Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    
    Gee, I heard that it would be announced at the World of Amiga in
    NYC on Friday.  This made me decide to attend.  Could it be a
    co-announcement?  Did I hear wrong?
    
    DMC

    No, I also heard (from a CBM announcement released to USENET - which
    I believe is in this notefile somewhere) that it will be at the
    NYC show.

    There's a press conference today here in the US.  Stay tuned for more
    information.  This is actually good news about Commodore.  Remember
    when the A2000 was introduced in Germany some time before the US
    introduction, and Commodore behaved like us Yankees ought not to know
    anything?
    
    BTW, could the author of the base note please retitle the note to
    something more specific?  I suggest separate notes for sightings/
    price/availability as opposed to discussion of A3000 features and
    performance. (That's two notes, not multitudes.)
    
    Wes

How about a note (vote note) on who will be the first DEC Amigaphile to
get an A3000?

I nominate Ed Acciardi

john

    
    I also suggest that we start passing the hat to make .4 come true.
    Please send all your extra money to me at NKS1-1/E3.
    
    Ed

	I just wanna know, when can I upgrade my A2000 & for how much.. :-)

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         EXPECTED SHIP DATE: JULY 1990
 
 
       COMMODORE EXTENDS POPULAR AMIGA PRODUCT LINE;
    INTRODUCES TALENTED AMIGA 3000 AT "MULTIMEDIA LIVE"
 
 
NEW YORK, NY -- April 24, 1990 -- Commodore Business
Machines President Harold Copperman and his aggressive
management team today dramatically defined multimedia as the
company introduced the latest in its popular line of Amiga
personal computers at a live multimedia demonstration at the
Palladium.  The powerful and elegant new Amiga (R) 3000
brings enhanced performance capabilities and a new 
AmigaDOS (TM) 2.0 operating system to the company's line of
multimedia products.
 
 
"The 3000 marks the first step in Commodore's new Amiga
product marketing strategy and reinforces our serious bid to
capture greater market share within the business, government
and higher education markets," said Commodore Vice President
of Marketing C. Lloyd Mahaffey.  "We've delivered an
incredibly competitive hardware system featuring lower cost,
higher performance and added communications capabilities."
 
Mahaffey said key product features include a 16 or 25 Mhz,
68030  Motorola processor, a 68881 or 68882 math coprocessor,
a true 32-bit architecture, 2 MB of memory standard (with an
address space of over one gigabyte) and, as in all Amigas,
true multitasking capability.  The standard Amiga 3000 comes
with a 40 MB hard drive and a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive and
features a SCSI interface for added communication capability.
Commodore also offers a 100 MB configuration.
 
 
Suggested retail price is $3,299 for the 16 Mhz version,
$3,999 for the 25 Mhz version and $4,499 for the 100 MB
version. Shipments are expected to begin in July.
Demonstration units are available at participating
Authorized Commodore Amiga Reseller locations.
 
 
Commodore Director of Product Marketing Walt Simpson said
the price/performance of the A3000 results from the
effective integration of the Amiga's three custom chips with
five new custom gate arrays which serve a variety of
functions including bus arbitration, RAM memory handling,
SCSI device handling and video enhancing.
 
 
The Amiga 3000 also features a new operating system,
AmigaDOS 2.0, which significantly enhances the look and
functionality of the platform, Simpson said.  Besides the
new look, standards have been created for all system 
utilities, icons, requesters and gadgets to permit
ease-of-use by both users and programmers, he said.
 
In addition, Commodore announced the inclusion of the
AREXX (TM) interprocess communication protocol and
programming language.  The integration of AREXX into the
AmigaDOS operating system will facilitate the control of
external programs from within any application supporting
AREXX, Simpson said.  This feature, coupled with Commodore's
new AmigaVision (TM) authoring system, creates a powerful
multitasking environment for the creation of multimedia
presentations.
 
 
Along with the A3000 announcement, Commodore introduced a
number of strategic software and peripheral products,
including:
 
 
*     AmigaVision authoring system;
 
*     Networking products providing connectivity with Arcnet,
      Novell (R) NetWare, Ethernet, TCP/IP and NFS standards;
 
*     Monitors, including 2024 high resolution monochrome and
      1950 color multiscan; and
 
*     Commodore Amiga 10 Stereo Audio Compact Speakers.
 
