Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!hp4nl!alchemy!ptavoly From: ptavoly@cs.ruu.nl (Peter Tavoly) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: CDTV-Real Stuff! Message-ID: <1991Apr16.120407.12005@cs.ruu.nl> Date: 16 Apr 91 12:04:07 GMT References: <1991Apr12.065004.19162@ncsu.edu> <1991Apr14.221857.6806@sugar.hackercorp.com> <1991Apr15.131009.14068@ncsu.edu> Organization: Utrecht University, Dept. of Computer Science Lines: 83 In <1991Apr15.131009.14068@ncsu.edu> kdarling@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) writes: [some deleted] >> >>If it had, it wouldn't be an Amiga. It might or might not be a better product >>for all of that, but Commodore is (rightly) sticking to the knitting here. > >Ah, but it _isn't_ an Amiga. Let me explain that: CDTV will not be sold >as a computer, nor does anyone expect that most owners will do any expansion. >This is an _appliance_ which just happens to use an A500 as the controller. Ah, but it *is* an Amiga. It just looks like an appliance from the outside. This is an *Amiga* which just happens to simulate an appliance, running CD technology. (Yes, apart from some technical differences) You probably meant by your statement that *for Joe Average* it is not an Amiga. (But then Amiga users are not Joe Average ;^) >The only reasons in this case to stick with existing technology were to greatly >lessen R&D costs, and so that current authoring tools could be used. Yes, this is from the point of view of a large consumer electronics producer wanting to enter the CD-* market: Their reasoning would be something like this: (At the board meeting) "So, we all agree that entering this market might prove profitable within 3 years. To cut on R&D cost we need to investigate currently existing technology first. Hmm, let's see. Ah, yes, the Amiga is perfect. Existing technology, it is cheap, since they have been around and producing it for some years now; good graphic capabilities, if not state- of-the-art; expandability could prove a potential market for owners of a CDTV wanting to upgrade to a computer. Naturally, we will send, ahem, our own marketing people." But, it is Commodore who initiated the CDTV project, seeing a potential profitability. From their point of view, CDTV is a step further for the Amiga line (not a sequential but differentiated step, see the A3000(UX) ) So, not on top of a gold mountain, Commodore goes halfway to that big (Japanese?) consumer electronics producer, and signs an agreement for production, and a possible later licensing of the product. >Put it another way: if the player had a _Mac_ core, what real benefits would >Mac owners gain? Can you think of any? What if it had an Atari core? Any? The same as C= owners, support (maybe recognition) for their particular machine, directly as a spinoff of third party development for the core=their computer, or indirectly because of the company receiving money from sales or license royalties. >Okay, some say: well, it'll make CBM some money they can use for the Amiga. >Hey, that could be said even if CBM had used their PC clones as the core. I don't think so. As they would use widely recognized and available technology the place would be swarming with 'clones' in no time. What would make the difference then is the ad-department, in which C= is not the best around. >Aren't there 2.5 million Amigans which need attention, more so than A/V nuts? The ratio of those A/V nuts : Amiga users is enormous, and to be counted with. Now how many of those A/V nuts could be converted to 'the right faith'? :) Summarizing: C= have the edge with CDTV in that: 1. It's their proprietary technology, meaning a) a headstart on others, b) $$ in possible license fees. 2. This has not been verified, but if true, meaning a lot: Backing by Matsushita (Panasonic) 3. Expandability BOTH ways (Amiga <--> CDTV) 4. They are here *now*, with applications, multimedia, games etc. (See 1.a) >sincerely - kevin -Thomas T. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ____ Thomas Tavoly, Commercial Computer Science - HEAO Utrecht, NL. / / / "Whoever talks too much, has no time to think." - Peter Tavoly. AMIGA / Favourite quote: "The Mac OS is amazingly complex, ____ / / / .sig v3.0e given how little it does." - Peter da Silva \ \ \/ / / ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>> ptavoly@praxis.cs.ruu.nl <<~~~~~~~~~ \_\_\/_/