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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!brl-adm!seismo!mcnc!rti-sel!ge-rtp!edison!toylnd!dca
From: dca@toylnd.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: new amiga computers
Message-ID: <126@toylnd.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Feb-87 22:45:13 EST
Article-I.D.: toylnd.126
Posted: Thu Feb 19 22:45:13 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Feb-87 16:50:51 EST
References: <4047@utcsri.UUCP> <479@linus.UUCP> <1391@cadovax.UUCP>
Organization: Dave & Anne Charlottesville, Va
Lines: 44
Summary: flicker

In article <1391@cadovax.UUCP>, keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) writes:
> 
> Personally, I think keeping within the NTSC video standard was one
> of the smartest things that Amiga did.  If you want 640x400 flicker-free,
> get a high persistance monitor.  DON'T change the Amiga to non-NTSC and
> dump the 'desktop video' marketplace on the floor.
> 
Personally, I would hope that the engineers at Commodore would have enough
savvy to produce video interface circuitry that would disable the NTSC
output for a 640 x 400 flicker-free mode to the RGB port while maintaining
the NTSC compatibility for all the other modes.  While NTSC compatibility
is nice I think the majority of Amiga buyers will probably not have
much occassion to hook their Amiga up to a VCR etc. whereas limiting
the Amiga display to as lousy a standard as a TV set is a serious
detraction.
I'm also really tired of the whole 'buy a lp phosphor monitor'
response as I'm not really interested in buying a 1K monitor for a 1K
computer.  While the price of monitors with at least 640x400 res is dropping
the price of lp phosphor monitors hasn't budged.
As People are likely to use their Amigas for a whole gamut of applications
many of those applications could greatly benefit from a hi-res
screen: games, WYSIWYG text processing, terminal emulators, even pre-viewing
your video or producing artwork meant to use the 640x400 interlaced mode.

To come out with a new computer now that doesn't have any better usable
resolution than the CGA board is I think a bit ridiculous and probably will
be a serious detriment to the 2000 in comparsion to the new systems from other
manufacturers who don't feel so constrained if this is indeed the case.
If Commodore gets a system out there with a flicker-less hi-res mode then people will start
writing software to use it at least as an option.  As it is now the number of
people that possess lp phosphor monitors is so low that very few applications
use the hi-res mode.

To take this whole NTSC argument to the ridiculous we could step into the
future: a couple of years from now most systems will probably be in the
1K x 1K plus mode with who knows how many colors.  Should Commodore still
be restricting itself to 640x400 interlace in the interest of NTSC
compatability?  If they do most likely they will also not be still in
business.  I don't think it's any better an idea to come out with a new
product now with advanced features in other respects without at least middle
of the road resolution.


David Albrecht