Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!bloom-beacon!gatech!hubcap!rchampe
From: rchampe@hubcap.UUCP (Richard Champeaux)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Hey, Commodore Sales:  Amiga 3000 Warning
Message-ID: <1401@hubcap.UUCP>
Date: 14 Apr 88 14:32:38 GMT
References: <7735@oberon.USC.EDU> <247@sdrc.UUCP> <930@rmi.UUCP> <61@kenobi.UUCP> <2520@unicus.UUCP>
Organization: Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Lines: 51

In article <2520@unicus.UUCP>, craig@unicus.UUCP (Craig D. Hubley) writes:
> In article <1359@hubcap.UUCP> rchampe@hubcap.UUCP (Richard Champeaux) writes:

[deleted argument and counter-arguement about how much effort it would require
 to allow the A3000 to use ZorroII cards ]

> 
> >     Anyways, if the A3000 is indeed aimed at the workstation market, and has
> >the accompanying price of $4000 plus, then the A2000 will still be a very
> >popular computer (probably more popular than the A3000).  I hardly think that
> >CA will drop, or that people will stop buying the A2000, so you won't have
> >to worry about companies dropping their Zorro-II cards.
> 
> Right.  So now I must buy new Zorro III cards to replace all my old Zorro II
> cards that work just fine, taking a loss selling my old ones.  This is still
> nasty.  I'm not worried about dropping Zorro II, I'm worried about the wait
> as people decide whether or not to start up Zorro III design/production.
> Expect a year wait before the selection is as good as an A2000, and in the
> meantime the machine may die.  I'd probably buy a SPARC machine instead,
> since I would have to replace my whole configuration anyway, might as well
> use what AT$T, $un, and Xerox use.

     I said that in my opinion the A2000 would continue to be fully supported
because the A3000 will probably be in a higher price range and therefore
wouldn't be bought by the average home computer user. (After all, how many
people do you know who have a workstation in their living room.)  In other
words, I expect CA to continue making the A2000 to sell in the home market
and I would therefore expect other companies to continue making ZorroII cards.
Assuming that to be true, then you would have no reason, other than to get
higher performance, to upgrade to an A3000.  In this case, upgrading to higher
performance (even though your current machine will continue to be fully 
supported) will include the price of new ZorroIII boards.  Now if CA dicides
that the A3000 is going to be it's sole computer, and stops making the A2000,
then your complaint has merit, because you'd be left with an unsupported
machine with no possibility of upgrade. 
(This next example is exaggerated to make a point.)
If CA came out with a Cray clone for $4000-$5000 yet still sold the A2000,
would you complain that you couldn't use your ZorroII cards in it?
 

>  And eventually, companies *would* drop their Zorro II cards.
Like I said, companies will drop their ZorroII cards only if CA stops selling
and supporting the A2000, and in my opinion, they will continue to support it.

> 
> 	Craig Hubley, Unicus Corporation, Toronto, Ont.
> 	craig@Unicus.COM				(Internet)
> 	{uunet!mnetor, utzoo!utcsri}!unicus!craig	(dumb uucp)
> 	mnetor!unicus!craig@uunet.uu.net		(dumb arpa)

Rich Champeaux
Clemson University