#CEI's plans
64 messages in this thread
Martin –
That's a direct quote from Alex's dealer presentation at NAB. He also indicated
that they would begin producing the following:
A1200 $ 399 A4000/030 $1989 A4000/040 2199 A4000/T 2199 CD32
399
ALL THE ABOVE PRICES ARE SRP AND NOT FIRM, ONLY ESTIMATES PROVIDED.
Hank
Videology, Inc Where service is our business with
P.O.M.P. under all circumstances
Hank-
Those prices don't seem to make sense. Why is the 4000/030 only $210 cheaper
than the 040 version? Its CPU is surface mounted, as I recall, not on a CPU
card. And why is the tower the same price as the desktop? That's even
stranger. I hope Alex changes them. I mean at this point, if they could get
it cheap enough, they might do better to just sell 040 towers and 030 1200s
with some FAST RAM–and their belly slot free.
Mr. Zombie
Paul –
Hello. Could be, but these were his best guesses at the moment and stressed
that they were not firm. Since they were bidding on the Escom contract, not the
one they had originally proposed, he would have to see how it all settlees out
before plans are firm.
Hank
Videology, Inc Where service is our business with
P.O.M.P. under all circumstances
Hank,
Thanks for providing the source of your info.
<<A4000/040 2199 A4000/T 2199>>
Is this a typo? Seems odd that the Tower has the same pricepoint as the
standard model.
Cheers, Marty
ProActive Images Inc.
"WE BECOME WHAT WE THINK ABOUT ALL DAY LONG" – RW EMERSON
Martin –
These were my notes at the meeting, but Alex can do what ever he wants when the
contract is signed and he knows all the players.
Hank
Videology, Inc Where service is our business with
P.O.M.P. under all circumstances
When? Also did ya here that Centaur wants to attend the bidding?
TP
I think that would scare me, personally.
// Christian – AP 1.80
\X/ Only Amiga Makes It Possible
I can't imagine them having the resources. At least I hope they don't.
Mr. Zombie
Alex has said that he has progressed as far as possible without a signed
contract, in preparation for production. With signed contract, he will turn the
key, if he is the one to sign the contract.
Since the bidding is open to all, I wouldn't be surprised that who ever wins
the bid, begins immediately aligning with the other bidders to distribute the
challenge. As it appears, the winner of the bid isn't so much bidding for
Commodore, but the right to control how Commodore is marketed and managed in
the future. There are some major differences in management styles amoung the
bidders, and they all seem to want different parts.
Hank
Videology, Inc Where service is our business with
P.O.M.P. under all circumstances
In case you missed it, Creative Computers 'Mac Superstore' had a public stock
offering advertised in the LA Times the other day. They own Centaur. I'd be
surprised if the DON'T have the means. $5million is small change.
Oh krud, I didn't know about their parent company. 🙁
Mr. Zombie
Hi Dan –
Are you saying Creative Computers may want to buy Commodore also. That would
make four major players, what with C=UK, Escom, and CEI already in there.
Interesting.
Hank
Videology, Inc Where service is our business with
P.O.M.P. under all circumstances
I haven't heard any recent rumblings about Creative buying CBM but there were
some such rumors back a while. I hate the rumors. I'm waiting for the results
of the CBM fiasco to be published in the Wall STreet Journal, I expect sometime
in late 1999.
Hi Dan –
You may not have to wait that long. The auction is today and hopefully, someone
will be making Amigas tomorrow.
Hank
Videology, Inc Where service is our business with
P.O.M.P. under all circumstances
Thanks to all….if Anyone has ANY info please post ASAP….
TP
I predict an end to the CBM mess not later than Dec 31, 1999. Surely they can
finish off the Amiga by the end of the Century. End of the Millenium, too, for
that matter …
And we can all sing "Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot…"
Mr. Zombie
But before of after Windows 95? <ggg>
Isn't the end of the century and millenium December 31, 2000?
-Richard
You'd think Kubrick and Clarke would have communicated that by now… <g>
Mr. Zombie
Well, maybe it's better kept secret. Think how effective it would be on those
anxiously awaiting the anouncement of the fate of Commodore's assets on
December 31, 1999 to be told on that day that it's going to be one more year!