 
 
Commodore further announced an AmigaDOS 2.0 enhancer kit for
A2000 series machines to be available in September.
Availability of a 2.0 enhancer kit for A500 series machines
will be announced at a future date.
 
 
Commodore Business Machines, Inc., based in West Chester,
Pa., markets a complete line of personal computers and
peripherals for the business, education, government and 
consumer markets.
 
 
The multitasking Amiga (R) line includes the Commodore Amiga
2000 (TM), the Commodore Amiga 500 (TM) and two enhanced
products:   the Commodore Amiga 2000HD (TM) and the Commodore
Amiga 2500/30 (TM).  Commodore's line of MS-DOS
(R)-compatible computers includes the Select Edition (TM)
and Professional Series III (TM).
 
 
For more information on the Amiga 3000, contact Walt
Simpson, director of product marketing, Commodore Business
Machines, 1200 Wilson Drive, West Chester, PA  19380 or
call 215-431-9100.
 
 
			   # # #
 
-- 
--
Ken Farinsky - CATS - (215) 431-9421 - Commodore Business Machines
uucp: ...{uunet,rutgers}!cbmvax!ken
bix:  kfarinsky

From: [email protected] (Ken Farinsky - CATS)
Subject: Press Release:  AmigaVision (TM)
Date: 24 Apr 90 17:05:54 GMT
Lines: 96
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           EXPECTED SHIP DATE: MAY 1990
 
  COMMODORE UNVEILS NEW AMIGAVISION (TM) AUTHORING SYSTEM;
  INNOVATIVE TOOL PROVIDES KEY TO MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS
 
NEW YORK, NY -- April 24, 1990 -- Commodore Business
Machines President Harold Copperman today strengthened the
company's leadership position in the multimedia market by
introducing powerful multimedia authoring software.  The new
system can be used to create innovative applications ranging
from complex business presentations to daily courseware.
 
 
Commodore Vice President of Marketing C. Lloyd Mahaffey said
the new software system, called AmigaVision (TM),
significantly expands the multimedia market by providing an
easy-to-use and affordable method for business, education,
government and consumer users to develop new applications by
creatively combining graphics, text, video and audio
components.  Shipping is expected to begin in May.
 
 
The announcement was made as part of a live multimedia
presentation at the Palladium.  The company also introduced
the latest in its Amiga (R) family of personal computers,
the Amiga 3000, and a full line of networking products.
 
 
Previously the domain of programmer-level professional
users, multimedia can now be a tool for creative teachers,
presentation professionals, computer-based trainers,
instruction specialists as well as exhibit and display
professionals.  AmigaVision does not require previous
programming experience and is operable through an intuitive
user interface.
 
 
Mahaffey said the Amiga is the only computer that was
originally designed as a multimedia class machine.
"AmigaVision is a significant development in multimedia,"
said Tim Bajarin, vice president of Creative Strategies
International, a Santa Clara, California-based research firm,
and publisher of MULTIMEDIA COMPUTING AND PRESENTATIONS.
 
"With today's round of announcements, Commodore is 
positioned to make a major play for personal computer sales
within this growing market."
 
 
David Archambault, director of business markets, said
AmigaVision takes full advantage of the Amiga's built-in
graphics, video and music capabilities.  The system used the
Amiga's native multitasking capability to allow users to run
programs simultaneously.  Unlike other authoring systems,
AmigaVision is a non-intrusive environment which allows 
applications to run without the AmigaVision menus being
visible, he said.  Enhanced design capabilities allow for
immediate on-screen preview while the presentation program
is running.  This allows the user to create unique user
interface elements quickly and with ease.
 
 
AmigaVision provides a flow-chart type iconic interface
programming environment featuring a single control
screen/menu.  The Amiga operating system's AREXX (TM)
communications protocol support allows applications to
interact with programs on the same or other networked
machines.
 
 
The system will be bundled with all Amiga 2000 and 3000
series machines.  For existing owners, AmigaVision is 
available at Authorized Commodore Amiga Resellers for a
suggested retail price of $149.
 
 
Mahaffey said AmigaVision is a key component of Commodore's
product marketing strategy for the Amiga family.  While
professional users comprise the majority of multimedia-
related markets today, future plans call for penetration
into the consumer market as home users begin to discover the
benefits of multimedia.
 
 
For more information on AmigaVision (TM), contact David
Archambault, director of business markets, Commodore
Business Machines, 1200 Wilson Drive, West Chester, PA  19380
or call 215-431-9100.
 
