Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekig5!wayneck
From: wayneck@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Wayne Knapp)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Next Amiga System
Message-ID: <3365@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM>
Date: 18 Oct 88 00:26:02 GMT
References: <8XJuKiy00Wg9ER5Ull@andrew.cmu.edu>
Organization: Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, Or.
Lines: 35

In article <8XJuKiy00Wg9ER5Ull@andrew.cmu.edu>, rg20+@andrew.cmu.edu (Rick Francis Golembiewski) writes:
>  >SUM: again, Rick was in present mode :-), I'm a future man.
>  >   -VGA, (on my COMPAQ 386/16 at work) under Windows 3.0
>  >   beta (is beta betta'? :-) makes even poorly written programs
>  >  programs run quickly! (I can't say that for my Ami)
>  > -NO FLICKER! (albeit, gemlocks are at a premium for VGA)
>  > means you can use the REAL RESOLUTION of the machine, not
>  >Med-Res! (I find $5 Ray Charles shades are an acceptable kludge :-)
> Well if we want to talk future, the amiga has the new chip set (which
> will get rid of that flicker for only an extra $75 {proposed cost of chips,
> since we have to assume that you already have a multi sync for your
>  VGA} Also, if you wnt to spend large sums of $$$ there is the Headly
> monitor, (I've seen VGA cards for about $600 +$500 for a monitor so
> it's not really all that different costwise, although I will grant that the
> Headly is a special purpose monitor).  

Right now you can get VGA and a cheap multi-sync together for about $650.
This gives you 640x480 with 16 colors.  Also you can chose the colors out
of selection of about 200,000.  If you don't believe me I refer you to any 
"Computer Shopper" mag..  PC clone stuff is getting really cheap.  

If I remember right, the $75 upgrade gives 640x400 at 4 colors.  With overscan
you could maybe get 704x480 at 4 colors.  Plus the 4 colors are selected 
out of 64?  Anyway you should compare this to EGA not VGA.  I think you also
get 16 colors out of 64 with EGA. 

Now if you have a $1200 or so you can get one of the new extended VGA and 
say a Diamond Scan multi-sync that gives 800x600 with 256 colors.  If you
shop around it could be cheaper.  Now that is getting nice.

So while the new Amiga chip set is a step in the right direction it seems
like a pretty small one.  Seems like the NeXT Amiga will have to do better
if it is to keep up.  

                                       Wayne Knapp