Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!director.beckman.uiuc.edu!jdobbs From: jdobbs@director.beckman.uiuc.edu (Jim Dobbs) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Wrong board size for Amiga 3000 Message-ID: <1990Oct15.074829.27115@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: 15 Oct 90 07:48:29 GMT References: <12879@encore.Encore.COM> Sender: news@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (News) Distribution: usa Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 75 >Date: Fri, 5 Oct 90 12:22:58 EDT >From: Richard Nollman >Message-Id: <9010051622.AA05907@maxzilla.> >To: comp.sys.amiga >Subject: Wrong board sizes >I went into my local Amiga dealer to get some prices on the 3000. I was >just about convinced that the 3000 was the machine I wanted. Then the >salesperson I spoke with blew my mind. He told me that if I wanted to >do video work that I should stick with the 2500 because third-party vendors >due to a misunderstanding with Commodore, created 12-inch boards instead of >10-inch boards. The oversize boards do not fit into the 3000. Things like >videotoaster will not be available for the 3000 until vendors redesign the boards correctly. The salesperson gave me the impression that if I wanted a genlocl that it would not be available for a quite a while. >I expected alot of discussion in the various Amiga news groups about this and >have not heard a peep. The salesperson said that Commodore actually advised >their stores not to sell the 3000 as a machine to do video work. He said >that if I just wanted to do animation, the 3000 was okay. So as far as he is >concerned (and his store), this is the official Commodore line. >Has anyone else heard about this problem? Does anyone know what the folks >at Newtek have to say about the availability of toaster on the 3000? I was >also surprised that with all the rave reviews I have been seeing over the net >from people who were at the show to see toaster unveiled, that there was no >mention of this little glitch. >What about other vendors? >I talked with a friend who had been at another local Amiga dealer and they >did not seem at all concerned about this little problem. Their feeling was >not to worry, the boards will come out in due time. I am not so sure. >I hope this generates some discussion, but I would not mind if I got some >direct replies. >Rich Nollman My company shot video of dealer training seminars for a major Amiga wholesaler at AmiExpo Midwest in Chicago this summer. I couldn't believe it myself, but this IS the OFFICIAL Commodore-Amiga line on this problem. I was told this directly by the representatives of BOTH NewTek (the toaster people) AND Digital Creations (DCTV, SuperGen, etc.) Apparently there is ANOTHER problem totally separate from the SIZE limitation, (which is also true, by the by) - that is that due to Commodore-Amiga's clever placement of another expansion slot directly adjacent to the Video slot (about 1/2" away) there is a BIG PROBLEM with RF interference for Video devices. He said it would take a Faraday shield to cut this interference down to MINIMALLY ACCEPTABLE LEVELS, which would in turn create a HEAT problem. NONE OF THE EXISTING DESIGNS FOR VIDEO-SLOT ADD-ONS WILL WORK PROPERLY WITH THE A3000, EVEN IF THE SIZE PROBLEM IS OVERCOME. If you are doing TV, or video work - get an A2000. I use one with a GVP 68030/68882 + 8 megs of 32-bit RAM. It just simply SCREAMS, even at ray-tracing. This is NOT an ad for GVP, in fact, I have even had some problems with their products in the past (all solved to my satisfaction) - it is just that they make a FULL line of add-ons that WORK, even with the ACCELERATOR. I understand that if you even try to OPEN a HIRES/OVERSCAN screen on the A3000, it Gurus... I haven't bitten the Guru's wazoo in AGES! HAVE A NICE DAY! -- ^ - James C. "Jim" Dobbs - jdobbs@director.beckman.uiuc.edu ( O-O "The correct pluralization of 'smurf' is 'smurves.'" > - James C. Dobbs ^ DISCLAIMER - Nobody ever agrees with anything I think.