From: bull@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Newsgroups: aus.computers.amiga,comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: [*] Review Home Computer Show. (Melb, Australia)
Date: 16 Nov 92 08:51:58 +1100
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia

thecure@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (matthew aardvarkious) writes:
>
> One thing to note, there was a Falcon there. Yes, it looked nice,
> and the demos were impressive. I'm not all that sure on how stable
> the OS is, as when I spoke to one of the reps, he said that TOS 4.01
> was almost released which had Multitasking in it. (He then argued
> with another rep as to wether it really was working,etc.) Atari
> said that Dick Smith would carry it, etc, but they need to learn a
> thing about presenation.
>
> I walked up to the stand...
>
> "Hi, can you tell me about the Falcon?"
>
> (in a very rushed voice, ranting) "It's better than an IBM, it's got
> more colors than an IBM, it's got a DSP chip, it's better than this,
> better than that, you need to add cards to the IBM , etc, blah blah."
>
> I finally get a word in "Err, I use amigas."
>
> "Oh, well it's cheaper than an amiga ($1500 australian) and does more
> etc... (I wanted to mention the 1200 but held my breath) - and it has
> a DSP chip. Did I mention the DSP chip? It has a DSP chip. DSP this,
> DSP that., etc"
>
> "Can I see a working demo?"
>
> "We have a demo lined up at 5.00 - come back then, and dont't forget that
> it has a DSP chip (seriously quoted)"

        They actually had 2 Falcons, in different cases (they were next
to each other). The cases were 1040 ST style, the only difference that
I saw was the case colour.

        One was running a slide show, over and over and over, etc. The
other was being used by the reps to print pictures on an HP colour
deskjet printer (and the DSP demo). I didn't get to try the beastie
myself, but I watched the reps on it and here are my preliminary
opinions.

        Responce speed was good on the GUI. Disks, windows and menus
opened quickly without any visible lag. The Falcon appeared to have
an internal hard disk (must have been a 2.5" like the internal disk
used in the A600 and A1200), but I didn't ask what capacity it was.

        The slide show wasn't bad, the pictures looked good, but the
display did flicker (it was using an Atari moniter, but I forget which
model). The flicker may have been caused by a: the lighting in the
hall, b: the angle I was watching the moniter from and c: the distance
I stood from the moniter, so I won't be overly critical about it.

        One area I will be critical about is the GUI. Ugly! It's an
improvement over the Atari ST GUI, but it still isn't as easy to look
at as the old Workbench 1.3. Some people may think I'm splitting hairs
on this point, but if those people had to spend as many hours per day
looking at GUI's as I do, they'd be sensitive to how a GUI can increase
or reduce eyestrain. If I had to pick between the Amiga and Atari based
on the look of the GUI, I wouldn't pick an Atari. I will admit that
the GUI wasn't running in the 256 colour mode, so I can't say if it's
any better with more colours. A better colour combination in the mode it
was in may make it easier to look at for extended periods, but the rep
didn't bother demo-ing the GUI customising options.

        Their scheduled presentation started with a 1040 STE running
a MIDI sequencer and some MIDI hardware. Basically they presented it
as some sort of home karaoke machine and didn't bother to mention the
other applications it could be used for.

        As for the DSP. They plugged a $20 microphone into the back of
the Falcon, and recorded a member of the audience (who was asked to do
some singing) directly onto the internal hard disk. They then played
his voice back and used the DSP to add real time effects processing. I
noticed that text on the screen for the DSP software was all in German.

        The whole presentation was aimed at first time buyers. While
they did present the machines to show standard features which were
optional extras on other systems (built in MIDI and the DSP), it could
have been better (but I had waited for over an hour to see the demo so
perhaps I was expecting more, and I'm not a novice in computers or
MIDI). Again, they didn't bother to outline what other applications
were either already available for the Falcon, or were expected in the
near future.

        My preliminary opinion on the Falcon is: good speed for general
use, DSP has a great deal of potential, GUI needs improvement to make
make it easier to look at for extended periods. Range of applications
was not made clear (but I blame that on the people doing the
presentation).

           Bull@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au  OR  bull@monu1.cc.monash.oz
                    DOD# 251  '84 VF 750   Closet Ducatisto
             Disclaimer. If you love your llama, let it lambada.
Newsgroups: aus.computers.amiga