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From: hr@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Amiga (financial analysts comment)
Message-ID: <7000007@uicsl>
Date: Mon, 29-Jul-85 12:31:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uicsl.7000007
Posted: Mon Jul 29 12:31:00 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Jul-85 04:23:15 EDT
References: <127@brl-tgr.ARPA>
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Nf-From: uicsl.UUCP!hr    Jul 29 11:31:00 1985



	"[Some] expressed doubts about [the Amiga's] ability
	to make a strong impression in either the home or business markets."


The Amiga was shown on the last day of the Siggraph exhibition. When
I got there around 11:00am, there was a mob. When I went back after 2:00pm,
there was a mob. A security officer threatened to close the booth if
Commodore didn't keep the onlookers contained. (Too many people in too
small a space for the fire marshals.) Had Commodore come ready to take
orders, they would have easily paid for the trip. While hundreds,
even thousands, of graphics hackers will be fighting to get one, I
wonder if they can sell millions. I think the Atari ST will be perceived
to be in the same class, but for a lot less money.

Summary: (subject to brain fog, jet lag, old age, etc.)

For $1295 you get 256kb (expandable to 512kb), dual button mouse,
800kb 3 1/2" disk drive and BASIC. The operating system is multitasking.
User interface is via either icons or command lines (ex. "run df1:ball").

Tecmar either has or will have an external one megabyte expansion board,
and a hard disk.

An image digitizer is coming as is a genloc device.

Languages claimed to be running:

	ISO Pascal
	Multitasking LOGO
	Cambridge Lisp
	Lattice C

Soon:
	Borland Pascal

The poor guy at the booth said they had an IBM emulator and that at the
New York demo they had been running Lotus 123.

The current issue of BYTE has a 'product preview'.

Should be readily available by October.

	I REALLY want one.


						harold ravlin
					{ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!uicsl!hr