Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!uunet!tnc!m0154
From: m0154@tnc.UUCP (GUY GARNETT)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: A3000UX Seems Fated
Message-ID: <633@tnc.UUCP>
Date: 18 Dec 90 23:15:26 GMT
References: <1990Dec14.045924.20212@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: m0154@tnc.UUCP (GUY GARNETT)
Organization: The Next Challenge, Fairfax, Va.
Lines: 54

In article <1990Dec14.045924.20212@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> sl35746@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (By-Tor) writes:
>I just had a talk with one of our system administrators here, and I told him
>about the A3000UX.  He told me that Sun came out with a workstation that was
>286 based and ran Unix along with PC's in windows that multitasked.  I don't
>know of the model number, but he said they didn't sell, and Sun discontinued.
>
>AmigaDOS and Unix will not run at the same time, and there is a much smaller
>demand for Amiga compatibility than IBM compatibility, so I would think that
>there isn't going to be much of a demand for these things unfortunately.
>Considering you can buy a Sparcstation now for $3000 that comes inside a
>1200x800 monitor that will outperform an A3000, with the expansion capability
>to reach 100 MIPS, I really don't see where the market is.
>
>Another interesting point he made was that Sun is almost guaranteed to support
>their computers.  Commodore is just starting out, so things will be even harder.
>I don't really see the point of putting Unix on an Amiga.  I think they should
>have just made a Unix box that was competitive, and started from there.  The
>fact that AmigaDOS and Unix are totally isolated basically makes the point
>almost moot to combine them in one box.  The Unix side is limited to the hard-
>ware that is needed to keep it Amiga compatible.
>
>I guess they only real market niche they could sneak into, and probably won't
>succeed in reaching, is a low-cost color workstation.  If the current
>implementation of X doesn't support color, then there is no way anyone will
>buy it for color.


I think you missed the point.  Commodore *IS* trying to make a
competitive, low cost Unix workstation.  That it is an Amiga is almost
irrelavant to the Unix discussion; Commodore took their most powerful
design, and implemented a Unix for it.  This is why the 3000UX doesn't
even attempt to run AmigaDOS programs under Unix - they are not trying
to sell unix boxes to Amiga owners, they are trying to sell unix boxes
to buyers who want unix boxes.

The reason they used a 3000 as the base machine is simple, too.  In
order to keep the workstation price down, the design and construction
had to be inexpensive; by using an Amiga 3000, the design was already
done and paid for (and there is nothing less expensive than that!),
and the 3000UX also benefits from the fact that the assembly line is
already set up, and from economies of scale with the A3000.

The fact that it is *ALSO* an Amiga is gravy; better graphics
performance at lower cost than would othewise be possible.  Some users
of the 3000UX might also be curious about AmigaDOS (or simply want to
play Falcon, who knows) so the capability to boot and run AmigaDOS was
left in (and besides, it might have cost Commodore more to take *OUT*
AmigaDOS that to leave it in).

I think Commodore has a shot at a good piece of market share in the
low-end color workstation market.  *IF* they don't blow it by some
stupid pricing or marketing decision ...

Wildstar