From: dmacphee@nyx.cs.du.edu (Don mac phee)
Subject: Re: Is it silly to buy a
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
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Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 92 03:20:34 GMT

In article <OD.6badnetOA92-901-302p0_51350a64@piraya.bad.se> Roger_Nordin@atb.bbs.bad.se (Roger Nordin) writes:
>True. However, you forgot the other list: What the A4000 does =not= have, that 
>the A3000 have:
>
>o Fast and flexible SCSI host adaptor that interfaces with a wide range of 
>devices, such as more than two harddisks, tape streamers, flopticals, CD-ROMs, 
>WORM drives, scanners and more.


Ah, but you can use a Zorro-II SCSI controller. $160
(Provided of course someone fixes the DMA problems....)

>o Flicker fixer that allows the wast array of applications that use Hires/
>Interlace to output a non-lace video signal suitable for other applications 
>than just video work, such as DTP, word processign, programming or just about 
>anything else than video work.

Why? Other solutions have been posted. (Open on workbench, altering the 
database, patching said programs, writing for an AGA update....)

>If you say "but those can be added to an A4000", then I must add this one for 
>you:

>o Four 32-bit Zorro III expansion slots.

>If you add a SCSI and/or a flicker fixer, then you are left with three or just 
>two Zorro III slots. The A3000 have all four slots free, as these functions 
>are located right on the motherboard.

Ah! But we're still comparing apples and oranges. Add an AGA card to your
A3000 and see how many programs will support that natively.

And lets not forget the IDE drive. And the HD floppy, and the 24-bit
extended video slot. Gosh... we seem to be running out of slots on the
other side of the equation just as rapidly...

>AmigaOS Release3 can be added, no problems. With a 25Mhz '040 board, an A3000 
>is still much cheaper than the A4000 -- and it has all the above features, too!

 No it's not. If you have an EXISTING A3000 it's cheaper.

>The only thing missing is the extra colours and the update speed in some of 
>the screen modes (of which you seldom use anyways,

 I have a BEEF with this. If you're using your Amiga as a Video workstation,
the added ability to do 2000fps is nothing to sneeze at. The mind boggles
at the end-user possibilities:

 Info Kiosks running multiple independant monitors. (Board to drive these
world be helpful.)

 Business presentations. 

 (Isn't this why people by Macs?)

>So, what's the point? The point is that it is not *obvious* that the A4000 
>would be an upgrade to the A3000 in some peoples eyes, as some people seems to 
>take for granted. The A3000 is a more "balanced" system in my eyes.

Please... you're giving MB wet dreams....

>Then I would probably be using more flashier colours in most places, thus 
>eating up much much more CHIP RAM. 2Mb would suddenly not be enough for normal 
>operation -- at least I would feel the limit, and would be annoyed.

 This annoys me as well, and to have an 8MB chip ram selector on the
motherboard is EXCRUTIATINGLY painful. Annoying. Teasing. This is 
probably the ONLY reason I'd wait for a machine to take care of that.

>When the A4000 comes with 8Mb CHIP RAM and on-board SCSI host adaptor, then I 
>will admit it's an "obvious upgrade" as compared to an A3000.

 The SCSI host adapter doesn't bother me. My next purchase WILL be the
A4000T. If it has a SCSI host adapter on board, great. Otherwise I'll
plunk down a bit more money for the SCSI-2 adapter.

>Until then, the A4000 seems to me like a design not quite finished yet, 
>something rushed out the door too quickly.

 People were SCREAMING for rush, and now you chastise C= for doing it.
Shame on you people. (Blame Marketing. I'd have C= set up a 2400 baud
800 BBS in each office (Foreign and domestic) have ALL users of Amigas
call up and let C= know WHERE those 3.5 million Amigas are, then send
out a mass SASE mailing to ASK the world what it wants out of Amiga.
Put ads in Byte, PC Computing, Amiga World, Amiga Format, Amazing, asking
them to register. Then act on what you find.

--
Amiga ///   Donald Mac Phee  \\\ agimA How many people remember that an 
2000 /// Rpg104@Uriacc.Bitnet \\\ 0002 MPC was the first PC clone on the
 \\\/// dmacphee@Nyx.Cs.Du.Edu \\\///  market? Get an A4000 and find out 
  \XX/ Personal_09@Ecl1.Uri.Edu \XX/   what Multimedia REALLY is. $2699!
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware