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From: jxc@rayssd.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: A2000 speculation
Message-ID: <656@rayssd.RAY.COM>
Date: Thu, 12-Feb-87 22:37:36 EST
Article-I.D.: rayssd.656
Posted: Thu Feb 12 22:37:36 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Feb-87 23:13:54 EST
Sender: jxc@rayssd.RAY.COM (Jeffrey J. Clesius @ Raytheon Company, Portsmouth RI)
Organization: Raytheon Company, Portsmouth RI
Lines: 84
Keywords: Good move, CBM!


	Here's some early observations, speculations, thoughts and issues
about the Amiga 2000 pre-announcement in COMPUTE!.  Just my $0.02...
(And that may be what it's worth!)

   Let me first say that it's nice to see the Amiga done the way it should
have been done in the first place:  expansion slots (out the wazoo!),
IBM compatibility paths (8088 and 80286), 68020 upgrade capability, keyboard
functionality, long persistence monitor, good pricing.  I think everyone
can take a pat on the back - the initial buyers for making suggestions for
improvements, and CBM for having the good sense to listen and learn.  I
think CBM deserves extra kudos for conversing on this net with their 
customers and developers!  Sure, it's in their interest, but how many
companies do it?

Some of the positives:

   The Amiga 2000 will increase the total market potential for Amiga
software development.  That's good for us, we'll see even more commercial
and public domain software; and it's good for CBM, they will see increased
sales resulting from the increased software base.  The important point here
is that since the 2000 is software compatible (not DOWNWARD/UPWARD
compatible), we will continue to see software development for the 1000/2000
configurations.  The 1000 is STILL a standard hardware configuration.
As someone who bought an Apple ][ (eight years ago?) and watched the ][+,
//e, //c and IIGS software base evolve to take advantage of hardware
features I didn't have, this is A BIG RELIEF!  This means that you will
continue to see PD software on the Net and BBS's and not have to worry
about things like - Gee, it uses the new graphics mode!  Gosh, I wish I had
the extra memory that's now standard!  Why don't people write software for
the MINIMUM configurations?  Sorry, the current configuration is the NEW
minimum configuration, not some architecture from the past, however recent!

A BIG negative:

   Hope you like the hardware that's out there for the 1000 now, 'cause you
won't see many new developments.  (I welcome your comments on this one,
Perry.)  Face it, what incentives exist to develop expansion hardware
for a static architecture?  The developments will be primarily for the
expandable 2000; the 500 will be aimed at the 520ST market, the 1000 at the
1040ST market and the 2000 for the open-end market.  The unfortunate fact
is that CBM missed the boat by not producing a STANDARD EXPANSION CHASSIS
at the onset.  A standard chassis would have opened up the competition and
initial sales for boards by providing a well-defined domain within which
the manufacturers could design their capabilities.  Compare the original
open-architecture of the Apple with that of the Amiga.  The Apple was well
documented: the memory map, protocols and address decoding were well
defined.  Interface boards for the Apple ][ spread like wildfire.  By
contrast, Amiga expansion was not well documented initially, and there is
reason to believe that it went through several about-faces.  Hardware
developers each produced their own chassis (what would you expect them to
do?), and the users all sat and said: I wonder what the best manufacturer
is, who's going to make the best boards; should I buy an expander with a 
pass-thru, a 2 board-chassis, a 4-board chassis, a closed-end memory
board, do I need a power supply, will the sidecar make my hardware useless,
etc, etc, etc.  When the best customer decision is to wait and see, the
resulting sales are not good.

   Do I expect CBM to offer me an upgrade path?  Get real!!!  Think about
it.  This so-called upgrade looks amazingly like a trade-in.  Let's see, new
motherboard with slots, new deeper cabinet, new keyboard layout, new
half-height drives...  well, I could keep the monitor, BUT I WANT
HIGH-PERSISTENT PHOSPHORS (whine, whine, whine...)!  A trade-in to CBM at a
break-even price won't resemble a reasonable cost to any micro owner I know.
They want to upgrade their 1MHz/16K machines to 16MHz/32Mb for $100, and that
includes shipping!!  Hell, the world owes it to them, they spent $395 for it,
new!

   Well, haven't I said enough?  As for me, I suspect I will buy a couple
of additional Meg, a hard disk (for $850+, ouch!) and continue to relish
the commercial and public domain software.  I will watch future Amigans
enjoy the results of my pioneering and watch them take the machine beyond
my expectations.  But I know, I was there first!  Thanks, Commodore.  At
least my software base lives on!

   Let's hear some other thoughts out there!  Certainly any heated
discussions on these topics are better than the current CPU-wars...
    ______________________________________________________________
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