			######
-- 
--
Ken Farinsky - CATS - (215) 431-9421 - Commodore Business Machines
uucp: ...{uunet,rutgers}!cbmvax!ken
bix:  kfarinsky

From: [email protected] (Ken Farinsky - CATS)
Subject: Press Release:  Networking
Date: 24 Apr 90 17:06:43 GMT
Lines: 135
 
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   	EXPECTED SHIP DATE: JUNE 1990
 
 
      COMMODORE ADDS EXTENSIVE NETWORKING CAPABILITIES
      ANNOUNCES PLANS TO EXPAND GROWING AMIGA MARKETS
 
 
NEW YORK, NY -- April 24, 1990 -- Commodore Business Machines
President Harold Copperman today introduced a wide variety of
networking capabilities for the company's popular line of Amiga
personal computers during a spectacular multimedia presentation
at the Palladium.  The company also unveiled the newest
addition to the Amiga family, the Amiga 3000, and a new
multimedia authoring system called AmigaVision (TM).
 
 
Commodore Vice President of Marketing C. Lloyd Mahaffey said
the announcements are a key component in Commodore's strategy
to significantly penetrate the business, higher education and
government markets.  He said today's introduction marks the
first time Commodore has marketed Amiga networking products.
Shipping is expected to begin in June.
 
 
"Adding networking capabilities to the Amiga has been a
priority since our team joined Commodore last spring," Mahaffey
said.  "We're convinced that this added capability will greatly
enhance the appeal of the Amiga in an office or campus 
environment and increase our competitiveness in the U.S. 
market."
 
Networking products introduced today include the following:
 
 
The A2065 -- Ethernet Network Adaptor
 
The Amiga Ethernet Network Adaptor runs at 10 megabits per
second and provides full ANSI 802.3 type Ethernet protocols
over both thick and thin Ethernet connections.  The
networking product gives Amiga users access to the widely
installed Ethernet networking standard.
 
 
Suggested retail price is $349.
 
 
The A2060 Arcnet Network Adaptor:
 
The Arcnet Network Adaptor, now available for the Amiga,
provides full Arcnet bus protocols over Arcnet bus topology
networks.  The 2.5 Mbps Arcnet Network Adaptor supports up
to 256 nodes and features a socket for optional autoboot
ROM.  It also provides buffered memory to enhance
inter-system communications.
 
 
Suggested retail price for the A2060 is $229.
 
 
The AS220 -- Amiga Client for Novell (R) NetWare
 
 
With Commodore's introduction of the Amiga Client for
NetWare, the Amiga now has the capability of utilizing
Commodore's A2060 adaptor to communicate with Novell
Networks running Novell NetWare Version 2.15 or higher.  The
software features password security and provides the user
with two interfaces: a text-oriented interface or the Amiga
mouse-based interface.  Users can utilize the Amiga's
multitasking feature to simultaneously run other programs
under AmigaDOS and/or the MS-DOS with Amiga Bridgeboard (TM)
options.
 
 
Suggested retail price is $149.
 
 
TCP/IP and NFS Software:
 
TCP/IP and NFS software provide the Amiga with connectivity
to DoD and other networks which support either of these
standard packet-switching protocols.  This new software for
the Amiga will provide users with access to the widely
installed far-reaching communications networks employing the
TCP/IP standard.
 
 
Several developers for the Amiga are already supporting
TCP/IP and/or NFS for their networking software products.
These include the X-Window System (TM) from GfxBase and
TSSnet from Syndesis.
 
 
Suggested retail price for the TCP/IP and NFS software 
is $199.
 
 
 
Other networking solutions currently available for the Amiga
platform include:
 
 
DECnet.  TSSnet (Thursby Software Systems), an Amiga
implementation of DECnet (Digital Network Architecture), is
available from Syndesis Corporation.
 
 
X-Window System.  The X-Window System, available from
GfxBase, enables computers to run applications on other
machines while displaying the program's output and
interfacing with the program from their Amiga system.
 
 
Peer-to-Peer Network.  A peer-to-peer network, manufactured
by UK-based Hydra Systems, provides communication
capabilities for Amigas sharing hard and floppy disk drives
serial ports (printers, modems, etc.).
 
