#Commodore Comeback!
29 messages in this thread
From OLT:
AMIGA STARS IN COMMODORE COMEBACK
(Nov. 20)
Commodore International Limited seems to be on the comeback trail. Financial
results for the computer manufacturer's most recent quarter show a 70 percent
improvement in net income over the same period last year.
Commodore's chairman and CEO, Irving Gould, said that much of the increase
could be attributed to the Amiga line of computers. Gould was especially
effusive about the Commodore Amiga 500. The recently released computer is
being marketed in the United States through the use of videotapes. Prospective
buyers can go to any Commodore dealer and bring home a 15-minute videotape
presentation that has been given high marks for persuasiveness.
Currently, the Amiga nameplate is on three of the company's computers. A
number of Commodore sources say that the count will become four soon after the
new year begins. Sales volumes have increased dramatically for Amigas and the
company hopes that the trend continues when rumored, high-end models are
released.
Online Today sources report that the three Amiga models now being sold by
dealers recently topped the 350,000 mark. Commodore projects sales of an
additional 150,000 by January.
–James Moran
4 Amigas??? huh???
4 Amigas. That's interesting! Perhaps we have a 68020 machine coming. Perhaps I
should not invest in an Amiga 2000 at this time.
We don't need a 4th Amiga for a 68020. Marlene
Marlene, considering some of Dave Haynie's ramblings and this little item, it's
time to warm up your CBM hate letter!
Ted
hehe, not that again – Marlene
Ted,
May I ask why? I don't follow your logic.
Rick
Rick, old buddy – old pal, I think you're a neat person and a good sysop but I
really can't take you up on this one. Let's just say that fears and suspicions
I've had for some time are being constantly proven true by unfolding events.
The sysop staff and I are quite opposed on opinions such as this one and the
public debate proves costly and unproductive.
[Of course, if you were to bug me on this with EasyPlex, I would probably
answer just to annoy you further!]
Ted
<One eyebrow raised> Eh? Neither you nor the debate on the C/A letter
"annoyed" me; in fact I didn't even get _involved_ in that whole thing.
<Shrug> I'm not interested in nudging you into this discussion if you don't
want to have it. I asked simply because your comment led me to believe that
you hold some sort of argument with both Dave's comments in CO and C/A's
announcement. Since I don't, I was curious as to what you saw that I missed.
Let's just drop the issue, then.
Rick
We must be on different wavelengths. You really misssed that last message by a
mile. "Annoy" as in "I'm not giving you the answer but if you work for it, I
will give you an answer which I know you will not agree with anyway and thus be
annoyed." Marlene got the point of the comment. I really must refrain from
commenting further on these subjects as there seems to be a fog of euphoria in
this forum and simple comments on obvious facts cause bewilderment.
Ted
Yes, we do, Marlene (Much as I hate to say it) because the 2000 is an
inadequite design for a 32 bit processor… it's just a 1000 that has slots, as
I've been saying all along. –Ben–
Marlene, I am not talking about a faster Amiga 500-1000. More like the
difference between a Mac SE and a Mac II. The Amiga 2000 is no revolutionary
advance in the technology.
Regards,
Marc Baime
Marlene,
Well…that's what it says….I didn't write it, I just posted it. I
presume this is the rumored 32bit machine….but I would be surprised if it was
right after the start of the year.
Don
ARRGGGGGHHHHHH! I haven't even finished paying off the loan from my A1000.
Wouldn't you know that this would be the one time that CBM would get a product
out the door before we even blinked our eyes.
Marlene
Gee Whiz, the statement was Amiga logo on Four Machines. That could be
satisfied by sticking a checkmark on the C=64.
Let us not leap to conclusions.
Though I'd prefer a Mac II killer in the $6,000 range.
Checkmark Thom? I've only seen a checkmark on one machine. Marlene
Ahhhrg! Rumored high-end models! !4! computers! Ahhhhrg! <tearing at hair,
picturing expansion cards that only attach underneath the computer, via a 137
pin bus and requiring a solar power supply>
Ben,
I don't know…I saw Hazy's statements so wasn't surprised at the
mention of a newer model. What I was a bit surprised at was the
timing….shortly after the first of the year with no hot and heavy rumors
about the beast?
Perhaps what is really going to happen is something like an
announcement during Winter CES or Spring COMDEX of a probably machine. Or, an
A2000 with an included '020 card or a new 1000…one with Amiga only internal
slots, no bridge slots.