-Richard
Jeesh, there's always one in the crowd who insists on being correct.
<grin> You are, of course, absolutely right.
Or at least you would have been, except for the little known fact that
there was a year zero. Unfortunately there is no zero in Roman numerals,
so it didn't appear on any tablets. Only through dilligent research, was
it determined that there was a year zero. It seems there have been found
some writings with no dates. Since the Romans were incapable of dating
anything with the year zero, these writings must have been made during
that year.
(And if you believe that, you'd also believe that CEI, and the UK had the
financial backing to relaunch the Amiga in a style it deserved.)
Scientific studies have given worry in recent years about the effects of cow
belches and termite flatulence on the environment.
What about all the gas and hot air from Alex at CEI?? Huh?
Scientific studies have shown that the gas and hot air from Alex Amor and
David Pleasance, have proven harmful to people with substantial sums of
money. Dutifully following the Surgeon Generals guidelines, these people
(to the amazement of the health department), have _ALL_ followed the
recommendations, and are avoiding these two guys like the plague.
While, at least the issue is changed, if not settled, I don't see ESCOM
having the right stuff, to relaunch the Amiga. They may stick them in
their stores, but to really go out and agressively market the machine, and
instill the necessary confidence to draw developers, I don't see that
there.
They may well have some factory in China build the machines. (Hopefully
the quality will be reasonable. China is just starting to get into the
higher tech manufacturing business.) But I don't see them doing much past
shipping cut rate boxes till the market dissapears completely. Certainly
I don't see them making NewTek feel comfy enough about the Amiga, to
continue development in that direction. (IMHO continued NewTek support is
vital to any long term survival hopes. While we aren't all Video workers,
I'm not, I believe that this is the core market that will allow the Amiga
to survive, and keep things going for the rest of us who use the machine
for other purposes.)
Yeah, the 21st century starts on January 1, 2001. December 31, 1999 at
2400 hours is when all the computer software in the world breaks. 🙂
-Jim
MOS via Autopilot & Amiga
Sorry. The artist formerly known as Prince called it when he wrote "1999".
DJ
Autopilot 1.80 by Steve Ahlstrom
From Queens, Center of the Looniverse …
Aha, the Amiga 2001 … great marketing thingy.
DJ
Autopilot 1.80 by Steve Ahlstrom
From Queens, Center of the Looniverse …
> not later than Dec 31, 1999. Surely they can finish off the Amiga by the
> end of the Century. End of the Millenium, too, for that matter …
What century? The twentieth AD? What millenium? The second AD?
They both end a year later, on 31 December, 2000.
jsaklad@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot
This is to everyone really. Creative Computers is dumping all their remaining
Amiga stock and leaving Amiga for MacIntosh & soon PC clones.
if that's true we lost the biggest dealer in the country.
Creative has been a mail order house for the PC and MAC for many years now. If
they are leaving the Amiga, it is probably because they aren't selling much and
there is no justification to carry any inventory.
-Jonathan
MAC Quadra/486PC compatible courtesy Amiga, Emplant and BB. Emplant beta
tester. Running AP v1.80. E-mail: JonathanB@delrina.com
http://www.delrina.com
My condolences to the Mac community <g>
jqk
jqk
<dodgin' the potholes on the ISH>
In case nobody noticed, last week in an LA Times newspaper business section I
saw an ad for Creative Computers 'Mac Superstore' public stock offering for
$17/share. Don't remember which brokerage house was the underwriter.
Tks! Maybe then the Video Processor will ship…..
TP
Tell Alex not to bother with releasing the A4000/040 at the $2199 price
point unless he A) adds burst mode so the damn thing runs at a decent 040
speed, or B) has a built in warp engine 28mhz as a CPU daughtercard
replacement. The machine is too slow and designed too badly to maintain a
price point anything over $1500 (if that) IMHO.
Grant Boucher
1 of 2 Supervising Animators :} – Star Trek: Voyager – Amblin Imaging
.. and let it have a built-in flicker fixer so I can connect any decent monitor
to the damn machine.
