[comp.sys.amiga] OverEngineering?

daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) (08/14/90)

In article <MWM.90Aug13121801@raven.pa.dec.com> mwm@raven.pa.dec.com (Mike (Real Amigas have keyboard garages) Meyer) writes:
>In article <90224.193706JKT100@psuvm.psu.edu> JKT <JKT100@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:

>   >>Of course, I'm not going to buy an IBM PC now. With the 3000, CBM has
>   >>managed to design a machine that's I think is worth spending money on
>   >>(that's a first for them). Even with the overengineering, it's still
>					      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>   >>the most cost-effective path to a modern, multi-tasking OS that
>   >>provides sufficient resources to meet my needs.

>   I don't think you explained clearly enough what you meant by this.
>   Do you mean you want to be stuck when you want to upgrade to a 68040
>   without being able to?  

>I seriously doubt that I'll only use one slot, also. Chances are good
>that I'll never use any. 

I don't agree with Mike's term "overengineering", but I do see his point.  He's
saying that he can go out and pretty much get a PClone with just the features
he plans to use.  Which is true, you don't have to plunk down $8K for the 
latest '486 from Compaq or $4K for a medium speed EISA machine if all you're
ever going to need is a machine with a Fast '386, built-in IDE or EDSI hard
disk, room for 8 or 16 megs of RAM, and one or two ISA slots, which are just
about for free.  There are zillions of different PClone vendors, and if you
know enough about your own needs to see you won't much expansion or support,
you can cut out some of the things which make an A3000 expensive and get the
same or better CPU performance for a little less money.  

You can't have this anywhere there aren't clones.  Currently, Commodore, Apple,
Sun, DEC, MIPS, Sony, HP, etc. have to build each machine to meet their 
specific goals.  Commodore has a reputation for low cost, but at least since 
the Amiga line began we've tried to build very balanced systems, since each 
system may have to be many things to many people.  Others have placed other 
priorities on what goes into a system.  

>	<mike
-- 
Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests"
   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh      PLINK: hazy     BIX: hazy
      Get that coffee outta my face, put a Margarita in its place!