emjej@uokvax.UUCP (11/27/84)
Perhaps this should go in net.rumor, but it's more of a query: anyone know anything definite about the rumored Commodore Amiga? Properties mentioned in this month's *Creative Computing*: 8 MHz 68000 three custom chips to deal sound (four channels, in stereo), graphics, and I/O 128K RAM comes by default, expandable to 1 Mbyte one 5" floppy comes by default Evidently Atari was doing this machine, and Commodore snarfed it. The fellow in *CC* says "the most impressive consumer graphics and sound machine I have ever seen" about it. I, of course, want one running OS-9/68000. (Drool, drool. Maybe we don't have to flail at Fujitsu until they start selling FM-11 and FM-77 here.) James Jones
kurt@fluke.UUCP (Kurt Guntheroth) (12/03/84)
The interesting things about the Amiga I have heard in the press are: 68000 based. designed for under $1000 market bunch of memory (128K?) built-in disk drive 640x200 graphics mode, 80 column text mode 4096 colors (perhaps in only some modes) MOST IMPORTANT: A special video circuit which attempts to compensate for bandwidth limitations of TV's. It distorts the signal in a way inverse to the distortion in TVs with the result that images look sharp on a TV. The goal is to produce readable 80 columns on a conventional color TV. (Naturally there are limitations to this but even if it is only better than what you get now it would be really exciting.) A company named Amiga had constructed a hardware prototype of this machine around a patent on the video hardware. They were peddling it to home computer makers including both Atari and Commodore. Traniel/Atari is currently sueing Commodore claiming Atari has prior rights to buy Amiga and the computer (perhaps code named Lorraine at Commodore). Sources: EE Times (various issues this summer) seems a reasonable source Compute! Commodore Gazette (various issues this fall) who knows I sure hope legal hassles don't prevent this product from reaching the market. -- Kurt Guntheroth John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc. {uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!kurt
keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) (12/04/84)
re: Commodore Amiga: >Evidently Atari was doing this machine, and Commodore snarfed it. The fellow >in *CC* says "the most impressive consumer graphics and sound machine I have >ever seen" about it. > James Jones I heard that Tramiel (Atari's new boss) turned around and hired the genius behind the Amiga. I also heard that this same genius was that behind the Atari's proprietary graphics chips.
calway@ecsvax.UUCP (12/04/84)
x The Amiga is for real. A prototype was shown behind closed doors at the summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago last June and had more or less the features you descibe. It reportedly has gone through a few changes since then, but I don't know what they are. It supposedly will support a Macintosh-like environment and will be very friendly to 68000 software developed on the Mac. Meanwhile, Atari is aggressively pushing ahead with its own version of the Amiga , but it will not use the 68000. James Calloway The News and Observer Box 191 Raleigh, N.C. 27560 (919) 829-4570 {akgua,decvax}!mcnc!ecsvax!calway
tankus@hsi.UUCP (12/07/84)
>> Munch Line <<
Today's Wall St. Journal indicated that CBM did indeed buy Amiga and Tramiel
did indeed file suit to block the transfer of chips from A(miga) to C(ommodore).
Stop drooling and start foaming!
--
" For every word there is a song upon which inspiration lies ..."
Ed Tankus
{noao, ihnp4, yale}!hsi!tankus
Health Systems International
New Haven, CT 06511
(203) 562-2101
granvold@tymix.UUCP (Tom Granvold) (12/08/84)
- This should probably also go to net.rumour, but the orginal article was here. Can anyone confirm or refute the following rumour regarding the Amgia? Word has it that Amiga (Inc.,Co.,Corp.?) had a contract with Atari to develope either a new machine called the Lorrane or some sound and graphics chips to be used in the same. When Tramel bought Atari, Amgia came to him asking about this contract. Tramel told them that he was not interested, so Amiga felt free to sell what they had to Commodore. Now there is talk about Tramel filing a suit to stop Amiga from selling the machine to Commodore. Whether or not the suit wins, it would delay the release of the Lorrane untill well after Tramel can introduce his own new machine. In general, that is the rumour that I have heard. Is there any truth to this? Does anyone on the net know anything about this? Tom Granvold decvax!ucbvax!oliveb!tymix!granvold
doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (12/10/84)
> Can anyone confirm or refute the following rumour regarding the Amgia? > Word has it that Amiga (Inc.,Co.,Corp.?) had a contract with Atari to develope > either a new machine called the Lorrane or some sound and graphics chips to be > used in the same. When Tramel bought Atari, Amgia came to him asking about this > contract. Tramel told them that he was not interested, so Amiga felt free to > sell what they had to Commodore. Now there is talk about Tramel filing a suit > to stop Amiga from selling the machine to Commodore. I followed this story on Dow Jones News Service for a while. The following is from memory, so there may be a few boo-boos. Atari had provided Amiga with the bucks to develop some new state- of-the-art graphics and sound chips. After Kindly Uncle Jack Tramiel left Commodore and bought Atari, Amiga came back to Atari and said "Sorry, we can't get the chips to work, so here's your money back." Then Amiga sold a computer design to Commodore. Atari maintains that this new computer design utilizes the chips that Atari had covered development costs on, and that Amiga was trying to work both sides of the street by, in effect, selling to the highest bidder (Commodore) chip designs which didn't belong to them, and then trying to reimburse the actual owner (Atari) without even so much as 1% interest. Amiga (and Commodore) maintain that the chips in the new computer are NOT EITHER the ones that Atari underwrote the development costs on. As you can imagine, temporary restraining orders, injunctions, and lawsuits have been filed by everybody against everybody else. I wish I was a corporate lawyer right now !!! $$$ !!! Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{hao,ihnp4,decvax}!noao!terak!doug