CompuServe Messages

KS >>What is the Communicator, is it the add-ons which turn the CD32 into an A1200? or something else.<< Here is a press release I found on the Internet. ======================================================================== EUREKA Adsteeg 10 6191 PX Beek(L) The Netherlands International: Tel. +31-46370800 Fax. +31-46360188 For immediate release Commodore's CD32 communicates! Eureka delivers low-cost CD32 expansion interface. The Communicator enables CD32 to communicate with other Amiga's. With the Communicator, you can use CD32 as intelligent CDrom drive. Control your CD32 from Scala and start Audio or even Mpeg tracks.* Or View iff aga/pcx/gif and other CD's even on non-aga machines. * needs Mpeg cartridge. Uploading and starting programs on the CD32 is possible making CD32 a powerful stand alone Computer with communication and graphics capacities far better than CD-I! The Communicator plugs in the keyboard plug and doesn't occupy the expansion slot. Intelligent CDrom drive The CD32 is a state of the art dual speed, multi-session drive. With the Communicator up- and download files from amiga to CD32 is achievedwith a speed of upto 115200 baud! Because of intelligent multi-tasking, both the CD32 and amiga can perform other tasks while exchanging data, the internal logic of the communicator takes care of error correction and insures error free data transfer. SCALA, CD32, the Communicator and how they work together. Scala specially wrote a new EX module for Eureka's Communicator. With this EX module and the communicator it is now possible to control both audio CD's and Full motion video CD's (when an MPEG cartridge is installed), starting audio and Mpeg tracks on CD32 from SCALA on the remote machine. This makes CD32 a full blown Mpeg player station for scala. At last full motion video can be played in SCALA by using the Communicator, the CD32 and the Mpeg cartridge. The MIDI interface This popular music interface MIDI is supported. The Communicator comes with high speed MIDI IN/OUT and TRU plug. MIDI can be used from the CD32- or the amiga-side. The Communicator can also be used as stand alone MIDI interface on the amiga or CD32. Popular programs such as Bars&Pipes, Helm, Scala and many more can use Midi to control anything from keyboards upto drum-computers. Connectivity and safety The Communicator connects to the CD32 keyboard plug, leaving the expansionport free for Mpeg cartridges or memory expansion boards and allowing still the keyboard plug being used (ported tru), all circuits are protected against wrong connection and static electricity so you can safely connect and disconnect two machines. Viewing CD disks Now you can view IFF (including AGA), PCX, GIF and other pictures on your CD32 by simply loading the picture CD in your CD32. You can also copy pictures to your Amiga. Viewing aga pictures can be very handy when the connected machine is non-aga such as the A500 and A2000. The Communicator supports also a unique Photo-mode which enables it to display PhotoCD disks. Control CD32's control pad emulates the mouse. The workbench , a terminal program and Scala backgrounds are available on the CD. Spare room of the CD is filled with spectacular PD software. The Communicator package contains: 1 Communicator hardware with MIDI/Serial/keyboard plug. 1 Communicator CD crowded with the Communicator program, utilities and PD software. 1 Amiga disk for installing the amiga side and manual in English/German and Dutch. Eureka's Communicator has 1 year warranty. Retail price will be around 250 DM including taxes. Available by the end of february 1994. Eureka company backgrounds Eureka, based in Beek(L) near Maastricht, the Netherlands. Was founded in 1989. In 1992 Eureka started developing hardware products for the amiga. It's first product was the Eurocomp, a broadcast quality composiet and Y/C video encoder. After some custom hardware projects for the Dutch government, Eureka decided to concentrate fully on designing products for the Amiga market. Further products are the Afterburner 50mhz 68030 turbo for the A4000/A3000 and a Photoviewer for CD32. ================================================================== Ron. – ap'ing with AP. (Eagles may fly, but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines.)