Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!know!login From: ai065@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Thomas Hill) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: CDTV Hits Local Paper (Take Note Kevin) Message-ID: <23546@know.pws.bull.com> Date: 16 Apr 91 01:16:13 GMT Sender: login@pws.bulL.com Lines: 88 I caught this in my local paper this past week. Interesting parts have been reposted for your reading pleasure. Please note that anything inside of brackets is my own words. By Bart Ziegler --------------- Associated Press NEW YORK - Commodore International Ltd. is introducing a new interactive home entertainment and education system that provides reference tools, games and other features on an ordinary TV. ......... The device also marks a comeback of sorts for Nolan Bushnell, the founder of computer game pioneer Atari who nows works for Commodore. ......... The machine can be hooked up to a computer printer and a VCR. That allows students to use the reference programs to compile reports. They either could be printed out on paper or stored on a videotape, which could be played in the classroom, Dionne said. .......... The program discs will cost an average of $50, which Dionne said is comparable to the cost of video game cartridges. Up to 40 disc titles are expected to be available in coming weeks, Dionne said, and many more later this year. .......... Mark Stahiman, an analyst with the Baltimore investment firm Alex Brown & Sons, said he was impressed by the CDTV's capabilities and predicted it would be a hit. .......... "This couldn't come at a better time, with the 8-bit Nintendo console business leveling off and with more and more parents worried that junior is spending all his free time drop-kicking aliens," he said. .......... Commodore's machine, which it demonstrated in January at a consumer electronics show, will go on sale April 19 in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose, Calif. By the end of June it will be available in at least 25 of the nation's major markets, Dionne said. .......... [My own note here...UseNet reports say that it has shipped to many more major cities than this, so check with your local electronics dealer.] .......... [Take note of the following Kevin...] Though it is powered by computer chips made by the West Chester, Pa-based Commodore, the machine is assembled in Japan by Matsushita, the maker of Panasonic products, according to an industry source who spoke anonymously. ......... Dionne said Commodore plans to license the technology to other electronics companies to establish CDTV as a standard. That would put Commodore in contention with the industry consortium. .......... In addition to the home market, Dionne said the machine should find uses in industrial training and retail point-of-sale displays. Though other CD-based information products exist for these uses, they are far more expensive, he said. [END OF RE-PRINT] Tom -- Why purchase a MAC when an Amiga with the same CPU will run 99% of all __ MAC software..and FASTER at that?! The same can be said of the IBM and __/// Atari computers, and I can run those in a window. IBM's greatest sales \XX/ tool is ignorance on the consumer's part. Only the Amiga! DEVO Anyone?