Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!bagate!cbmvax!daveh From: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: Few questions/observations about the A3000 Message-ID: <20901@cbmvax.commodore.com> Date: 24 Apr 91 00:12:26 GMT References: <1991Apr22.184252.10274@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> Reply-To: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA Lines: 114 In article <1991Apr22.184252.10274@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> tagreen@lothario.ucs.indiana.edu (Todd Green) writes: >1) Any final word on when KickStart 2.0 will be in ROM? No official word yet, only "soon". >Also as far as I have gathered KickStart is roughly equivalent to the Toolbox >on the Mac (I come from a Mac background...at least that's what I get paid for >as a living ;) ). Pretty much. The KickStart ROM contains the operating system kernel and the most used libraries, which currently amounts to 512K for 2.0. Other library modules get loaded on demand from disk. Currently, that's about another 256K or more, depending on what you do load from disk. Amiga libraries will generally concentrate on a specific subsystem, examples are "exec", "graphics", "dos", "intuition", "mathieeedoubbas", etc. > 1a) What disadvantages would there be to getting a A3000 > before KS 2.0 is put in ROM? Upgrade costs, troubles, etc. It takes about 1 second longer to cold boot, and about 512K of your memory away from you. I don't know how the disk to ROM update is planned. It will never technically be necessary, though if the final KickStart isn't released on floppy, it may be physically necessary. > 1b) Once 2.0 is in ROM will you still be able to use 1.3 > to retain compatibility. I don't know if Commodore will support a trick, and I really don't have any reason to run 1.3 myself. But a little program I wrote awhile back, called SetCPU, lets you load just about any operating system ROM on any MMU based Amiga. I'm using it as we speak to run 2.0x on my A2500. I'm not sure it'll work on an A3000, since to date there hasn't been the need, but should the need arise, it'll be possible. >3) Any comments on the best development programs (C/C++/Objective-C) would be >welcome. Commercial only. I use SAS C myself. Most of the C code in the 2.0x OS is compiled with SAS too. I'm in the market for a good C++ translator. The original one sold by Lattice is a bit weak for real work, though they may offer a more up to date version at some point, and another company is currently selling their port of cfront 2.1. >3) Any difinitive word on the supposed problems with the SCSI controller with >multiple drives? The current release of the A3000 scsi.device knows how to handle the problems encountered between SCSI chip revisions. That doesn't necessarily imply that it'll actually work with reselection, only that you can set up reselection and the device driver will do The Right Thing based on whether it knows it can work or not that way. >4) This is not really for me, but a co-worker has asked me to ask for him >(guess he's too lazy to type it in himself). What kind of deals/opportunities >exist for an Amiga owner to develop for SEGA. Are there any packages/cross >compilers etc. (reply either to myself or mdchaney@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu) Don't know personally, but I have heard that many a Sega house use Amigas for their development platforms. Could be they use internal tools, though there are a variety of Amiga object to hex/S-Record converter out there in the public domain. >1) The interface is the worst (graphically speaking) out of the three computers that >I hold worthwhile (Mac, NeXT, Amiga). First of all, the Amiga has rather nice >graphical abilities. USE them. The low-res clunky sprite of a cursor (even in >2.0) amazes me. Well, the image they chose as a default is about the worst you can do. But sprites are always low resolution. I use a pointer that pretty much hides this feature of the Amiga hardware. And now that I'm used to it, I'll take the sprite pointer over one of those slow, jerkey software pointers any day, even if they are slightly sharper. >Secondly not being able to drag a window off the screen is unforgivable. Under 2.0, you can just make a larger screen if you want to be able to drag windows off of the displayed portion. In other words, the OS supports Workbench screens larger than the visable display, but you don't have to scroll around in them. I find this gives me pretty much the same functionality I get on the Mac II in my lab. Another thing to consider, though, is that, thanks to Amiga screens, you generally don't have as many windows in the way as you would on a Mac or a NeXT. >2) Poor text quality. After using a NeXT and Mac for over a year looking at >the Amiga tends to make me think back to Apple II 40 column days. A sharper >display would certainly help out the machine. That depends on what kind of display you have hooked up. I certainly would agree if you're running some application that sets up a 320x200 display, since that would be identical to the typical 40-column vintage setup. The standard 1.3 Workbench display at 640x200 isn't much better. Most A3000 users set up a ~700x~450 color display, which gives you just a tad more pixels than the basic Mac II display. Personally, I use the Moniterm/A2024 monitors (one at work, one at home) which give you a 1008x800x2 display, very similar to what a NeXT display does for you. >A final comment which I'll probably get flamed for is that I cannot believe >the number of people posting that they bought an Amiga and have absolutely >no clue about the machine. I just cannot believe people will plunk down >several thousand dollars without having thoroughly studied the market/product. >Wish I had that kind of money to blow. This seems to have been happening much longer than there have been Amigas. Or computers, for that matter. I don't know how to explain it, I my shopping very carefully for anything more expensive than a can of Coke or such. But I guess "looks neat" sells computers as easily as stereo equipment, cameras, or cars. >Todd -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy "That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight" -R.E.M.