 
For more information on Commodore networking capabilities,
contact Walt Simpson, director of product marketing,
Commodore Business Machines, 1200 Wilson Drive, West
Chester, PA  19380 or call 215-431-9100.
 
 
                            ###
 
 
-- 
--
Ken Farinsky - CATS - (215) 431-9421 - Commodore Business Machines
uucp: ...{uunet,rutgers}!cbmvax!ken
bix:  kfarinsky

    The announcement in .7 predicts September for the AmigaDOS upgrade for
    the A2000.  I suspect it will be closer to Christmas.
        John Sauter

    
    A couple things:
    
    The Novell client mentions support for the Arcnet card, but doesn't
    say anything about the Ethernet card.
    
    Real nice slam of Hypercard with the mention of a non-intrusive
    authoring system.
    
    Should make for interesting times as CBM pushes for multimedia.  I did
    notice that no mention was made of an add-on graphics board of any kind.
    Maybe multimedia doesn't need 256 colors out of 256,000 or more :-(
    
    I was suprised to see the Amiga 10 Stereo Speakers, but I guess they
    couldn't convince a multisync vendor to make a CBM stereo version.
    I wonder if they come in Amiga2000 beige... :-)
    
    -Dave                 

COMMODORE KICKS OFF WHICH? WITH THE LAUNCH
OF ITS 68030-BASED AMIGA 3000

Commodore International Ltd took the limelight at the Which
Computer? Show, which opened at Birmingham's National Exhibition
Centre yesterday and closes on April 27, with worldwide launch
of its 16MHz 68030-based Amiga 3000. The bad news is that the
machine is at present offered only with AmigaDOS - Commodore is
waiting to get System V.4 ready before offering  Unix. The
machine comes with 68881 maths  co-processor and the new release
of the  operating system is accompanied by the  AmigaVision
authoring system for creating  icon-driven multimedia
applications - which  will also be offered under Unix. Best news
 is that the base model with 1Mb of "chip  RAM" and 1Mb of fast
RAM, plus the screen  and a 40Mb SCSI disk is just #2,500,
#3,300  with 100Mb disk. More Which? news on back

    Re: *
    
    Well, since yesterday I'm cleared of my non-disclosure agreement
    regarding the A3000. This doesn't mean that I can talk about Workbench
    2.0 (yes, the marketroids named it 2.0 after all). The manuals for
    the A3000 and 2.0 look pretty slick and professional.
    The tech specs given elsewhere are correct, feel free to ask me
    more.
    
    BTW, regarding the way I as an commercial developer (and all other
    european developer were informed and kept up to date, that is not
    at all) has pretty much pissed me off.
    If the phone call I'll be doing now to CBM Germany doesn't result
    in a free A3000 (due to other reasons than those mentioned above
    ;-), feel free to ask me question about anything...
    Oh, that would mean Ed wouldn't be the first kid on the block with
    the new, can't do that, can I???
    
    <CB>                         
    
    P.S.
    Dave & Dennis Brannon, I'm missing ya folks in the DECnet-Amiga
    conference... ;-)
    
    

    
    OK, <CB>, What't the real story on pallette/resolution?  With all this
    chip memory and 4X the bandwidth, why isn't the display up to at least
    VGA standards?  Or is it?
    
    I have a hunch that Sheldon Leemon and other wags have been right all
    along; the system software is so inextricably tied to the current
    hardware that it would be almost impossible to radically change the
    display format.
    
    Frankly, I'd be very disappointed if a 1990 68030 design was limited to
    4096 colors....
    
    Ed.

    Re: .12
    
    Ed, you're confusing available memory paths with _available_ display
    hardware. Right now, there's no chipset that will do 32bit memory
    access and thus have the bandwith to do the things you want.
    
    You're stuck to ECS and the display enhancer for _now_.
    
    I won't comment OS questions...                      
    
    <CB>
    

    
    Actually, from the press release, there was nothing to indicate the
    release of a faster, 32 bit custom chipset.  Earlier rumors indicated
    that this was a possibility.  The rumors were clearly in error.
    
    Still, I'm disappointed.  I haven't checked out Mac IIci prices lately,
    but I suspect that the A3000 is in that ballpark.  The built-in
    deinterlacing fixes the (IMHO) most glaring flaw in all Amigas, but I
    would really have liked an OS supported increase in colors.
    
    If you believe the press releases, even the Atari TT will support 8
    planes of color, albeit from a meager pallett of 4096.  This means that
    the Amiga, once at the cutting edge of display technology, has slid all
    the way top the bottom of the pile.  Sad.
    
