Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!ginosko!uunet!ingr!phil
From: phil@ingr.com (Phil Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Ami Fantasy Wishlist
Message-ID: <6223@ingr.com>
Date: 23 Aug 89 16:43:49 GMT
References: <6203@ingr.com> <7728@cbmvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: phil@ingr.UUCP (Phil Johnson)
Organization: Intergraph Corp. Huntsville, Al
Lines: 90

In article <7728@cbmvax.UUCP> daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes:

-------- FANTASY deleted ------------

>goodies, you'd have a $30,000 workstation.

 This platform shouldn't cost more than $29,995.00   8-)

 Really maybe in the range of $10k - $20k depending on the amount of installed
 memory.

>The only place hardwired IDs have
>worked is in similar places like Apollo machines in the same price range, so I
>guess this fantasy is at least self-consistent.  Of course, the OS will be UNIX,

 Hardwired IDs have been used for a while.  The first one I worked with was on
 a PDP-11/05 system in 1976.  The second was an MC6809-based energy management
 system I designed in 1980.  The ID circuit added about a $1.20 to the design 
 cost.  The circuit consisted of a jumper header (of wiring the ID) and a 
 register.  The ID could be displayed by typing ?ID?.  Software polled a 
 memory location to verify the hardware and software IDs matched.  It is a 
 rather inexpensive scheme to provide software developers an non-intrusive 
 means of copy protection and peace of mind.

>You have to start thinking Workstation.  Most if not all PC tools aren't out
>for workstations.  Something like Interleaf is what I'd expect here, maybe.

  Interleaf is as (IF not more) expensive than Illustrator and I would call
  the high-end ATs, and MACs workstations (low-end, but workstations just the
  same).

>>                          How about a world class 2D/3D drafting package like
>>                          Microstation, AutoCAD, or GenericCAD.  Again this
>>                          would legitimize the Amiga as a CAD system.
>
>Again, you're not on a PC.  None of these PC folks are likely to port their
>software to an Amiga workstation any more than they'll port it to a Sun or 
>Apollo.  There just aren't enough Sun/Apollos compared to the number of '286
>or '386 boxes for these guys to worry about it.

  Microstation and AutoCAD are available on little blue boxes and MACs
  (Microstation is on large, excellent workstations -- HINT, HINT guess who I
  work for!) 8-)).  AutoCAD is available on DEC and Sun workstations.

  Also, there is a company in Austin, TX that generates 3D AutoCAD files on the
  AT side of their Amigas, then translates them to the Ami side for rendering.
  I don't remember the company name. They had an article in MicroCAD 
  magazine several months ago that described the advantages of being able to
  render a 3D object and work on a new design at the same time.  If there
  was the incentive lead by Commodore we might see this type of product on
  the Amiga.  If these companies aren't catered to and shown that the Amiga is
  a vaiable platform they will not go looking on their own.

>I'd like to see Mentor
>Graphics folks get interested in such a box.  Not that I could afford $1000
>a year or whatever for it, but I couldn't afford this machine, either.  You'll
>see AutoCAD on one of the 1/2 million or more Amiga PCs sold each year long
>before you'll see it on one of the 10,000 Amiga Workstations you'd sell each
>year (if it WAS accepted as an alternative to Sun, Apollo, Hp, Sony, etc. See
>the NeXT experiment for details).

  I agree completely, but the only because the has been no Commodore (read 
  management, not Tech) support for cultivating the main stream companies.

>
>I certainly hope the Amiga moves forward; probably more than most of you --
>if they don't want new technology, I'm out of a job.  But try to keep a grip
>on just what kind of machines we're building here.  I don't really want to
>build anything that's not affordable, at least in base-model form, by the
>same folks buying high-end PClones.  Though it's certainly NICE to be compared
>with expensive workstation machines.
>

   I think with the new management you are pretty secure.

   Apple started small, but is considered as one of the comers in low-end
   workstations.  I don't mean to suggest that reasonable price Amigas should
   go away, but rather cover the spectrum of capabilities.
   
   Hey! I own an Amiga and not a Clipper workstation. ( funny how economics 
   works!)  8-)

  Anyway-
   If you can't REALLY go wild in a fantasy, then ????? 8-) 8-) 8-)
 

-- 
Philip E. Johnson                    UUCP:  usenet!ingr!b3!sys_7a!phil
MY words,                           VOICE:  (205) 772-2497
MY opinion!