#CU Amiga June
18 messages in this thread
>>Secondly, the Amiga 1200 CD drive. After months of speculation there it
was, in prototype form, at last. My position on the add-on is that we have
to work towards a fair price. It can't support MPEG and I think this will
be a disappointment for some people unless we price it right.<<
There now a cheap way to connect a CD32 to your Amiga. It's called the
communicator and costs about $150. If you want more info let me know.
PMFJI but C= are very relectant to release such a add-on for the 1200, mainly,
they say, because it is not FMV compatable. Could the real reason behind it be
because C= are planning a new Amiga possibly called the 1400.
The 1400 would be a 1200 without the numerical pad and with a CD drive moulded
in on the left hand side. And of course would be FMV compatable.
This would solve all problems with slight incompatability problems and FMV in
one. Could this possibly be true??? – it would explain a few things!!
—–Richard Daniel
>> PMFJI but C= are very relectant to release such a add-on for the 1200,
mainly, they
>> say, because it is not FMV compatable. Could the real reason behind it be
because C=
>> are planning a new Amiga possibly called the 1400.
Where have you been?
C= is in liquidation in the Bahamian courts, and unless whomever gets the
rights to the technology sees fit to continue the Amiga line, there won't be
1200 add on's let alone a 1400.
Ever wonder why C= had such a hard time responding to market demand?
Ever since the introduction of the CDTV, owners havve been screaming for CD Rom
add-on's. They only one C= ever introduced was for the 500, and that was after
they had stopped production of the 500. And some continue to wonder why C=
died.
Yes fair enough, but I`m talking more about the UK and European operation. They
are still operating, but probably do not have the resources to develop such a
machine. I am also talking about if a possible takeover or whatever happens,
the possible 1400 might then become a reality.
Also before C= in USA went into liquidation they may have had the 1400 on their
drawing boards, being investigated or maybe even towards the prototype stage,
(howver this is unlikely).
As a result if a takeover ever takes place a 1400 or some such machine could be
produced.
—–Richard Daniel
Richard,
Do you belive everything you read in Amiga format? 😉
As messages here point out CBM, are out of business, not just in the
states, but WORLDWIDE.
The onwing body of _ALL_ Commodore companies CIL (as far as we can tell)
has gone into liquidation. This means that all it's assets and
subsiduaries belong to the creditors, they cannot trade any longer.
The only chance for reprieve we have is that someone (Samsung are the most
likely according to the rumor mill) buys the rights and/or the technology
and can carry on the Amiga we all love (or not) and cherrish (or not).
The major stumbling block in our understanding is how C= Germany/Canad and
UK are still trading.
According to my sources, C= UK went bust two weeks ago last friday, but I
have been unable to check this although the source is fairly reliable.
So unfortunately an A1400 is unlikely for the forseable future 🙁 even if
one were to appear tomorrow, it would take far more than a CD based A1200
to save the amiga, we need a big selling machine to interest the games
developers again, to pull them back from developing for the PC and Mac (if
you've seen any games for them recently, you'll know what I mean)
This is not meant as a flaming (I subscribe to Amiga Format and read it
every month) but a more rational view of the current situation. Also
remember that the magazine goes to print around two to three weeks before
it hits the shelves…
Kevin 68030/40 A1200…
On AutoPilot from Surrey in the UK
Kevin,
Commodore UK are still trading – they did not go bust two weeks ago as you say.
How do I know? They have just (this week) put together a CD32 gold disk for
me. The people there are also very upbeat about the future. I hope this is a
good sign for the future.
Mal
I agree totally with you.
However, after all the ifs, and buts the 1400 would make some sence, wouldn`t
it?
—-Richard Daniel
Richard,
It would certainly be a step in the right direction, however I don't feel
a big enough one for the longterm.
What the industry needs is another C64 or A500 to win the hearts of three
classes;
1) The buying public (most important)
2) The software developers (won't happen without no. 1)
3) The press (not essential but will help both 1 and 2)
If we get this, then the Amiga may continue as an ongoing concern however
to meet all three above would probraly mean significantly changing the
Amiga from the machine we know and love today…
Kevin 68030/40 A1200…
On AutoPilot from Surrey in the UK
Kevin,
The Amiga as it stands is good enough to win over the people you mention – it
just needs proper marketing
Mal
Kevin,
Hmmm… I think I am going to disagree.
