Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!apple!oliveb!sun!pepper!cmcmanis
From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: New graphics chipset
Message-ID: <97873@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 6 Apr 89 21:42:43 GMT
References: <12478@louie.udel.EDU>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 53

In article <12478@louie.udel.EDU> (Ed Wilts - CandianOxy) writes:
>[ Would the answers to this be useful in the introductory posting to c.s.a ? ]

Probably.

>I have several questions concerning the new graphic chipset:

>        - What resolutions will be supported? Interlaced/non-interlaced?

		Unclear on what the final outcome will be, but the generally
		agreed upon minimums will be all current Amiga resolutions
		plus 640 X 400 non interlace in 2 or 4 colors. 

>        - How many colours will be available in each resolution?

		All the same except the high resolution mode will have
		two or four colors available. (They are limited colors
		as well)

>        - What monitors will be required for each resolution
>                I currently own a 1084 - is a new monitor required?

		Yes, if you want to display the non-interlaced modes.

>        - Will the chips be retrofitable into a stock 1000?

		No. While schematics and pinouts will probably be available
		Commodore has _never_ suggested that they could be plugged
		into an A1000.

>        - Any approximate guesses as to pricing for an upgrade to the new set?
>                (non-committal ballpark guesses from CA would be appreciated!)
>                - are we talking <$100, <200 ?

		No idea, go to an authorized dealer and find out what the
		replacement price for a Denise, Agnus, and Paula chip are
		and use that as a guess for the "range."

>        - Are they likely to be available to the average consumer in 1989?

		The new features can only be used by 1.4 which isn't going
		to be available in 1989 so I doubt it. Fatter Agnuses (with
		1M chip RAM could concievably be available because that
		has only a minor impact on the system stuff)

Note, I don't work for Commodore. All of these answers were derived from
information either publicly available through press releases or from notes
in AmigaMail the Developer's Newsletter. 

--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
"A most excellent barbarian ... Genghis Kahn!"