#Amiga User International
31 messages in this thread
Hi, Ben!
I've picked up the January 1993 issue of Amiga User International (another
british magazine), and it is just GREAT! It has ALOT of qualities I wish
the AW had. One thing AUI is not, is boring!
I haven't seen the A1200 or A4000 in person, yet, but AUI did a big spread
on AmigaDOS 3.0 as well as the new Amigas. It was the next best thing to
actually having 3.0 to play with! It had colour pics and details of all of
the enhancements (ie. the new palette requestor) and it left me drooling.
They came to the same conclusions as everyone else in their review,
including the disdain of using IDE instead of SCSI II.
They had Image Master mentioned more than once, including the one-ups over
MorphPlus, which they were reviewing. The reviewer spoke quite favourably
about the prompt updates to IM.
I'd recommend any Amiga user to get a copy, even if the price of the mag
is high. I paid $8.95 Canadian for it.
They also had euro-CBM rumours of an A2000 replacement, the A2200. The
same applied for the A3000, probably would be A3200.
It wasn't flooded with game reviews, even though it did have them. And the
reviews were done VERY well! One of the main articles was entitled, "The
Secretive World of Amiga Development" and another was showing how
brush-mice can be useful to starving animators/artists who can't afford
tablets. Yet another article had great Imagine tips on using the FOG
attribute.
Although it's not a tech mag, it certainly fills the AW niche far better
than AW has been able to do. The mag's sub-header is "The Best Amiga
Magazine". If this issue is any indication, they are correct.
Vance
Vance,
I've read that magazine; I like it too, predictably. I'm afraid that AW
doesn't have the "page budget" to do the depth of reviews that AUI does.
The quality is higher also, for which AW has no excuse, imho, but there is
nothing we can do but hope and wait for improvements.
–Ben
…via AutoPilot
AUI is a pretty good magazine. I almost never read it, though. I know
it's been a long time, and we're supposed to forgive and forget, but I
still remember that they bought TRANSACTOR just so they could kill it.
And that they published several articles of mine in AUI for which they
refused to pay. Of course, that was before they went into the English
equivalent of Chapter 11. I have a letter from an English judge saying
that if, after three more years, they are making any money, they will
consider paying the authors. Some friends are writing for them right now,
and they are having no problem getting paid for current articles, so I
guess they are doing better now.
—Betty
I can understand your concerns; we've (that is, those of us who have
written articles) probably all got horror stories; sometimes the inability
to pay actually is NOT the fault of the mag (or whoever). These things
have a tendancy to trickle down to the last dependant in the chain.
–Ben
…via AutoPilot
What were your articles in AUI on?
Vance
There was a series on the structure of the file system and recovery of bad
disks, and another series on graphics – views and viewports and such. It
was several years ago now – probably about 1988. I cannot recall whether
there were any others.
—Betty
Hi'ya Betty … haven't seen you in ages (my fault; have quit going to any
of the Dallas-area Amiga clubs). I winced when you mentioned "The
Transactor" in a message. I've never figured just how much money I lost
when they went belly-up, but I was a disk-subscribing "Amiga Transactor"
member, and lost way too much. Last year, when "Amiga World" killed its
technical publication (the name escapes me at the moment), and then tried
to have us take BIX memberships instead of paying us our money back … I
wrote them a letter, and specifically mentioned that I was STILL smarting
from my experience with the "Transactor" folding, such that I was VERY
critical of anybody trying to default on their end of a deal (I sent them
money, in exchange I expected to get some certain number of magazines).
Well, to their credit, "Amiga World" did send me a check, paying me for the
magazines that they never published.
Adios for now.
Paul Nix Garland, Texas
Paul,
I was also a disk-subscriber to the Transactor – and I not only lost that.
They had not paid me for quite a few of the articles they printed, too.
But I still love the Transactor and think it was the best magazine we
ever had, unless maybe it was the Amiga Apprentice and Journeyman.
I was also given, supposedly, BIX membership for my AmigaWorld Tech
Journal subscription. Problem is, BIX never gave me any credit for it.
In fact, they charged me even more. When I got bills in the range of $70
each month for about three months running (all the while supposed to be
getting credit for the AWTJ) I just closed my BIX account.
By the way – we'd love to have you come to the meetings again.
I seem to be very good at killing off magazines and losing money in the
process.
—Betty
Betty,
As one who still frequents BIX (and regularly considers leaving), I can
tell you with a clear conscience you're missing almost _nothing_.
The worthwhile activity that goes on over there is totally limited to the
CBM closed areas; vendor accounts see only a tiny fraction of the activity
they do here; and the management of the many isolated areas BIX calls
"conferences" is just terrible. Censorship abounds, as does cliquey
commentary.
The message base lacks the most basic of amenities, such as who a message
is actually addressed to, notification of a public message for you, and
message formatting capability. One thing that particularly bothers me (but
seems to be a matter of taste) is the schiztoid fracturing of the message
base into zillions and zillions of conferences.
