From: danaf@vccsouth28.its.rpi.edu (Frank R. Dana Jr.)
Subject: Re: A4000 Specs? Who knows.
Reply-To: danaf@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 18:20:19 GMT

In article <Bu5BsC.EFA@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, jeffo@uiuc.edu (J.B. Nicholson-Owens) writes:
|> Marc N Barrett writes
|> > This works well on paper, but not in reality.  Consider for instance
|> > the situation with Amiga CD-ROM drives.  If Commodore is going to
|> > bring out CD-ROM drives for every Amiga, they will have to bring out
|> > FOUR different models: one for the A500, one for the A600, one for
|> > A2500 & A2000HD & A3000 systems (with SCSI interfaces), and one for
|> > the new systems with IDE  interfaces. 
|> 
|> What a joke that makes the Amiga.  If this is accurate, CBM will probably  
|> end up recommending a SCSI card for the IDE systems (thereby suckering you  
|> into giving them even more money for cleaning up their own mess) just so  
|> you can buy (you guessed it) ANOTHER of their products.

I disagree... I think Commodore will only have to come out with ONE model, but
for a very different reason that you think.

I see, within a year of the release of the AA machines, the complete disap-
pearance of ALL other Amiga models. The A500 will disappear almost immediately,t
the A2000 will hang on only long enough for the AA machines to establish a user
base, and the A3000 will disappear as soon as Commodore can find a good reason
for it (probably lagging sales, which won't be far from the truth.) Therefore,
the only thing Commodore will have to do is put out ONE drive that is compatible
with the new standard, and an external kit for the A600/A800.

BTW: this is about 50% rampant speculation, 25% long-festering cynicism involving
anything with the name "Commodore" on it, and 25% "reliable" rumor.

|> > Now consider the situation on the Macintosh platform; even  after the
|> > new Amiga systems hit the market, Apple will have about three times
|> > more Macintosh systems on the market as Commodore has Amiga systems.  
|> 
|> And probably always will.
|> 
|> > Yet Apple only has to bring out *ONE* CD-ROM drive that will work on ALL
|> > Macintosh systems currently on the market.
|> 
|> As do other vendors who are actually keeping up with technology.  But this  
|> isn't the only place where Amiga is sorely lacking in technical expertise:  
|> video, sound, operating system (gee, I really *enjoy* working with an OS  
|> that allows one crashed process to bring down the ENTIRE machine!).  Why  
|> won't CBM stop trying to make products for today based on technology of  
|> yesteryear?

When's the last time you used an Amiga? First of all, under the new 2.04 OS,
a crashed process will (MOST of the time...) bring up a system request, NOT
crash the system. And, if you think OTHER multitasking systems don't have the
same pitfalls, ever had an Unrecoverable Application Error (name?) in 
Windows? Same deal...

|> 
|> Thinking about the future never seemed to be CBM's strong suit anyhow.  No  
|> reason why they should start now.

Bingo.

Whatever happened to that Sony buyout? We'd have had a ((REAL)) company to
support the machine, and Sony monitors as standard equipment to boot! <DROOL>

|> --
|> -- Jeff (jeffo@uiuc.edu)
|> -- no NeXTmail please

-- 
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=======Amiuser============Frank R. Dana, Jr.============Doc Ami=======     
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	   living, dead, or undead... that's gonna CHANGE.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy