| I read through the article in Amiga World (or whatever that mag's name is), as
well as what's been said both here and on the USENET. While I think that the
2000 looks like a pretty neat product, I'm sort of dissatisfied with CBM's
general direction. I really don't know how to state my feelings without
sounding like I'm flaming irrationally (which, perhaps I am), because that
sort of strong feeling really doesn't describe it. I think it tends more
towards being impressed by the new product, but disappointed and confused at
the direction being taken regarding the 1000.
Bear with me here.
To the point: We (VAXWRK::Praetorius and I) purchased an Amiga 1000 system
back when Omnitek got its very first shipment way back (if "way back" applies
to the computer world) in the fall of '85. We paid full price for a fully
configured system (sans monitor), and since then have been anxiously awaiting
just about anything from CBM.
The software problem was pretty much taken care of to our satisfaction a
few months after we got the machine after we'd finally (with Omnitek's help)
managed to buy a developer's kit. The hardware, however, is a completely
different issue.
The thing that gets me about the hardware is the "fully configured system",
meaning 512K, two drives, period. Between then and Genlock, about the only
hardware upgrades from CBM concerned themselves mainly with IBM PC compatibility
(transformer, sidecar), and not really with the hard core Amiga user. Just
about anyone who's had one of these 512K 2 drive systems for any length of
time has at one point wanted a bit more memory and a bit more disk space.
Getting them from Commodore has been difficult to say the least, as they don't
even really give you a supported way of putting a third floppy drive on the
system.
Now, I understand that the sidecar gives me a partition on an IBM hard disk,
but to get it, I have to pay for an IBM PC that I don't want, and have to pay
for it again in a big hunk of desk space that doesn't seem worth the payback
in what I'm getting. (Granted, it's a good deal if you want IBM PC
compatibility, but I don't).
And, of course, I can get both memory and disk upgrades from the third party
vendors, but that option has me even more scared. First, because we're on
our third iteration of what expansion busses should look like. (First was the
extension of the edge connector, or something like it, second was Zorro, and
now, with the 2000, they've changed the physical dimensions of the Zorro boards,
and according to Amiga World, even moved a couple of signals around). Even
beyond this, if you believe what you read in the ads, there are varying
interpretations of Zorro from vendor to vendor, so you're not even ensured
compatibility.
Even disregarding the expansion bus compatibility issue, looking at the
components themselves isn't really reassuring either. First, you have everyone
and his brother tacking things onto the parallel port (A-Time, Digiview,
Microbotics hard disk, etc). I can see things get to the point where you have
a half dozen little cigarette pack sized widgets glued to your serial port,
all doing something other than what the serial port is usually used for.
Next, you have the people plugging cards right onto the edge connector coming
out the side, some of which "pass the bus", and some that don't. Right off
the top, one that doesn't pass the bus is going to make further upgrades
difficult. And, even the ones that do pass the bus don't guarantee that the
next thing you plug in is going to work. In particular, I've read pretty
scary things about the fanout on those edge connector conductors, that lead
me to believe that anything more than one device may well be exceeding the
design tolerances of the underlying electronics. So, even if I do put an
edge connector memory upgrade on it that does pass the bus, I'm not guaranteed
that a Zorro rack would still operate when plugged into the side of the
memory upgrade.
All the while, virtually all these options are nickel and dimeing the power
pins that you're not supposed to draw any major current off of. Of course,
taken singly, they're probably ok, but once you have a stack of them, I
wouldn't be surprised if things started flaking out down the line.
All of this has left both of us in a state of fear concerning the whole thing.
We'd sort of like to see Commodore straighten the mess out. What we figured
they'd do (sooner or later (and no doubt after all the third party developers
debugged the concept for them)) is come out with an expansion box that would
be in CBM spec (by definition), drawing no more power or fanout than allowed,
and supplying everything else it needs (by way of power) internally. Then,
we'd envisioned a hard disk controller, memory upgrade, and maybe things like
internal clock/modem, another serial or parallel port, etc. Outside the box,
maybe they'd offer a third and fourth floppy drive upgrade.
With these admittedly naive visions dancing in our heads, we pictured a world
in which we'd upgrade our trusty old 1000 system over the next couple of years,
and while there'd be new things coming along, we'd still have room to grow in
our good ol' system. On top of that, once CBM had once and for all nailed down
the proposed standard by selling something that conformed to it (an therefore
implicitly defined what the standard really meant), the third party people
wouldn't be making products that were so divergent, or with so much potential
incompatibility.
So far, none of this has been forthcoming. No memory, no hard disk, no
expansion floppies.
