Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!hybrid!scifi!bywater!uunet!cbmvax!daveh
From: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: A3500 ??
Keywords: sheesh!
Message-ID: <17781@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 18 Jan 91 06:09:32 GMT
References: <665@tronsbox.xei.com> <1991Jan17.050949.11038@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> <4708@vela.acs.oakland.edu>
Reply-To: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 44

In article <4708@vela.acs.oakland.edu> hastoerm@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Moriland) writes:
>In article <1991Jan17.050949.11038@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> xanthian@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Kent Paul Dolan) writes:

>:The _A3000_ was sized to fit a Toaster; it isn't Commodore's fault...

>From all the reports I have read, NewTek designed the Toaster to fit
>in just about every available bit of the space allowed.  It is the
>A3000 that is slightly smaller than what was specififed for the
>A2000's video slot. The blame lies with Commodore as NewTek followed
>the rules. 

Guess again.  NewTek designed the Toaster to fit in just about all the space
that was THERE.  That being considerably more space than was _allowed_.  They
did the same thing for the Toaster connectors, which occupy much more space
than was permitted for connectors.  The A500/A2000 Technical Reference Manual
has a specification for a Video Slot card, indicating the maxium supported
size and the space connectors may occupy on the card's edge.  

Really, we considered the configuration that get in the A3000 long before any
2000s actually shipped.  The A2000 video slot configuration has always been
considered a problem.  The card edge there isn't the kind designed to support
connectors, it's one of these screw-in panels used in PCs as a place to bolt on
extra connectors that don't fit on the back of a normal card.  Also, the A2000
casework puts drives and hardware in the way of the card, and provides no 
support for it in the front of the case.  So the Video Slot physical card
specification was drafted with movement to a normal type slot configuration
fully in mind.  Just like with software, you can only tell the hardware people
what the rule are, you can't force them to follow the rules.

>Commodore's Big Wigs apparrently agree as was mentioned in a
>report in both AmigaWorld and .INFO after they had gone to Kansas to
>see the Toaster in action. They felt it was important to the future of
>the Amiga.

I think it's pretty clear that the Toaster is an important product for the 
Amiga.

>| hastoerm@vela.acs.oakland.edu |    __                                | 

-- 
Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests"
   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh      PLINK: hazy     BIX: hazy
	"Don't worry, 'bout a thing. 'Cause every little thing, 
	 gonna be alright"		-Bob Marley