critical.mass@pro-graphics.cts.com (Peter Altamore) (11/13/90)
The December 90 issue of AmigaWorld contains a few mind blowers (ads, what
else?) that are conspicuously absent from the net discussion. So in lieu of
another 'BrandX' computer post, here are a few tidbits I found that surprised
the hell outta me (could be old news, but I just noticed them).
Page 113 contains a very enticing full page ad for a product called ATonce.
A 7.2MHz 80286 AT emulator riding piggyback on a replacement 68000 for $398
suggested retail. This thing is no bigger than a dollar bill folded in
half, has 6 chips on it (4 of which are miniscule, not including the
68000), and.. well, I'm impressed!
On page 134 (lower right) The Grapevine Group is advertising Megachip 2000.
This is something I thought was not possible, 2 megs Chip RAM on a 2000!?
They say to call for the price (I haven't yet) and include a '2 MB Agnus,
more RAM, PC board, full instructions.' Anyone know what they're doing and
if it's even slightly compatible with anything (they don't say either way
in the ad)? The 3000 gets 2MB Chip due to the 32-bit path, right? About
now I'm beginning to drool.. but wait, it gets better!
Page 138 contains an an for Ampex Systems Inc. They are selling
Professional Page, Professional Draw, Design 3D and Moviesetter for $39.95
each or as a bundle (all four) for $100.00. Looking at other ads this
stacks up to be in the neighborhood of $400+ of software.
Want DeluxePaint? Page 115 has it for $13.95...
And what's with MAST Colorburst? $495 for 24-bit color? Page 133..
I think I have a few calls to make come Monday morning!
UUCP: crash!pro-graphics!critical.mass | Critical Mass Software
ARPA/DDN: pro-graphics!critical.mass@nosc.mil | P.O. Box 23
Internet: critical.mass@pro-graphics.cts.com | Short Hills, NJ 07078daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) (11/14/90)
In article <5607@crash.cts.com> critical.mass@pro-graphics.cts.com (Peter Altamore) writes: >On page 134 (lower right) The Grapevine Group is advertising Megachip 2000. >This is something I thought was not possible, 2 megs Chip RAM on a 2000!? >They say to call for the price (I haven't yet) and include a '2 MB Agnus, >more RAM, PC board, full instructions.' Anyone know what they're doing and >if it's even slightly compatible with anything (they don't say either way >in the ad)? They could build a "tower" board, with the extra 1Meg and use the 8372B, the version of Agnus from the A3000. That part can handle 2 Megs of RAM, but unless the memory is organized as 16 1Megx1 parts, there is additional external logic necessary. The standard A2000 Agnus, 8372A, manages two separate 512K chunks, so both don't absolutely have to be there for proper functioning (as on the A500). >The 3000 gets 2MB Chip due to the 32-bit path, right? No. Since we needed some external logic anyway for support of 256K x 4 DRAMs with the A3000, and since Chip memory was slow, it just made sense to organize the A3000's memory as 32 bits wide. But that has nothing to do with the amount of Chip RAM the A3000 can address; that's left up to the Agnus chip. > UUCP: crash!pro-graphics!critical.mass | Critical Mass Software -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy Standing on the shoulders of giants leaves me cold -REM
slfields@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Scott L Fields) (11/14/90)
In article <5607@crash.cts.com> critical.mass@pro-graphics.cts.com (Peter Altamore) writes: >The December 90 issue of AmigaWorld contains a few mind blowers (ads, what >else?) that are conspicuously absent from the net discussion. So in lieu of >another 'BrandX' computer post, here are a few tidbits I found that surprised >the hell outta me (could be old news, but I just noticed them). >On page 134 (lower right) The Grapevine Group is advertising Megachip 2000. >This is something I thought was not possible, 2 megs Chip RAM on a 2000!? >They say to call for the price (I haven't yet) and include a '2 MB Agnus, >more RAM, PC board, full instructions.' Anyone know what they're doing and >if it's even slightly compatible with anything (they don't say either way >in the ad)? The 3000 gets 2MB Chip due to the 32-bit path, right? About ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Well, to my knowledge, NO. The amiga chip set in the 3000 is about the same as the set in the 2000 and 500 except for the super denise and the extra meg of addressable ram by the agnus chip. The chips still see the ram as 16 bits wide but the bus is set up so that the 68030 can access the rams at 32 bits at a time. this can really speed up cpu intensive graphics. Unfortunately, I don't think that the chips will ever do anything really exciting until they go 32 bit. What was neat 5 years ago is mediocre today.