    Ed.

Yes, the A3000 doesn't  reach vga standards. On the other hand, it's
better than what anyone else provides as a builtin, with the possible
exception of the latest PS/2's. Keeping to the same common denominator is
a win no matter what else goes on - that's the easy way to get applications
on the machine.

I've heard from the CBM people that the problem with new modes isn't the
software - ECS sort of proves that. The problem is bandwidth through the
custom chips. Remember, the A3000 still has the A1000 Paula in it. Because
of this, you can't push many more bits/screen to the screen than the current
modes support - at least not through the custom chips.

The bottom line for all this is that to provide VGA quality graphics,
you have to provide new grahics hardware. This will add to the price, and
for a facility that not that many people need (remember, most people buy
machines to solve a problem, not to brag about how much grahpics it has),
and thus hurt sales. Hopefully, CBM will provide an upgraded A3000 with
a spiffy graphics card (A3500? A3000/GPX?, A3000/VGA?) for those people
who think such is worth paying for. This would be in line with what other
manufacturers are doing.

As an aside on prices, the A3000 is $3300-$4500. In that price range, I've been
told that you can get a Mac ][c? if you've got an educational discount, but
still need to buy a keyboard and video card (and monitor to match the video
card, but same applies to the Amiga) before it's useable. In other words,
the A3000 is going to be a win for many people pricewise, if it solves the
problem.

Oh yeah - and even without the fancy graphics modes, the Amiga (any flavor)
is still the best low-priced option for animation & NTSC graphics.

	<mike

    Looking at the mother board, I assume that expansion boards are
    mounted horizontally (in a fashion similar to the small footprint
    386SXZ machines). If this is true does it rule out the use of
    hardcards? I know the 3000 has a built-in scsi, but for the sake
    of adding another internal 3.5" device, can a card-mounted drive
    be added?
    

Three page ad in the Wall Street Journal, April 25, 1990, pp. A7-A9

[FIRST PAGE]

	In the 60's, it was data processing.
	   In the 70's, word processing.
	 In the 80's, desk-top publishing.

		What of the 90's?

[SECOND PAGE]

[Photo of Amiga 3000 system.  On screen,]
"AmigaVision Authoring System"

[Left hand window]
"Learning to Dance"

Storyboard with icons and descriptions

[Right hand window]
Image of modern dancer

[Across bottom of screen]
Row of icons, "Screen, Sound, Speak, Video, Anim," etc.

[THIRD PAGE]
[Icons scattered through the text]

		IN THE 90'S, IT WILL BE MULTIMEDIA.

		 	COMMODORE UNVEILS THE 
		AMIGA (r) 3000 AND AMIGAVISION (tm).

  Sometimes, computer buzzwords live up to their hype and even rise above
it and become watchwords.
  Over the last three decades, we've seen three such examples.  We're
about to see another: multimedia.
  In the next few years, we've all been told, multimedia will make
everyone in business or government a great presenter, everyone in job
training an effective teacher, and everyone everywhere a great
communicator.  The only caveat is whether multimedia can be achieved on
a "... _reasonably priced personal computer with an easy-to-use
authoring system_."
  Remove that caveat and multimedia is real.  Remove that caveat and,
when you have something to get across, when you have to persuade
somebody of something, when you want to bring an abstract idea closer to
reality, you'll have all the tools of communication (video, animation,
graphics, color, sound) at your disposal, not just text or rudimentary
cave-wall drawings that pass for high-powered presentations today.
  Of course, that is precisely the breakthrough of the Amiga line of
computers (3000, 2500, 2000HD, 2000 and 500) and its new authoring
system called AmigaVision.
  See those icons on the monitor and on this page?  Their sheer
simplicity and clarity make everyone a creative computer user at a star
level.  And they make those familiar with keyboards, mice and software,
creators at the superstar level.
  You build a presentation by pointing, clicking, dragging and ordering
those icons around with your mouse.  You pump in video from a videodisc
player or VCR.  You call up paint, graphics, titling, animation
software.  The choice of software is gargantuan: with more than a
million Amigas out there, the best software developers have created more
than 1,500 Amiga programs, not to mention all the MS-DOS (r) software
than can also run on an Amiga [with BridgeBoard hardware].
  Don't forget, too, that multitasking is one of the distinguishing
elements of Amiga technology.  You can always run multiple programs
simultaneously.  For your presentation, that can mean sound and motion
at the _same time_.  Or, as we said before, multimedia that is really
multi media.
  Results are mind-boggling.  Tens of thousands of dollars of
studio-time for ad agency presentations are reduced to a few cents of
electric current.  Interactive video tutorials for the Defense
Department and EPA are brought right in line with the Gramm-Rudman
balanced budget bill.  3-D scientific simulations with up to 4,096
colors on the screen at once can be done by a university physics
department on a computer that costs less than one that only does 2-D
with two colors.
  The design of the computer and monitor itself: the Amiga 3000 has a
decidedly small footprint.  Its heart is the Motorola 68030 32-bit
processor.  Its legs, its astonishing speed, come from having dedicated
graphics and math co-processors, and, in all, _eight_ custom chips.  Its
mind is the new AmigaDos 2.0 operating system.  Its soul, though, is the
indefinable combination of sound, color, graphics, speech, and ease of
use that puts Amiga in a different category of computers: the computer
for the _creative_ mind.
  One more thing: the call to action.  Call 1-800-627-9595, and we'll
make sure you get the name and address of the authorized Amiga dealer
nearest you.  One who can demonstrate for you all the advantages that
the Amiga has over its competition, advantages that immediately become
yours once you become an Amiga owner.

