in mid Feburary, some idiot posted
   it to some boards.  CBM has put out an official letter stating that it
   was a Beta and that it wasn't safe to run and did not accurately show
   what the final version will be.  They reminded people of the copyright
   on it.

   Currently WB 2.1 is a five disk set.  The Preferences options supposedly
   now support an 8-bit color range (256 colors) and a CrossDOS like
   alternate DOS system is built in for MS-DOS.  A "locale.library" is
   used to increase support for non-English using Amigans.

   [I'd like to add that since WB 2.05 was shown in Germany with IDE drive
    support for the A600, I think that IDE support will be added to WB 2.1]


3. NewTek is supposedly working on two new versions of the Toaster.  The
   first is the same-old Toaster with a modified backplane that can be
   user-altered to fit comfortably in an A3000.  The second supports D2 or
   HDTV output as an option (as well as NTSC).  Look for the first late
   this year or early 1993.  No target date has been set for the second.


4. Newer Technologies, the company that has announced the Amiga laptop that
   CBM blasted, is rumored to be taking orders for two models that will be
   shipped WITHOUT CUSTOM CHIPS.  The purchaser is supposed to supply the
   custom chips (hmmm...those old A1000s may be good for something after
   all).  [Note that a number of early third-party Macintosh laptop/portable
   manufacturers used this trick with Mac ROMS.  -- Ed.]

   [Just a side note.  With the A600's motherboard being so small, and the
    integrated PCMCIA slot, it would be much easier to turn it into a
    laptop than any previous Amiga.  There is still the problem of power-
    hungry chips, though...]


5. Some good news, the High Density floppies are now available from Commodore
   The Part# is 313248-01.  Price approx. $159.00

   Although they are currently out of stock.  But you can place your order
   for them.


6. The Amiga prices are starting to be competitive.  Just look at this list
   I got from a local dealer:


   Amiga 2000 . . . . . . . . . . .$ 999.00
   Amiga 2000 w/ 1084S . . . . . . $1239.00
   Amiga 2000HD . . . . . . . . .  $1199.00
   Amiga 2000HD w/ 1084S . . . .   $1449.00
   Amiga 3000 16/40 w/ 1950 . . .  $1850.00 (while supplies last)

   Amiga 3000 25/50 w/ 1950 . . .  $3099.00 ($2599.00 with rebate)
   Amiga 3000 Tower w/ 1950 . . .  $4299.00 ($3799.00 with rebate)

   And best of all, on 25mz models, you still get the $500 rebate from CBM.

   [The rebate was originally scheduled to expire on March 31 but Commodore
    has extended it indefinitely!  Tell your friends to hurry!]

   [All prices are $US and may vary from dealer to dealer.]

 ============================================================================


I have posted parts of  a recent AM report that are relevent to recent topics
on the list and question on what and were to get an AM-Report.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU