Dickson@HIS-POENIX-MULTICS.ARPA.UUCP (01/27/87)
Just getting back from a users group meeting, I just have to spread what
I have heard.
Sidecar:
Release date: Feb 8th. Price: $699-$750. But I'll believe this only
when it happens.
Genlock:
Out this week or next. So far only 200 have been made. Two should
arrive within a week at a computer store in Phoenix.
Baby Amiga:
The smaller version of the Amiga without the internal disk drive
and kickstart in ROM, has started production. This machine can boot off
a latter kickstart disk, but will take up 256K of the machine's 512K.
But if you boot with ROM, you will have a full 512K.
Amiga 2000:
The is the machine everyone thought was going to be the 2500. This
will be exactly like Amiga 1000, only it will internally expandable and
have kickstart in ROM. The Amiga 1000 will still most probably by the
best of the three machines. Don't expect the 2000 to be out before
Summer though.
Other Commodore news:
Commodore is going to discontinue making the C128. Commodore is
going to release an enhanced 64 (or something a long those lines) since
the 64 is more sucessful than the C128. The assembly building that C128s
were made will be used to make Amigas.
The PAL Amiga is a big success in Europe.
There are two Amigas to be released for the second generation of Amiga.
Both will have the same custom chip as the 1000 uses now. One will be a
scaled-down Amiga w/o an internal drive, while the other will be
scaled-up version with possibly internal slots for expansion. Also,
expect the ROM to be in ROM, not on a kickstart disk (version 2.0?). But
to the software, these machines will be exactly alike. The Amiga 1000
will continue to be sold.
Don't expect the new custom chips until the third generation of the
Amiga, then expect 1024x1024 graphics with some means of maintaining the
NTSC compatibility.
If you are planning on buying an Amiga, don't wait for these new
machines. They might be out this year, and they might not. We call know
how slow C-A has been for the Sidecar and Genlock.
As to a MMU, well at the AAUG meeting, RJ Mical mentioned that if you
add something to a product that costs $200, the consumer ends up paying
up to $700 for it. That's one reason we won't see the 68020 with MMU for
a while. Also, if you add an MMU to a 68000, you loose performance.
These reasons are why Amiga decided not to put in the MMU.