AMIGA.  THE COMPUTER FOR THE CREATIVE MIND.
			[Commodore logo]

    [Wall Street Journal, April 25, 1990, page B4, reproduced without
    permission]

COMMODORE OFFERS NEW MULTIMEDIA AMIGA COMPUTER

by Paul B. Carroll

  NEW YORK -- Commodore International Ltd. introduced an Amiga personal
computer that gives it a solid entry in the fast-growing market for
machines using multimedia technology. 
  "Multimedia" has become the latest buzzword in the personal-computer
industry because improvements in handling sound, pictures and video seem
to open the way for new uses for computers at a time when growth in
personal-computer demand is slowing.  Proponents argue that multimedia
systems will soon be used widely by corporate trainers, schools and
anyone making a formal presentation. 
  Commodore, based in West Chester, Pa., has been struggling for the past
year and is staking its future on the multimedia computer market.  It
hopes to ride the demand for multimedia systems and get into corporate
accounts, much the way Apple Computer Inc. used its Macintosh's aptitude
for desktop publishing to solidify its position in corporate America. 
  It won't be easy.  Commodore still needs to persuade more big dealers to
carry the Amiga line.  But dealers, facing the welter of products
available, are trying to reduce the number of companies whose products
they carry.  Commodore faces a similar hurdle with corporate customers
trying to simplify their computer systems; Amiga software won't run on
Macintosh or IBM-compatible machines. 
  In general, Commodore needs to re-establish its credibility.  It has had
losses in recent quarters and personal computer sales are down, even in
West Germany, its strongest market.  Reflecting these problems,
Commodore's stock has tumbled 60% in the past year.  In New York Stock
Exchange composite trading yesterday, Commodore shares closed at $7.25,
down 25 cents. 
  The machine announced at a news conference here yesterday stacks up
nicely against the competition.  The Amiga 3000 uses Motorola Corp.'s
[sic] powerful 68030 central processor as well as some customized [sic]
chips that speed the handling of graphics and sound.  The 3000 also
comes with a so-called authoring system that makes it rather easy to
pull together a multimedia presentation. 
  "This machine is state-of-the-art," said Nick Arnett, a consultant with
Multimedia Computing Corp., Santa Clara, Calif. 
  With suggested retail prices of $3,299 to $4,499 - depending on the
speed of the processor and the size of the hard disk - the Amiga 3000
line also costs thousands of dollars less than some competing systems. 
  Harry Copperman, who has been running Commodore's U.S. operations for
the past year, said the company is making progress in its target
markets: education, government and corporations, mainly for use by
trainers.  He said existing models of the Amiga line now account for
more than 50% of sales. 
  "This turnaround is a journey, not an event," he cautioned.  But he
added: "Overall, we've been very pleased."

    
    Look on the bright side, CBM actually announced a new high end system
    and a major release of the OS.
    
    No more guessing what it will be.  And it really puts the pressure on
    CBM to improve the number of colors, since that is most obvious flaw to an
    ibmpc VGA user.
    
