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From: daveh@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Dave Haynie)
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Subject: Re: Re: new threat?
Message-ID: <777@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Sep-86 19:35:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbmvax.777
Posted: Wed Sep 24 19:35:59 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 25-Sep-86 03:42:37 EDT
References: <281@neoucom.UUCP>
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 56

> Summary: Not a significant threat A different market niche
> 
> 	The GS is really aimed at the big group of Apple ][ users
> that are anxious for more power from the Apple, rather than
> desiring the features of the Amiga.  The main fix will be *finally*
> giving the Apple a decent address space to run modern programming.

Unfortunately for the machine, only new software will be able to use that
extra address space.  Of course, it could probably bank 64K chunks just
like a IIe, but that's defeating the purpose of the $8.00 65C816 chip.

> It sure has been blinking hard for me to write nice stuff because
> of the tiny 64K memory.  

Than again, all that stuff you guys squeeze into the 64K address space is
often highly optimized assembly (albeit optimized for size, not speed).
This thing should run about as fast as a 10-11 MHz 8088 based IBM PC;
give or take some depending on the actual task at hand.

> 	I forget the exact numbers, but the GS video display should
> be roughly equivalent to the Amiga hi-res noninterlaced display
> mode.  The apple, I think, offers more colors.  (The amiga has
> enough colors for me, thanks any way.)

All kinds of stories on this one.  They have a 4096 color palette, same as
the Amiga.  Though one source claims only 512 colors out of this palette
can ever be used together.  Out of that, they limit it to 16 colors per
scan line in an Amiga-Lo-Res equivalent mode, and 4 colors in an Amiga
Hi-Res, non-interlaced, equivalent mode.  How they switch via scan lines
I haven't heard; one rumor claims that each scan line can choose one of
sixteen (4 or 16 element) color sets, others claim that its an active
process, like what you'd have to do to make an Atari ST change colors per
scan line.  Guess we'll all know in a month or so.

> 	Given that the GS is not a quantum step, I don't think that
> it will terribly interest Atari, Amiga, and MAC owners.  The GS is
> also relatively expensive for what you get.  (Remember that Apple
> discounts aren't very good for consumers.)  For the cost of the
> Apple system box, I can buy an entire Amiga or ST.  Also Apple's
> attitude is that their computers should be treated more as
> appliances, rather than hacking for fun, thus the Amiga still
> appeals more to me.
> 
>   --Bill

Well, Apple's consistantly selling the same (or nearly same) class of
machine for several time what everyone (like CBM and Atari) sell theirs
for; Apple II series versus C64/C128 is a good example of this.  And 
of course the Amiga and ST drove down the Mac cost.  I wouldn't expect
them to come out at a reasonable price.  Hey, they've had some of the
best marketing in the business, and will probably continue.
-- 
============================================================================
Dave Haynie    {caip,ihnp4,allegra,seismo}!cbmvax!daveh

	These opinions are my own, though for a small fee they be yours too.