Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!wuarchive!uunet!fernwood!uupsi!sugar!peter From: peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: Revised Amiga line Keywords: amiga, expand, evolve, endure, open, support Message-ID: <1991May4.124554.14107@sugar.hackercorp.com> Date: 4 May 91 12:45:54 GMT References: <4424@bnr-rsc.UUCP> <1991Apr30.042423.5721@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <4430@bnr-rsc.UUCP> Organization: Sugar Land Unix -- Houston, TX Lines: 34 In article <4430@bnr-rsc.UUCP> mascot@bnr.ca (Scott Mason) writes: > This is another one of those "what CBM really should do next" > threads. The theme of this thread is "CBM really needs to provide a > less expensive alternative to the A500 by removing all expansion > capability". I favour the A2000, A3000, A3000UX direction. I don't see how they *could* build a cheaper 500 by removing expansion capability. The 500/1000 expansion slot only made it in the first Amiga (the 1000) because it had essentially zero cost. How do you get a cheaper system by deleting a zero-cost item? This reminds me of the 386SX/68EC030 design philosophy, and only works when the box is way overpriced to begin with. > Again, if CBM only made the A500 and cheaper > bretheren, I would expect the Amiga line to die out once technology > significantly surpassed it. Is anyone saying they should? Now, a keyboardless 500 might be a different matter. You would be able to plug a 2000 keyboard in if you wanted to. Sort of like a CDTV without the CD. The only problem here is that all those games expect a keyboard. Another idea would be some sort of standard cartridge slot, that could be SOTS on a 500 or a 1000 or replace the floppy drive in the baby machine. The support circuitry for the floppy would still be there, so you could stick an external box on for DF0:. The resuling Amiga 250 would still be as expandible as the 500, just for a little more money. Since it would have a detached keyboard, it might even be more popular for the Bodega Bay crowd. -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' .