Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!mintaka!geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu!rjc From: rjc@geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ray Cromwell) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: Amiga is better then what??? Message-ID: <1991Jun29.053302.20611@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> Date: 29 Jun 91 05:33:02 GMT References: <678091803.0@therip.FidoNet> Sender: news@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Organization: The Internet Lines: 83 [note the follow up line] [felt I should correct some misinformation before leaving this group] In article <678091803.0@therip.FidoNet> Rod.Fulk@f24.n228.z1.FidoNet.Org (Rod Fulk) writes: >NOT on a 500 though.. Not as easily as a 2000 I am sure.... The 500 and 2000 are nearly the same. The harddrive DMA is the same speed. The real-time playback from HD can be done on the 500 an the 2000. >ataris price range.) HD Floppies, Tremendous graphics... Multi tasking >environments. (UNless your running a bbs or drawing alot of fractals multi >tasking has no real purpose.. I still stand by that statement... >The ONLY time I EVERY use multi tasking is when the task at hand takes a long >time and I need the computer.. This only includes telecomputing... I use macs >in a multi tasking environment.. I use unix machines... (Some neat stuff can >be done with this in the background but thats different..) And of course my >BBS on this desqview machine. (I do use desqview but only cause most dos >programs are pretty brain dead...) I disagree wholeheartily. Multitasking is very useful. If it wasn't, why is multifinder integrated into the Mac's OS now? Why OS/2, why GEOS, why Window's? Because multitasking is important. I can't stand other computers the way you get locked into an App sometimes. When I'm downloading, I like to be doing something else, like working on a program, or editing something. >There are real time video digitizers available for the ST also.. >The Ste brings GENLOCK to the ST easier then it does with an amiga... >(Plug it in like a monitor.) Plug what in? You can get very cheap genlocks for $60, but the more expensive $1000 ones on the Amiga have multichannel/multisource genlocking, selective fade/blend, genlocked audio, custom wipes, etc. A genlock that can't fade/wipe is not very useful. Besides genlocking, the Amiga can CHROMAKEY which means putting live video infront rather than behind the computer's graphics. It can also use any color register for the transparent color, not just the background color{ >Note, there are enhancements available that take the computer to extremes >too... For roughly 1200 I could turn any ST into a machine that wqould be as >fast as a TT, Ami 3000 or Mac fx.. With 32 bit of memory... (I think 1200 is >actually something like with 2 meg of ram... ) Likewise, the MegaMidget racer cfor $599 gives you a 33mhz 68030 w/32bit memory for your A500. >working amiga equipment... (Course you ask them now and they will deny it >since most the employees have moved on to something else since then..) >(PS, who cares how long the warrenty is.. If you have to wait for parts for >long periods of time what good is the warrenty. Sure you get the problem fixed >but it takes forever sometimes...) This is unsupported bull. I know over 50 people with Amigas and none of them have problems. I have had my Amiga for 4+ years and it has never given me trouble. The only known problems with Amiga's were the rev 4.2 A2000 motherboards and the loosely seated chips in the bridgcards. >On broken in warrenty parts you can do UPS's equivelent of fed/exing it and >get it back within a week from atari on their better days.. >2 weeks otherwise.. You pay no shipping cost for C='s FedEx and it gets fixed in <2 days. (They will swap the entire motherboard if they want). If you have >A2000 machine you get onsite repair. (SOmeone comes to your house and fixes it right then and there) >Not to mention the amigas blitter was more "built into the system" then the >st's ever has been. The Mega Ste comes swithcable at 8/16 mhz.. At 16mhz it >blows a standard amiga out of the water.. 16mhz 68000 doesn't really blow a 7mhz 68000 out of the water in performance, I'd say less then 2x performance (probably 1.5). Strickly because with a faster clock rate you need a better ram system. I could put a 33mhz 68030 in my Amiga, but if I didn't have any 80ns 32-bit ram the 68030 would run at 1mips. The extra speed comes from 32-bit access, and and faster ram to cut down on wait states. > > * Origin: The R.I.P. (616)235-2313 [HST] (1:228/24) -- / INET:rjc@gnu.ai.mit.edu * // The opinions expressed here do not \ | INET:r_cromwe@upr2.clu.net | \X/ in any way reflect the views of my self.| \ UUCP:uunet!tnc!m0023 * /