Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!psuvax1!psuvm!auvm!giampal
From: GIAMPAL@auvm.auvm.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: New computer?
Message-ID: <90287.004711GIAMPAL@auvm.auvm.edu>
Date: 14 Oct 90 04:47:11 GMT
References: <33336@nigel.ee.udel.edu> <10931@hubcap.clemson.edu>
Organization: The American University - University Computing Center
Lines: 53

O.k. to end any b.s. and confusion, here is the OFFICIAL brochure that
Interactive Media Systems puts out (as of about 1 month ago, doubt the specs
would/will change much).

CPU 15 Mhz Signetics 68070 with DMA (basically a 68000 w/serial port)

Graphics : Signetics 66470 VSC w/on board pixel acceleration logic w/realtime
           RLE image decoding.  Displays up to 256 colors.

Palette : Brooktree triple 8 bit DAC's for 16.7 million color palette.

Resolution : 320x210 (256 col) to 720x540 (16 colors) (needs multisync)
             640x420 without multi-sync.

RAM : 1mb 100ns 256/x4 DRAM expandable

Floppy : 3.5" 1.44 MB floppy drive with 3ms track access.

Ports : 2 serial (one configurable for MIDI) PC keyboard, RGB-Analog

Network : I^2C header (cable and driver available separately) transmits

100 KBaud w/ up to 127 slave MM/1's

Sound : PC sound through monitor (i.e. 1 bit sound)

Software : OS-9/68000 multitasking os..  PC file manager, sequential block
           file manager, print spooling, C compiler, Basic, text editor,
           graphics editor, demos, and full utility set.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

MM/1 Extended System Board----------------

Ports : 1 powered DB9 serial, expands to 2 serial ports.  2 parallel, DMA
        SCSI, DMA stero sound.  Joystick.

Ram   : Sockets for 2 SIMMS ( 2 - 1 MB simms, or 2 - 4 MB simms)

Clock : Realtime clock (batter backed w/ non-volatile ram)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[ that is their brochure, now are my comments ]

After talking with the local PR guy, and reading their literature, it sounds
like a bunch of Tandy CoCo owners got together and said this is what we want
for a computer.  They kinda missed the boat on somethings (IMHO) and did a
good job on others.  They actually did benchmarks against the Amiga to make
sure their system was fast.  However by unbundling things like sound, they
have really weakened the system as a whole (not to mention no graphics
processor).   Just my thoughts on the matter.....


--dominic