One good thing about it – every time I use BIX, I realize just how good
CIS is. :^)
–Ben
…via AutoPilot
I never did read anything except the amiga.cert conference, anyway. And I
agree with your assessment of it entirely. I found it terribly hard to
follow a thread, etc. I can't say that I really miss it at all.
—Betty
You and me both. I dread logging onto BIX (tho I've managed to make the
checking for new SW to test relatively painless (I do it before I wake up
in the morning)).
Yah. You can't tell them anything over there though.
–Ben
…via AutoPilot
Have either of you tried BixShell? It's available for Baud Bandit or VLT.
I have the Baud Bandit version and it makes the process of selecting new
files, sending Email, and getting conference messages rather painless.
//
\X/ John – K7KB (Who enjoys harrasing the vendors)
Vance,
Just to add some further rumors to those supplied by AUI (and these are
*THIN* rumors)…
Log onto the Utilities Unlimited BBS, and they will ask you what kind of
Amiga you have. Choice include A4000, A4000T, A4200, A4200T. Do they
know something we don't, or is it just wishful thinking on their part
(they do a lot of wishful thinking, that ends up on their spec sheets for
their products…:)?
Jonathan, via AutoPilot // Only Amiga makes
\\// it possible…
I figured CBM would make an A4000T, someday. But, an A4200/T? What the
heck could they have in that??
Vance
Vance,
Take this as an uneducated guess. I think that the line-up is going to be
something like this:
4000 series will consist of machines identical to the present 4000. There
will probably be an added machine, the 4000/030.
A 4000t will be the same, but in a tower config.
The 4200 will have SCSI II and a DSP built in or bundled.
The 3200 will be the same, but with an '030.
The 2200 (yeah, really guessing now!) could be the new Toaster
vehicle…how about something like the present 1200, but in an oversized
case, so that the form factor illegal Toaster will fit it.
If the names are wrong, at least that is what I think a new Amiga lineup
will be like. Considering the trend towards modularity, the dealers could
simply mix and match components to make up these different configs.
Jonathan, via AutoPilot // Only Amiga makes
\\// it possible…
Vance,they mention the A4200 in this momths Amazing Amiga Roomer area as a
Possible A4000 with a 030 instead of 040
Peter,
4200 being a cut-down 4000 sounds illogical to me.
Tom / Amiga Imagineer from Switzerland with AutoPilot engaged
Sounds odd to me, also.
Vance
Sounds like CBM to me.
Well, as odd as the numbering scheme may be, it's better to have greater
selection with odd numbers than no selection at all. We'll live. *8>
Vance
Illogical to you and me but Some Folks are using their Amiga's for Hobby
Use and just want to get at the A4000 but don't have the $$$ they Begged
for a 68030 version and it look slike they'll get it.
I think "I" would rather go for a A1200 with a 68030 from Microbotics just
to fiddle with AGA graphics but thats just ME.
Peter,
Getting an A1200 is a good move. A friend of mine has one and has installed
a 60mb hdisk and extra 32bit mem. The mem makes a tremendous difference.
Using the AIBB program suggests that the 'modified' a1200 is almost as fast
as an A3000 (which I have) certainly when running Propage there is just
about a recognisable difference in screen update in favour of the A3000.
So for a quick machine etc with the new chipset the A1200 is a very very
good bet.
Pete from Dorset in Englands West Country – via Whap!
Thanx for the info Pete, you were the gent looking for Steve Worley's book
right? if so ,Email me and we'll discuss the possibility of me selling you
mine.
Vance,
I would also reccomend you read AMIGA SHOPPER, another Britsih mag. This
isn't so colourful as AUI and is not on glossy paper. However, it does not
cover any games, has far more Readers Letters, more techy stuff including
Arexx, C and lots lots more. Generally thought of very highly over here.
Pete from Dorset in Englands West Country – via Whap!
Pete,
I don't think AMIGA SHOPPER is available over here. I get it by mail, but
I have not seen it in any of the stores around here, and my dealer gets
most of the British Amiga magazines.
—Betty
I've purchased Amiga Shopper at a local 'computer superstore' here in
Cleveland.
Pete,
Im just jumping in the middle of the conversation but I know Gene's Books
in the King Of Prussia Plaza (KofP PA) carries almost all of the British
Amiga mags including Amiga shopper!
Dan Barber
Hey! I used to run down to Gene's Books all the time for my monthly
magazine `fix'<G>. The book store in the newer section of the mall also
has a decent selection of mags and even carries Amiga software. Or did.
Now that I'm in Florida, I miss the mall. My wife and I went there
often.
Skip
Betty,
A local book/magazine store here in Minneapolis-St. Paul had Amiga
Shopper last summer, but I haven't seen it for six months or so. It
looked like a good publication.
Darron
I like it.
—Betty