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From: murphyd@ecst.csuchico.edu (David L. Murphy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Give CDTV a break
Keywords: CDTV Amiga
Message-ID: <1991Jun05.211508.22457@ecst.csuchico.edu>
Date: 5 Jun 91 21:15:08 GMT
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I have seen many posts here ragging on CDTV, and some of these seem to
be by people who have never seen/used/read anything about the unit.  I
do not own one but have used one and read most the articles written about
the unit.

CDTV freatures:
   * 8 x oversampling (NOT 4 like some think)
   * 512k ROM
   * 1 meg RAM
   * All standard amiga ports
   * MIDI ports
   * S-video jack
   * RF out (for easy connection to TV) 
   * Color composite out (Much better than the A1000)
   * Keyboard port (Not pin compatible with A2000 but converter is available
	check with your dealer)
   * Runs all software an A500 runs with a external floppy drive
   * CD drive boots multiple formats (ex. Music CD, CD+G, CDTV)
   * CD drive supports mixed formats
   * Audio CD can be played while playing Amiga games (I played "Wings" and
      listened to "Top Gun" CD at the same time)
   * Personal memory cards can be used to store information.

Third party
   * ICD hard drive support (20 meg internal)
   * Tiny Tiger hard drive work fine.  (have seen it work)
   * A2000 keyboard converter

Rummors (Things I have heard but can not garentee to be fact)
   * There is a expansion port behind the little plate in the back that will
       be used like the A500 expansion bus.
   * 

NOTE - This is by no way a complete list of CDTV features but it does 
       represent some of the ones I remember off the top of my head.

I feel CDTV has a lot going for it.  Commodore is doing the right thing by
testing the markets, and not allowing Computer shops to represent the unit
as a computer.  There are so many people out there that are afraid of 
computers, and CDTV is the only real choice they will have.  I had a 
business for two years and I dealt with these people who computer store
dumped IBM, Macs, CPM, etc machines on and these people had on idea of 
how to use it.  CDTV presents a gradual working into the computer appoarch
most people who buy the unit will never know that there is an Amiga inside
and I feel it is better that they don't. 

Do not sell CDTV for what it is, but sell it for what it can do. Consider
the price of an Encyclopedia set about $700-$800 is what I paided long 
ago.  With CDTV you can get the unit for $749 (ed price) and for about $70
you can get the electronic Encyclopedia put out by CDTV publishing. 

Anyways before you kiss CDTV off as a dead product give it some time.  
Commodore hasn't even started mass marketing it yet.  If they were to 
advertise CDTV now they would do more harm than good.  I feel that they
should have waited longer, and had more software ready on CD.  The public
is only going to take one look at CDTV, so when you present it too them
you have to have a solid product, with software to back it.  When I bought
my A1000 way back in Oct 1985 there was ZERO software and a lot of other
people said the Amiga was dead then.  If Commodore would have waited back
then I think more people would have bought Amigas, hopefully they have 
learned from this and other mistakes, and CDTV will enjoy the sucess
it deserves.

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       ///  /\        __||  ||  ||  |  |  David L. Murphy           \\\
  \\\ ///  /--\miga  |__ |__||__||__|  |  murphyd@csuchico.edu       \\\ ///
   \\\//                               |  murphyd@cscihp.UUCP         \\///