Your point about "What the industry needs is another C64 or A500 to win
the hearts of three classes…" makes me wonder a couple of things.
1. Can we really recapture rapture? Commodore spent it's dying breath
attempting to re-create the C64. If you think about it the C64 is a once
in a industry's lifetime product. How many products can you think of
since the C64 that would qualify as the success of the C64 as fast as the
C64 became popular? You can't say PC or Mac. The sales figures had a
steady and slow growth through many different generations of product.
What the C64 did was send Commodore down the road to the fast buck and the
quarterly vision. If Commodore had focused on the long term, things would
have been different.
Commodore had three things going for them that caused the C64 boom.
1. The TIME was RIGHT.
2. Power without the price
3. State of the Art Technology
The people who use computers today are not the same type of people who
were looking at computers in the early 80s. The fascination in most cases
is gone… computers are not considered a utility item or game system.
The "age" of the home computer has grown up. The people are better
educated and it takes a million times more now to impress someone than it
did in 1985 or before.
On to point #2. 🙂
The corporate structure of Commodore kept the second from ever happening
again. Not sure you know this, but did you know that in order for a
direct Commodore dealer to get a product he had to place an order with
Commodore Business Machines (Commodore US). Commodore US, who had
purchased inventory from Commodore International, added their profit
margin on top of the margin Commodore International made on each box. By
the time the dealer adds his 20-30% you have an expensive product on your
hands. Dealers had no way to keep the price down. Commodore was
'cashing' in. It was fun while it lasted eh?
Commodore should have taken the lead that it had with the Amiga back in
1985 and immediately start work on the next generation of the product. I
am not talking A500/A2000 either. I think A500/A2000 should have been
produced, but not two years after the introduction of the A1000.
I guess what I am saying is that the mistake the Medhi Ali made in trying
to force Commodore into the the repeat of the 64 days is the mistake you
are making. The best way to stay in business is to understand the
business you are in. This is something Commodore never did understand.
Now before someone out there says that I am negative about the Amiga.
Please understand me. I am only negative about Commodore. It is my
deepest wish that the Amiga survives Commodore. I think there is a good
chance that the Amiga once again will prove to be the unpredictable force
if it survives Commodore.
How many computer systems survive the death of the manufacturer?
-mark=
Otto Pilot Engaged..
clapclapclapclapclapclap – very well thought out post – too damn bad it's
the truth, though…
Garry Nelson
(Still waiting for the resurrection)
The only problem with that Kevin is that there are now too many hardware
producers out there, all with very impressive machines. Too many people buy too
many different machines for a new C64 or A500. It would be fairly hard to
produce such a machine today, however this is probably the goal of all the
hardware producers.
—Richard Daniel
What could be an interesting sidebar. I saw a SAMSUNG ad for a variety of
electronic devices ON TV!!!! Yow!
Sorry
Wot? Another Amiga? 1000, 500, 2000, 500+, 600, 2500, 3000, 1200, 4000,
don't you think they should try to sell a couple of these things? I bet
there are more different Amiga-models then sold Amiga's last year… 😉
-MaRiO- -= Intel inside! (…my washing machine) =-
It`s very very doubtful.
—Richard Daniel
>> Wot? Another Amiga? 1000, 500, 2000, 500+, 600, 2500, 3000, 1200, 4000,
>> don't you think they should try to sell a couple of these things? I bet
>> there are more different Amiga-models then sold Amiga's last year… 😉
Ouch! The truth hurts! <grin>
What a wicked sense of humor you have. 😉
My vote is for an AMIGA 4321 or maybe a AMIGA 1234.
:: How's my DRIVING – 100036,174 – ON AUTOPILOT ::
:: WES TATTERS, BRIZ 31, AUSTRALIA ::
Richard,
The 1400 sounds interesting, however, I really doubt if it has the marketing
power to stick around. Besides, it wouldn't cost that much more to add it to
the existing low cost version of the A4000, the A4000/030CR.
Regards,
John Chang
Technical Support Manager
Scala, Inc.