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From: huebner@en.ecn.purdue.edu (Robert E. Huebner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: A3000UX - Born to run UNIX SVR4
Message-ID: <1991Feb10.234705.14908@en.ecn.purdue.edu>
Date: 10 Feb 91 23:47:05 GMT
References: <32530@auc.UUCP> <1991Feb10.010110.11187@sugar.hackercorp.com> <11996@helios.TAMU.EDU>
Organization: Commission for the safe & ethical use of mints and lozenges
Lines: 51

In article <11996@helios.TAMU.EDU> n177ac@tamuts.tamu.edu (Daryl Biberdorf) writes:
>In article <1991Feb10.010110.11187@sugar.hackercorp.com> peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes:
>>In article <32530@auc.UUCP> rar@auc.UUCP (Rodney Ricks) writes:
>>integrated. So why would someone go with the A3000UX?
>>
>>I can see two possible answers:
>>
>>	1) Commodore does not have all its eggs in one basket, and
>>	   so is more likely to exist down the road a ways.
>>
>>	2) The A3000UX has slots, which the equivalent NeXT doesn't.
>>
>>Point one might be valid, but what would one put in the A3000UX that
>>one doesn't get standard on the NeXT? Is there actually an application
>>for the slots in the A3000 with UNIX (which wipes out things like the
>>Video Toaster)?
>
>Things you might want in your 3000UX that aren't available for
>the NeXTstation:
>
>  1) a *thick-wire* Ethernet card.  This is very realistic for
>     large or spread-out nets.
>  2) a Token-Ring card (when they're available).  Yes, some people
>     really do use T-R!                    
>  3) Graphics cards as they come available.  (the Lowell board comes
>     to mind on this one)
>  4) Memory cards.  Is there any reason to explain why? :)
>
>--Daryl Biberdorf, n177ac@tamuts.tamu.edu


Add to that:

5) Multiple Serial Cards (particularly useful in UNIX applications)
6) DSP boards (Okay, the next has one already, but Zorro III slots
   should allow users to choose the sophistication level they need)
7) Arcnet compatibility
8) Transputer Boards (touched upon in previous posts)
9) Digitizing boards and others such as Live! or the Mandala System
10) Whatever hardware CBM used to do live videoconferencing with UNIX
    (?)
11) Perhaps most importantly, CPU upgrade path and multiprocessing
    potential
    

Really this "Why do I need slots anyway" argument is starting to
sound like the old "Who really needs multitasking" battle cry.
-- 
| Robert E. Huebner                   | "Death is nature's way of telling  |
| huebner@en.ecn.purdue.edu           |  you to slow down"                 |
| huebner@aerospace.aero.org          |   - Unknown Author                 |