    Hopefully this is the start of a series of announcements...
    
    Sure beats reading about the potential wonders of the TT :-)
    
    -Dave
    

    Re: .16
    
    There are three 3.5" mount bays in the A3000. If you don't want
    a 2nd internal floppy, you're free to put a hard disk there. I also
    see no reason, why a sufficiently slim hardcard shouldn't be mountable
    in the A3000 slots.
    
    <CB>
    

    re:.20
    
    how about reasons like gravity or cooling?  :-)
    
    Is it just me, or does it seem strange others too, that the ultimate in
    multimedia computers (the A3000) has no composite out (not monochrome
    or color).
    
    -Dave

RE:21

>   Is it just me, or does it seem strange others too, that the ultimate in
>   multimedia computers (the A3000) has no composite out (not monochrome
>   or color).

Dave, I think it's you ;-) The composite color adapter is the
recommended solution to composite out. It is not very expensive...

	-SES

Re: .21

Gravity? 
Nah, the way the cards are held there don't make gravity a problem.

Heat?
Well, maybe. Depends on your drive (Rodime's tend to get _HOT_) and the 
position where you mount it.

Composite video?
Wanna know the codename for the A3000 at CBM? It's 2500-CR, where the CR 
stands for Cost-Reduced...

<CB>

    re: .23    2500-CR hmmm...  
    
    I figured the lack of composite video was due to the theory that "real
    computers don't have video out" since that might imply they could be
    hooked to a TV set just like a video game (Or a multimedia workstation :-))
    
    It was that or they went cheap (sorry, I meant cost reduced :-)).
    
    -Dave

Is everyone in this conference a hardware person?

I've done a lot of Amiga graphics programming and I'm absolutely certain
the Amiga O.S. is designed to allow for additional bitplanes.

The graphics routines require the programmer to specify how many bitplanes
are needed when creating a screen (also called a viewport).  All the
drawing routines use a RastPort structure and know what bitplanes
to draw to.

I don't believe that the O.S. is the problem with adding additional bit-planes.

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Someone said that the A3000 does quite have VGA quality graphics.  But, I 
think that person was only considering the number of colors.   What about
other important factors, like bandwidth between CPU and display memory.
Can VGA cards do animation and double buffering like the Amiga?  (I really
have no idea, but the VGA demos I've seen are colorful but SLOW moving.
Correct me if I'm wrong.  But doesn't a VGA card have its own display
memory on the board?  Yuck!)

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Re: .25

>I've done a lot of Amiga graphics programming and I'm absolutely certain
>the Amiga O.S. is designed to allow for additional bitplanes.

I agree.  I think that AmigaDOS will quite nicely evolve to higher
resolution, deeper color palettes, and more colors on screen.  The
only problem is that the current graphics routines assume that you
have something that looks like the Amiga chipset to talk to.  The
problem is that there currently isn't anything like the Amiga chipset
that does higher resolution, deeper color palettes, and more colors
on screen.

The current software is flexible enough to handle 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or
6 bit planes.  It's flexible enough to handle almost any resolution
below 700 pixels across and less than 600 scan lines.  AmigaDOS 2.0
supports the Viking/Hedley monitor that has a very alien way
of doing things (four normal screens combined by a frame buffer
into a 1008 by 800 screen).

I find it hard to believe that the software will fail to handle
7, 8, 9, ... bitplanes, or higher resolutions, or whatever as
they come along.  It's had to handle so many general cases
already.

I do remember finding some data structures that assume that
there are no more that 16 bitplanes: I think it was the plane
pick fields in Intuition data structures.  This is a problem
because the high end these days is 24 bitplane color.

By the way, the Mac really has this screwed up.  They have "32" bit
color that is really only 24 bit color.  Each pixel is represented
by a 32 bit word, but only three bytes of the word are used as the
color value.   The other byte is ignored.  Thus, they pay a 33%
memory bandwidth cost for their color encoding.  Apple calls their
graphics 32 bit quickdraw (a sneaky way of implying it supports 32 bit
color).  It's sort of like multifinder being described as multitasking...
almost true, but not completely.

>Correct me if I'm wrong.  But doesn't a VGA card have its own display
>memory on the board?  Yuck!

You are right.  Clones and Macs have their own version of "chip"
memory, but they call it display memory, and it is on the graphics
board, and is usually only big enough for one screenful.  Page
flipping can't be supported.