filbo@gorn.santa-cruz.ca.us (Bela Lubkin) (12/29/89)
Kenneth J. Jamieson: >BUT, be aware that the EISA specs main claim to fame is that the old XT/AT >cards will plug in and run without modification. Tom Limoncelli: >...and THANK GOD for that! I just helped someone buy a 486 machine >and I know that when I spend $xx,000 on a new computer my TOP TOP TOP >priority is being able to re-used my 8-bit CGA card. Otherwise I'd >have to sell it used for about $25. Kenneth J. Jamieson: >Hmm.. what a funny concept , most of use that can handle it and don't have >rich uncle's usually just upgrade a bit at a time. It is a LOT easier when >you can buy JUST a motherbord NOW , and upgrade to faster add ons later. >But hey , go ahead, I mean, I am sure YOU wont mind tossing all your old >stuff every year or so? You both miss the point of compatible busses -- which is the only part of this discussion that is germane to comp.sys.amiga. Some people may buy EISA machines and re-use their old 8-bit CGA cards, or whatever, but probably not many. What they WILL do is buy an EISA bus with confidence that if they need an A-to-D converter, an Ethernet adapter, an Apple II emulation card, access to their ancient tape archives (which need a controller from a company that is no longer in business), etc., they will be able to buy cards that already exist in the market instead of sitting around WAITING for some company to develop an equivalent card for the new bus. The Zorro II bus certainly doesn't have as many devices available for it as the "ISA" (AT) bus, but it has some. It also has a lot less companies developing for it. It would be foolish to release an incompatible bus because there would be NO boards for it, and only the small Amiga hardware developers' community to remedy that. Release an enhanced-but-compatible bus and it is immediately useful -- less useful than it will be when new boards exist for it, but useful enough. (Flame-retardant: you probably both DON'T miss the point, you're just following this line of argument because it got started and demands to be finished...) Bela Lubkin * * // filbo@gorn.santa-cruz.ca.us CI$: 73047,1112 (slow) @ * * // belal@sco.com ..ucbvax!ucscc!{gorn!filbo,sco!belal} R Pentomino * \X/ Filbo @ Pyrzqxgl +408-476-4633 and XBBS +408-476-4945