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From: kdarling@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: New baseline Amiga?
Message-ID: <1991Apr23.192201.21360@ncsu.edu>
Date: 23 Apr 91 19:22:01 GMT
References: <8737@crash.cts.com>
Sender: news@ncsu.edu (USENET News System)
Organization: North Carolina State University
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uzun@pnet01.cts.com (Roger Uzun) writes:

> I think the focus should be on getting the price of the A500 to as low
> as possible.  

Backyard _rumor_ is that they're working on a lower cost chipset now.
Supposedly for a <$400 A500 version, or something like that.

> Out of curiosity, given that a 16 bit, 7 Mhz 68000 based A500 with
> 1M of RAM goes for $600.00 (just a guess, use this figure for our
> comparison here), what would a 14Mhz 68020 based (or whatever clock speed
> would be easy and cheap to implement in a redesign) with 1M of 32 bit
> RAM retail for.  Say with a 68881/2 socket, but no math chip.

Beancounters tell me that the 020 isn't worth the gain for the added cost.
I think they're missing the worth of "bragging rights" <g> to some owners.
But word is that 020 availability will drop to near nil levels before long
(if not already).  Companies are just skipping straight to the 030+ instead.

A friend of mine designed a 4x8" 6-layer board with an 030, two 1 or 4 meg
SIMM sockets, part of the CD-I video chipset, and SCSI/serial/par/etc out
the wazoo.  I think he put one together for about $600 (a half a year ago).
It was a screamer, with great gfx to boot.  I've been after him to sell it
with no 030, RAM or case (let the buyer dig up the best deal) for $200-250.
Instead, he came up with a 68340-based CD-I video 1-meg card to sell for
<$300 (no case/keyboard/mouse/drive... those cost more than the computer!)

The reason I bring those up is to point out that: if he were able to start
from scratch, an engineer could use _off the shelf_ parts to make a neat
new model fairly cheaply.  If custom chips have to be created tho, that
can add up quickly in time and cost.  Just some more meat for the grinder.
 best - kevin <kdarling@catt.ncsu.edu>

PS: I agree with those who think a SCSI/display enhancer addition would
be both easier and more useful.