Michael Nicolaisen (Intel outside)
Greetings from Germany
AMEN to that!!! That was a real bone-headed move they pulled, dropping the
de-interlacer from the 3000 to the 4000.
Mr. Zombie
Mr. Zombie,
See my reply to Grant Boucher's original complaint. Long live the 3000!
Tony
Grant,
>> Tell Alex not to bother with releasing the A4000/040 at the $2199 price
>> point unless he A) adds burst mode so the damn thing runs at a decent 040
>> speed, or B) has a built in warp engine 28mhz as a CPU daughtercard
>> replacement. The machine is too slow and designed too badly to maintain a
>> price point anything over $1500 (if that) IMHO.
Well, that settles it then. CEI should bring back the 3000 enhanced with AGA
and an '060! (And if, perchance, they could let the motherboards be sold
separately… <g>)
BTW, looks like another great Trek series. Do you guys have anything to do with
the transporter effect? I'd like to see them bring back the sparklies. Adds
visual spice.
Tony
Why not an AGA board for the 2000 with all the available slots and also AGA or
super AGA, or whatever.
….Via Autopilot and Gforce 040/33. //
…Only Amiga makes it possible \\/
Kenton,
Not enough installed A2000 systems to justify the engineering and manufacturing
costs to make the motherboard. Then you have to install the thing. Too many
headaches. Its easier to sell an A4000T to an A2000 owner than it is to
upgrade. Probably less expensive too.
Regards,
John Chang
What about an AGA card, (much like my 2meg SVGA in one of my four 16-bit PC
slots) that would simply fit in a Zorro slot. I have more graphics capability
with my 486/50mhz BBoard than with my A2000. Seems ironic to me that no one
ever came up with the idea. I would really not be to complicated. I only paid
$140 when I bought my Boca Vram card with a 300 mips Risc processor onboard. I
get about 17-18 frames per second which is fine for my purposes. A zorro-II
video card with my Gforce card would work just fine.
….Via Autopilot and Gforce 040/33. //
…Only Amiga makes it possible \\/
John,
All it takes is a good (like '060 maybe..) accellerator card with a header for
a dedicated ribbon cable to an AGA card or AGA dughercard plug in and no
motherboard re-engineering needs to be done.
Re the A2000 market: you may be surprised to learn that almost all professional
video houses I've been in that still use Amigas have Amiga 2000's.
wmc – via Autopilot!
Wayne,
Maybe there is a third-party licensee who may be interested in taking up the
project you propose. However, I believe it is going to be a lot harder to
develop than most of us think. I still don't think there is enough base of
A2000s to justify development, marketing and support of such a product. My
opinion, though. ;-}
Regards,
John Chang
John, and Wayne..
I think someone should take advantage of the 'economies of scale' in the
clone market and make a gizmo that would run an off-the-shelf VLbus or PCI
bus video card from the A2000 accellerator.
-Jim
MOS via Autopilot & Amiga
Now you are talking about creating a local bus, or processor direct bus
for the accelerator cards.
Once again you are faced with creating cards for a limited market, and now
in addition you are going to have to creat the software glue to allow the
Amiga to utilize this new bus, and then retarget the Amiga graphics to
this new card.
I think you'd find it cheaper to just make the cards, as they are being
made now. Which is probably one reason why things are being done the way
the are. If it was significantly cheaper to patch a VGA display into the
Amiga environment, somebody would have done it, just to try to get maket
share with a lower price.
Well, it was just a thought. It seemed to me that it would be cheaper to
just build the bus interconnect than the whole display card. Let the clone
card maker do the hard work. I've heard of people running VGA cards in an
Amiga using the Golden Gate board – not the BB clone, the one that
connects the Zorro and ISA slots directly. The Local Bus cards ought to be
faster.
If it's too difficult to retrofit the current Amiga's I think the new
owners should consider it for their future plans… (assuming they exist,
and have plans that include R&D)
-Jim
MOS via Autopilot & Amiga
<<Well, that settles it then. CEI should bring back the 3000 enhanced with
>>AGA and an '060! (And if, perchance, they could let the motherboards be
>>sold separately… <g>)
But in a 4000 housing, we need a 5 1/4 bay, remember ?!;-)
Lieven Lema
…on AutoPilot from Belgium
We created the Anamorphic lens flares which they use now in every Voyager
transporter effect.