I'll wait and see…I'm not sorry I got the 2000…but will be furious
if they change Zorro again!
Don
If they change Zooro again (and they had better, if this is a 32 bit machine,
unless, as you say, it's just a machine with the 020 card) they had better have
fire insurance…. <grin> –Ben–
"If they change Zorro again (and they had better, if this is a 32 bit
machine…)"
Why had they "better"? Nothing wrong with defining another set of connectors
over there <pointing beyond the Zorro bus) and keeping Zorro, is there? Sorta
like an AT bus. That way, Zorro doesn't change, you could run a 16 bit card in
a 32 bit machine 16 bits wide, and so on.
If you wanted to get really tacky, you could go Sphere-ish and run a ribbon
across the top of the 32 bit boards.
But no, I can't see why they'd "better" change Zorro for 32 bits. What am I
missing?
Rick
No, you're quite correct, and I've even said that myself… bus extension or a
cable… it's just that you need 32 bits, right? that means a _change_, right?
Well, what have the idiots over at cbm done EVERY time there was a change?
(Zorro I, Zorro II, A1000, A500, B2000) ? They changed, incompatibly, the
busses physical and/or electrical and/or autoconfig definition. Egendering
endless admiration from developers each time. Sphere, huh? You old 6800 hacker,
you! Anyway, sure it could be done compatibly — what makes you think they know
what the word means? And I know they did a great job of software compatibility,
before we go through that… but it doesn't make the hardware any better.
–Ben–
Hehe… I truly thought the Sphere remark would go completely unnoticed by
everyone. Hey, I've still got my SYS330, complete with a semi-de-oceaned video
board, if you're interested? For nostalgia's sake? 8)
Rick
Ben,
Adding 32bit without changing Zorro is (should be) a piece of cake.
Just add a 2nd slot (like the XT vs AT slots on the A2000) for the other 16
address/data lines. That way, any proposed 32 bit machine could use either
card, while the A2000 could continue to be compatible with any new 16 bit
cards. That is, unless there is something inherently in the 100 pin slots
design that would prevent a 32 bit card from using a 2nd slot. I presume there
is a slot-filled detect on the present slots, adding logic to check for a 2nd
slot-filled detect doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. But then,
remember, I'm not a hardware person…might be way off base. What do you
think?
Don
p.s. I thought that was what Hazy was talking about when he said he made the
current round of changes to the Zorro slot…so that future 32 bit cards would
have compatability on the 1st 100 pins.
Don
"is… (should be)" yeah, that's the ticket! Well, I'm not ready to put any
faith in this particular unknown. If Hazy's aware of the issues, and has
control or significant influence, then What The Heck Happened To The 500 And
2000 ??? <flames still twitching from flamethrower muzzle, glaring in the
general direction of CBM with glances at my {obsolete} A1000> –Ben–
Ben,
You'll have to re-aim at Hazy and/or CBM…I presume (sometimes a bad
idea) that the form factor change was to match MS-DOS cards…so both types of
cards could be used in the machine. As to the extension bus on the A500 vs the
A1000….I thought it was a dumb idea myself…I know why they said it was done
(to have the drive on the right side where most folks would be able to use it
right-handed)
And finaly…the pinout changes were to make it compatible with
proposed 32 bit machines. If the present system allows the A2000 form of Zorro
to "last for a long time", then the changes needed to be done and were logical.
If they change it again….they've cut their own throats. I suppose my biggest
question would be why wasn't it designed properly in the first place (A1000)
when the set the Zorro standard….surely they were aware of the existance of
the '020 and that in the relatively near future, it would be as cheap as (or
close anyway) a 68000.
Don
Ben, I don't know about you but I've put my poison pen back in its holder and
my trusty 40 pound sledge is sitting on the table next to my monitor!
Ted
Don-
One thing that blew my mind was the the almost non-existent news on CBM's
`020 card that
was shown at the last COMDEX. It features a capacity of 2-megs of on-board
RAM, unlike the CSA cards. For the 2000, it should be released "real soon
now".
Tim
Tim,
That situation is mainly due to CBM not "announcing" either the '020 board or
the monochrome hi res display. They were shown as engineering prototypes with
no expected date of release, or for that matter, no statement that they would
even be released. Methinks they are getting a little tired of the flak they
take for preannouncements and perceived delays.
Regards, Larry.
YEEEEEEEEE HAH!!!!
<ahem>