Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!nucsrl!tellab5!laidbak!amiganet!arctngnt From: arctngnt@amiganet.chi.il.us (Bowie J Poag) Newsgroups: comp.multimedia Subject: Re: NeXT/Amiga Multimedia.. Message-ID: Date: 22 May 91 23:03:30 GMT References: <62084@masscomp.westford.ccur.com> <62085@masscomp.westford.ccur.com> <1991May22.015324.11494@IRO.UMontreal.CA> Organization: Amiga Network Information Systems Lines: 74 Whew, talk about a case of bug-up-the-butt.. First off.. I thought the NeXT/Amiga argument died? Ethernet cards: Besides the one made by CBM, I know there is at least 1 other. I gave my AmigaWorld to someone else, so I cant tell you offhand. I know ive seen it somewhere, though. Used a NeXT ONCE.. Wasnt really impressed outside of the picture. Sorry, but sleek and sexy BLACK computers dont turn me on. Its the guts inside that count. True, the Mac IS catching up, along with the IBM. But you overlook the fact that CBM has been doing a little moving-and-shaking of its own over the past year and a half...Having your company's stock jump from 4 1/2 to 21 1/4 bucks a share is what I call "positive growth", dont you? I dont mean to beat NeXT into the ground. We all know the NeXT is one mother of a platform. Its just that the Amiga kills it in some areas. As does the NeXT kill the Amiga in other areas as well. The 34010 based graphics card from IBM wasnt MADE by IBM. The 34010 chip was made by TI. If I remember correctly, there is (will be soon) a board for the Amiga that handles the 34010. A vague rumor, though. I doubt that it exists. Price? Ok. Im willing to bet that a $500 Amiga can outperform a VGA based 386 in the area of multimedia. Video-in-a-window? Who needs that.. For the cost of the board that will enable you to do that, you might as well go out and buy yourself a couple color TV's.. Even still, you can run out and get a cheap Genlock for around $100, and have video overlayed in the background while you work. Big whoopie. The "boring" things you listed as being "unavailable on the Amiga" arent in name... But in function, they are VERY available. We have equivalents to them. Geez, its not like the Amiga dosent have a single database/spreadsheet available for it. I know multimedia encompasses everything from Audio to visual/animated/ interactive/text/whatever..Was just using simultaneous audio and visual as an incredibly SIMPLE thing to do on the Amiga, that give platforms like the IBM a severe heart attack in trying to perform. The AMiga is the best choice because I can do cool intros? Right. Thats my point exactly. The cool intros show us what CAN be done. What can be in those intros can be in multimedia, ya know. As long as we know the capability is THERE, IN THE MACHINE, >>WITHOUT<< ANY ADD-ON CARDS.. If we know this, then there really is NO NEED for extra hardware (sound/video enhancements)..... The market for that just isnt there for the Amiga. The installed graphics/audio hardware on the Amiga is STILL far ahead of the competition, both in price and performance. I doubt Windows will last for another 5 years. People WILL eventually wise up, and figure out how much theyre being swindled for with Windows.. There will be future Macs, and future Amigas that will leave the future-less IBM's in the dust, and the cryptic dos interface will be dead from then on. Macromind Director isnt really THAT impressive. Saw it a couple times demoed on a favoite computer nerd show of mine on a local PBS station. Didnt look that spectacular. Hypercard is nice, yes. To a certain degree. I personally like AmigaVision better though. To each his own, eh? And for now, just kill the NeXT/Amiga argument. ArcTaNGent