Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!sun!pepper!cmcmanis
From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Future directions???
Keywords: Amiga future
Message-ID: <109826@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 13 Jun 89 21:19:48 GMT
References: <3920@sugar.hackercorp.com>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 45

In article <3920@sugar.hackercorp.com> (Joe Crowe) writes:
>   When, oh when, will CBM come out with an Amiga based on an 030 or
>an 040 running at a clock rate of say 50MHz and with Unix and Amigados
>running concurrently. 

You answer your own question ...

> It would be a chance to really kick some major
>butt but the window of opportunity will be narrow because workstations
>running at 20 VAX MIPs for under $9,000 are right around the corner

Your right, everyone from Sun to DEC to IBM have killer hardware coming
down the pike, not only that but every third startup in this area seems
bent on providing "that killer desktop UNIX box." Don't expect it from
Commodore though. Commodore lives on the trailing edge of technology, 
that is their market, and it works well. Wait for everyone to move on 
to '486s and '040s and pick up some good deals on 030's or 386's. 

> (no, I'm not referring to the wimpy DG Aviion (SP) which maybe runs
> five VAX MIPs).  I really like my A1000 but it has real limitations 
> (like expensive hard disks and limited capacity).  So get with the 
> program lads.  I need a real upgrade path here....

Those limitations are called "cost tradeoffs" in the design. Ever seen
the price of a workstation addon hard disk? Can you say $3000? Sure
you can get a cheap 20Meg disk for an IBM PC, but have you ever seen
the bus architecture up close and personal ? We're talking butt ugly
when it comes to performance, especially in a multitasking environment.

Ever wonder what would happen if you tried to use those cheap PC peripherals
on a decent multitasking system? Go buy a Hpollo DN3000. Watch it zip, hit
the bus, and then craaaaaawwwwwwwlll along. IBM made the right choice when
they dumped the AT bus in favor of the MCA. Ever price a MCA Hard disk?

Don't hold your breath laddy, the workstation you are looking for won't
come from the likes of Commodore or Atari, they are set up for it. Heck
with a moniterm and a 2500 they have almost invented a Sun 3/50 with slots.
But if you check carefully you will see the 3/50 costs less when comparably
equipped and it runs faster. Maybe you should see if you can get Carl to
port Exec to the Sun machines?

--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
"A most excellent barbarian ... Genghis Kahn!"