Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!ubc-cs!cheddar.cc.ubc.ca!panon
From: panon@cheddar.cc.ubc.ca (Paul-Andre Panon)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Non-Zorro slots in the Amiga 3000
Message-ID: <5906@ubc-cs.UUCP>
Date: 7 Dec 89 08:32:28 GMT
Sender: news@cs.ubc.ca
Reply-To: panon@cheddar.cc.ubc.ca (Paul-Andre Panon)
Distribution: na
Organization: UBC Computing Centre, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Lines: 36
Keywords: 3000 slots
Summary: 3000 probably means no [PC|Nubus|*] slots


  Ho, I could be wrong but I don't see how they could fit PC or Nubus slots in
an A3000 in a way similar to the way it's done on the A2000 and still have
it fit on a desktop (i.e. have a reasonable footprint). I would expect the
Zorro III slots in the machine have AT LEAST 24 more pins/lines to support, so
that 32 data and 32 address lines can be accessible by all peripherals. That
doesn't include any additional lines Commodore engineers may have decided would
be useful since the Zorro II specs. were hashed out for the A2000. If they add
the lines on (at one end or another) a la AT bus, form factor problems develop
using existing bridgeboard designs.

I guess there's also the question of whether Commodore feels the PC
compatability will be an asset in the A3000's preferred market.  The A2000
needed PC compatability because of a small software base. With the A3000 aimed
at the high-end-Amiga/low-end-UNIX market, PC Compatability wouldn't be as high
an issue/priority as when C= was trying to break the business market with the
A2000.

Finally, there's board space. I'd much rather see Commodore incorporate the
A2091 drive controller and more 32-bit RAM on the motherboard of the A3000
for a lower overall system cost (I assume that would be the case since that
was the argument presented for the built-in keyboard on the A500). The machine
could also probably be reduced to a MacIIcx-like footprint or have more room
for internal hard-disk expansion if that approach were used. Of course, having
a2091-equivalent on the motherboard would mean there would be one more slot
available for additional uses.

So, yeah, IBM compatability is nice - but I think the A3000 would gain a lot
more by NOT having it. People who want/need IBM compatability could probably
still get an A2500/30 or some similar beast and slap a bridgeboard in it.

--
      Paul-Andre_Panon@cheddar.cc.ubc.ca      or      USERPAP1@UBCMTSG 
or    Paul-Andre_Panon@undergrad.cs.ubc.ca    or      USERPAP1@mtsg.ubc.ca
"What should the role of the University be? It should be to enlighten Society."
  -Luis Sobrino