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.5081@outbound.wimsey.bc.ca>
Organization: Outbound Communications
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: CDTV & CD-I The Whole Picture
Date: 17 Apr 91 20:05:47 PDT

I've been following the progression of both CDTV and CD-I for some time now,
both on the net and in the magazines.  I think its about time to summarize
my opinions.
Both are stand alone CD-Rom Multi-Media units intended for the mass market
of none computer owners.  The specs on both machines are pretty much equally
impressive with a few flaws and a few extras in both machines.  CD-I's early
claims at Full Motion Video were quite a bit premature and Commodore
promises to support Full Motion Video when it becomes a standard regardless.
The real predominant differences between CDTV and CD-I will show in the
applications and the price.

The CDTV is around $1000 (probably a bit higher until supply an demand
balances out) with applications at roughly $60-$100.
The cost of a CD-I is still pretty much unknown (with all kinds of people
quoting all kinds of prices) but the applications are expected to be around
$80-$200.

There is a reason for the difference in price.  It has a lot to do with the
OS that the two Machines are running.  CDTV runs under AmigaDOS 1.3.  CD-I
runs under OS9.  Development systems, programmers, and experience are all
readily available and cheap for the Amiga.  OS9 Development systems and
programmers are both hard to find and very expensive.  There are actually
software houses that are already making applications for CDTV and perhaps
'porting' them over to CD-I if it does well.  When development costs become
apparent maybe a lot of software companies will follow suit.  As far as
games are concerned, virtually no programmers have experience writing games
under OS9.

Finally there is marketing.  Commodore seems to have the right approach in
marketing the CDTV as the new 'home appliance'.  CD-I although not really
marketing yet, has several fans in the computer world who plague the
magazines and the Net with technical references and comments like
'programmers will know what I'm talking about' which are sure to completely
turn off CD-I's own market.  Not to mention CDTV has gotten out first and
with (in my opinion) the better applications, largely due in part to the
wealth of Amiga programming and Multi-Media experience already in existence.

Please can someone repost the list of CDTV applications that have been
released.  I would also be interested in seeing a similiar list for the
CD-I.

****************************************************************************
* "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