Grant
Grant Boucher
1 of 2 Supervising Animators :} – Star Trek: Voyager – Amblin Imaging
Hi Grant –
Maybe Alex will tune in here, if he wins Commodore, and fill us in on his plans
in detail. We'll have to wait until Thursday or Friday.
Hank
Videology, Inc Where service is our business with
P.O.M.P. under all circumstances
I knew Alex a long time ago when I was selling Amigas in Florida…if and
when he becomes the new Amiga chairperson, I will be GLAD to offer
whatever advice I can…the same advice I offered Mehdi Ali just before he
started selling off the store.
Grant
Grant Boucher
1 of 2 Supervising Animators :} – Star Trek: Voyager – Amblin Imaging
That's rather eliptical. Is this advice that Mehdi didn't take and Alex will,
or are you saying that Alex is just as bad, or am I just dumb, or some
combination of the above, or something else? <G>
Mr. Zombie
I meant to say Medhi is an idiot and I wish the best of luck to Alex if he
wins. If he wants advice, I would be happy to offer it to him…Sorry if
I was a bit too subtle :}
Grant
Grant Boucher
1 of 2 Supervising Animators :} – Star Trek: Voyager – Amblin Imaging
As CEI didn't even bid, it will take some doing for them to win.
I find it totally ironice that both of the people who had to be the _ONE_
to control the Amiga's destiny, wound up not makeing a bid.
For many months we've heard those two blowhards hammer away at each other.
In the end, neither made the $1M deposit to make a bid. Let alone show
pockets deep enough to relaunch the platform.
Has the fat lady sung? I believe we have not only heard her sing, she is
already headed off stage for the cast party.
The Amiga was a wonderful, yet frustrating 9 year ride for me. I doubt we
ever see such an ahead of its time machine again. I'll always remember
the first time I saw an Amiga, and was blown away by the graphics. Looks
like all we will have is memories from now on.
Grant,
Henry said CEI would sell the A4000 at $2,199? What, pray tell, is the price
of an A4000T, Henry?
Anyway, I have to agree with you Grant on enhancing the motherboard with the
Warp Engine, I assume a CD-ROM (Double or Quad Speed) will also be included? I
think "Multimedia Now" configurations and custom configurations should be made
available to Dealers. This may include RAM and hard drive configurations,
peripheral installations and other equipment.
Regards,
John Chang
Actually, if it's $2200 list, that should bring a street price of under $1800,
n'est ce pas?
DJ
Autopilot 1.80 by Steve Ahlstrom
From Queens, Center of the Looniverse …
$1500.00 US would still be excessive, IMHO. Heck, I can get a P60 here in
Canada for $1500 Canadian!
Trent/ReAnimators
Grant,
Don't worry. Alex lost his financing according to someone I spoke to who was
originally his backer, but pulled out at the end of Feb. Based on the
converstation I had with this gentleman in NYC last week, it seems that the
only part of the Amiga technology that may survive is CD-32 and that mainly as
a set-top box.
but in case, as my source put it, his fairy god-mother does intervene and he
miraculously gets the money, add SCSI on the motherboard to that list.
wmc – via Autopilot!
Sorry to hear about the financing falling out. He was a good choice for
US distributor…
Grant
Grant Boucher
1 of 2 Supervising Animators :} – Star Trek: Voyager – Amblin Imaging
The 1200 and CD32 seem priced reasonably. However, the 4000 030 seems a
tad overpriced. There are 90 Mhz pentiums with large hard drives, and 8
megs of ram in that price range.
I love my Amiga, but we'll still have a hard time convincing folks to go
Amiga with prices like that, especially when you also consider the current
software availability situation.
Were the 4000 030 around 999, it would be a lot easier to sell. There are
DX4 100 486's in the local stores with CD Roms for $1700.
– Alex…. Still Whap!'n after all these years
I'm sure we'll know all the REAL plans as soon as someone forks over some money
and get rollin'.
Hank
Videology, Inc Where service is our business with
P.O.M.P. under all circumstances
It seems plent of folks are ready to fork over cash just some buttheads dont
want it??