From: danaf@lib102.its.rpi.edu (Frank R. Dana Jr.)
Subject: Re: Random tidbits regarding WOC & A4000
Reply-To: danaf@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 17:09:15 GMT

In article <1992Sep15.140013.13389@qdpii.comp.qdpi.oz.au>, davidme@qdpii.comp.qdpi.oz.au (David Meiklejohn) writes:
|> In article <sw9y1bc@rpi.edu> danaf@rpi.edu writes:
|> >My (highly flammable...) feelings on the A4000:
|> >
|> >In a word, **SIGH**.
|> >
|> >What did we get this time? A 32-bit bus (oooo...) with <<FEW>> new graphic modes
|> >to speak of (we were supposed to TOP IBM and Apple, not play catchup...),
|> 
|> AGA _does_ top Apple and IBM.  We're talking standard equipment here.  Apple
|> gives you 24-bit standard on a Quadra, sure, but they're somewhat more
|> expensive than an A4000, too.  As for PCs, the standard everone compares Amigas
|> to is your bog-standard ISA 486 with SVGA.  SVGA is 18-bit, while AGA is 24.
|> The Tseng board I use at work can do 32,768 colours at once at 800x600.  AGA
|> can do 262,144 at the same res.  SVGA cards don't have a blitter, copper, or
|> sprites.  You can get the blitter and one sprite with a Windows accelerator,
|> but not a copper.  And, I like my draggable screens, thanks.
|> 
|> Don't worry.  As far as standard equipment goes, we're on top (again).

I disagree. Okay, let me rephrase...

(we were supposed to have new resolutions to BEAT IBM and Apple, not play 
catchup).

I've never been a fan of bitplane-worship. If you've got the resolution, you can
dither colors to your heart's content (like I said before, just take a look at
your average laser printer/typesetter output. That's only 1 color on greyscale,
four in color!). Anyway, a 640x400 screen only HAS 256,000 colors, so any more
than that is a waste. I do not want 2.1 million colors. I want 1280x1024 - even
if it's only 4 colors. I do desktop publishing to a greyscale laser printer - I
only NEED two colors, but the more res the better!!

|> >what is most likely a buggy beta release of the new OS,
|> 
|> If you don't have a clue, just say so, ok?  You're saying that you don't have
|> any information, you have no way of knowing how stable the OS is, since
|> you've obviously never used the release version, so you'd look a lot less
|> stupid if you just shut up.

Geez! Take some valium! Of COURSE I don't know - I'm in Troy, NY, not San Fran.

That's why I used the phrase "most likely". It means that I'm not sure - but 
based on Commodore's track record (see A3000 release) and my personal feeling 
that the A4000 was pushed out the door before the plastic casing had hardened,
it's a good bet.

Anyway - you didn't say it wasn't!   9)

|> -- 
|> 
|> David Meiklejohn                  | Internet : davidme@qdpii.comp.qdpi.oz.au
|> Computer Systems Officer, QDPI    | Fax      : +61 70 92 3593
|> Mareeba, Australia                | Voice    : +61 70 92 1555

-- 
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=======Amiuser============Frank R. Dana, Jr.============Doc Ami=======     
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