Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!outbound!roger_earl
From: roger_earl@outbound.wimsey.bc.ca (Roger Earl)
Message-ID: <roger_earl.4223@outbound.wimsey.bc.ca>
Organization: Outbound Communications
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: CDTV-Real Stuff!
Date: 11 Apr 91 01:13:44 PDT

Well, I had the opprotunity of seeing the CDTV demonstrated first hand today. 
First of all, let me say that I was impressed.  The CDTV was very real and
tangible.  It was NOT like a computer system at all, you cannot 'hack' with
it.  This may seem obvious, but people's comments on the Net lately have
always been on expandibility and graphics capabilities and such. An A3000
with 16 megs running Amigavison and a laserdisk player was also demoed.  The
A3000 was demonstrated to show how you can 'create' Multi-media, generally
for business (mostly advertising) purposes.  The CDTV was demonstrated as
Multi-media for the masses.
CDTV cannot be compared to a computer, even though it is an A500 underneath.
It cannot be compared to a Nintendo, even though you can throw a Disc in it
and play a game.  CDTV has its own category (CD-I being its only competitor,
although CD-I is being marketed badly as a computer device).
People are in the market for CD players, and in the market to upgrade their
Nintendo (sorry, most parents play Nintendo more than thier kids do, and they
want more).  When someone walks into an electronics store and sees a whole
Atlas or a whole Encyclopedia (that would cost over $1000 by itself in
traditional format anyway) in Muli-media style, they'll dig into their
pockets and go home with a CDTV.

If you want a CD player to run within a computer environment, wait for the
A690.

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* "The personal computer market is about the same size as the total potato *
* chip market.  Next year it will be about half the size of the pet food   *
* market and is fast approaching the total worldwide sales of pantyhose"   *
*  -James Finke, Pres., Commodore Int'l Ltd.(1982)-                        *
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Roger Earl = Usenet: roger_earl@outbound.wimsey.bc.ca = GEnie: R.Earl4