njg2@po.CWRU.Edu (J. Norell Guttman) (11/14/90)
With regard to a slew of ads in the December 1990 AmigaWorld, did anyone see the ad by California Access? They advertised on three seperate pages for their Bodega Bay. Is it true what they claim? Essentially they say: it takes a A500 and provides it with 200W and 7 slots(?) which can be made IBM compatible and video board compatible. This means for $349 (Montgomery Grant) I can make my A500 into a A2000 without any problems. Why should then people buy an A2000 when they can get a A500 and Bodega Bay and still be financially better off? Or is there a catch? Such as like it would not be possible to fit in the GVP 3001 MC68030 board because the slowdown would be substancial or would it? With the GVP 3001 the board would take over and it has it own ram and I would have the hard drive in the Bodega Bay and maybe a C= ethernet card and everything that used speed would be there and the nonfunction chips such as MC68000 would be in the A500. Anyways I shall stop my mindless drivel! Please no flames about Montgomery Grant: I know they are evil but I just used them to quote prices! Any Info Would be helpful! J.Norell Guttman njg2@po.cwru.edu Amiga Rulez!!!!!
sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) (11/14/90)
critical.mass@pro-graphics.cts.com (Peter Altamore) writes: >The December 90 issue of AmigaWorld contains a few mind blowers (ads, what > >Page 138 contains an an for Ampex Systems Inc. They are selling >Professional Page, Professional Draw, Design 3D and Moviesetter for $39.95 >each or as a bundle (all four) for $100.00. Looking at other ads this >stacks up to be in the neighborhood of $400+ of software. I called up about this one. They are selling the old versions of the software. The particular one I checked on was pro page. They are selling 1.2, I called Gold Disk and asked them what there current version was and what the upgrade policy was. They are up to version 2.0 and it will cost $100 to upgrade from 1.2, however if you have version 1.3 and you purchased it after August 1, 1990, the upgrade to 2.0 is free, if you send in your registration card with proof of purchase. So (at least in IMHO) the Ampex deals are not so good after all. Unless you will be happy with the old version and don't plan on upgrading. It costs almost as much to upgrade as it would to buy the newer version mailorder. [BTW: Is Pro Page the one that ASDG recommends for use with their Sharp scanner and Scanlab software? Or is it PageStream? I always get those two mixed up. And which do most people consider the better?] -- John Sparks |D.I.S.K. Public Access Unix System| Multi-User Games, Email sparks@corpane.UUCP |PH: (502) 968-DISK 24Hrs/2400BPS | Usenet, Chatting, =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|7 line Multi-User system. | Downloads & more. A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of----Ogden Nash
JKT100@psuvm.psu.edu (JKT) (11/15/90)
Watch it. The 4 programs advertised as $39.95 each are old versions.
I had suspected ProPage was version 1.3 and it turned out to be version
1.2. To their credit, the guy I talked to told me up front that it
was version 1.2 before I even asked... He said something about them
being left over from another store going out of business.
Kurt
--
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|| Kurt Tappe (215) 363-9485 || Amigas, Macs, IBM's, C-64's, NeXTs, ||
|| 184 W. Valley Hill Rd. || Apple ]['s.... I use 'em all. ||
|| Malvern, PA 19355-2214 || (and in that order too! ;-) ||
|| jkt100@psuvm.psu.edu --------------------------------------||
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------joseph@valnet.UUCP (Joseph P. Hillenburg) (11/17/90)
Yeah. Just for reference, the latest Pro Page is 2.0, and the latest Pro
Draw is also 2.0.
Joseph Hillenburg
Secretary, Bloomington Amiga Users Group
joseph@valnet.UUCP ...!iuvax!valnet!joseph
"Only Apple could slow down a 68000 chip." -Computer Shopperfhwri%CONNCOLL.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (11/18/90)
Re: Pagestream 2.0 vs. Pro Page 1.3
There's no contest: Pagestream 2.0 blows Pro Page 1.3 away, IMHO.
I will, of course, upgrade Pro Page to 2.0 whenever I get the upgrade
notice and tell you of my findings, but, for now, Pro Page 1.3 is residing
comfortably on my Quarterback backup disks, and *NOT* on my hard drive.
Pagestream 2.0 IS on my hard drive.
--Rick Wrigley
fhwri@conncoll.bitnet