So, along comes the 2000. Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm as pleased as
punch that CBM is actually showing formal continued support for the Amiga line
by introducing two new models that continue the theme, and are compatible (at
least in the software sense) with their predecessors. And, at the same time,
they're introducing two memory upgrades, and a hard disk controller (as well
as other goodies). Assuming the last two items aren't vaporware, I'd be
equally happy about their existance if there was some supported CBM way of
plugging them into our 1000. So far there isn't.
So, I'm a bit disappointed. While I sort of expected those upgrades a year
ago, better late than never. I'm also hoping that they'll come along with
a CBM supported Zorro box that'll take the A2000 boards, but plug into the
A1000, but I'm not getting the sense that they're going to.
And that's really the crux of it: All issues about how pissed off the hardware
developers might be aside, how does the average A1000 owner/user feel about
this? We've been about as loyal as you can be to the Amiga since it was
available to end users, and have faithfully stuck with it. All we've really
wanted all along (and I have told CBM reps in person) is some real hardware
expansion for our machine. The response we get (although not meant to be
personal) is a new machine. We want the upgrades? Pitch the old 1000 (with
virtually no resale value against the 500 on the low end and 2000 on the high
end) and spend another couple grand for an A2000, second floppy and Composit
video converter (since we like to record a couple of things), just to catch
back up to where we started. All this in the name of finally getting the
expandability that we thought we had all along.
I guess I'm not even looking for a CBM supported trade-in policy (although it
would certainly be welcomed). I'd just sort of like to see an official CBM
Zorro box that'll take all those neat memory and disk upgrade cards they just
announced for the 2000. Anyone got any rumors on something like that?
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| Perry Kivolowicz of ASDG has promised that his firm, creators of
the ASDG Mini-Rack and recoverable RAM disk, will provide a Zorro
box with a A1000 footprint (stacks on top, ala Pal) that will allow
one to build their 1000 into a 2000.
Not being a hardware type, or software type (guess that makes me
vaporware?) I don't know how feasibe or desireable ASDG's scheme is.
Re. .10, I personally am pleased as hell about the A500 and A2000,
especially the A500. Some people have predicted that the A500 could
sell a million units. Several messages on the Atari USENET have
predicted the demise of the 1040 ST in the face of the A500. I don't
know if this is really possible, nor do I wish it to happen. But the
mass market version of the Amiga could in many ways be more important
than the A2000. I can see the big software houses' ears perking up at
the clinking of cash register draws. I understand your frustration at
CBM for not leading the way, and for vacillating over the Zorro spec for
so long. But remember, CBM has been half-dead for the past two years.
I think some comparisons with other companies' upgrade policys might
make you feel better. Consider upgrading an Apple ][e into a ][GS
][GS Motherboard..... $500
RGB Monitor..... $500
3.5" Floppy x 2 ... $800
----
$1800
Sure, an upgrade path is available, but at enormous cost. Plus,
at present, the ][GS is virtually incapable of even running ][e
software due to incompatibilities between the GS and e floppy disk
controller cards.
I am not making excuses for CBM, but I think they did the right
thing with the new machines. I don't know what your computing
requirements are, but I personally don't need any Pee Cee software.
If I can buy a fast hard drive for around $700, I will be as happy
as a clam.
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| Re: .14
If you are asking, "Does the 1080 work with the 2000?" The answer is yes.
In fact, the only monitor that has been shown with the 2000 in all the
pictures in the magazines is the 1080 monitor. At the Boston Computer
Society meeting, a 1080 was used when demoing the 2000.
If you are asking, "Is the 1080 the best monitor to get?" The answer is
more complex. The 1080 is not the best monitor, however, it has been
maligned far more than it deserves. Really, the 1080 does not damage your
retina as some over enthusiastic boosters of other monitors would claim.
The 1080 is slightly fuzzy, and does a poor job with interlace output of
mode of the Amiga, but I find it quite serviceable. (I spend many hours
sitting in front of it.) When I bought my Amiga, the package price made
the 1080 so cheap, I couldn't justify the expense ($300 more) of getting a
better monitor. I haven't regretted that decision yet.
However, the only monitor that I have seen that did a good job with interlace
output from the Amiga was a long persistence phosphor monitor. Commodore
has announced two new monitors for the Amiga, and one of the monitors is
a long persistence phosphor monitor for $500, about one-half the price of
such a monitor in the past. That monitor may turn out to be the "best"
monitor for an Amiga, if the persistence is not so long as to cause smearing.
Unfortunately, no one has published pictures of that monitor, and no
shipment dates have been announced. This could mean that there will be
a long delay before you can buy such a monitor.
Visit your local computer stores and look at the displays on a few
color monitors on various computers to get a feel for what is good
display quality and what is poor. Two good monitors to compare with
the 1080 are the ST color monitor and the Sony 1311 monitor with TV
tuner. The 1080 will be in third place, but you can judge by how much.
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