papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) (10/10/89)
The following is the text of an article by Gina Smith and Steven Burke, with additional reporting by John Pallatto, published in the front page of the October 2, 1989 isssue of PC Week: IBM, MICROSOFT SET STAGE FOR STEREO, VIDEO PS/2 IBM is developing a PS/2 with whiz-bang audio and video capabilities that promises to be the foundation of its multimedia computing environment in the 1990s. A multimedia-enhanced version of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 3.0 is also under development, according to sources close to the project. Tailored to the new PS/2, Microsoft's program will enable developers to create sophisticated multimedia applications for markets such as education, computer-based training, busines presentations, entertainment and adverstising, sources said. Applications may include music videos, animation, talking flowcharts and personnel files composed of videos and voice records of employees, sources said. Moreover, developers will be able to design multimedia interfaces that make existing applications such as databases and spreadsheets easier to use. IBM plans to release by next fall the as-yet-unnamed PS/2 model for less than $4,000, according to sources. Early plans for the Micro Channel 386SX-based machine include a CD ROM drive; a digital signal processor; Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) ports; stereo audio, microphone input and game ports; a music synthesizer; and an internal modem, sources said. The multimedia version of Windows 3.0 will be preconfigured on the hard disk with DOS 4.0, sources said. The Windows enhancements will include an extensive multimedia application programming interface, programming tools and a Apple HyperCard-like batch language, sources said. Microsoft is courting software developers with sample code to convince them to develop for the multi-media environment, according to sources. Developing such applications will be easier than ever, the sources explained, because of the dynamic link libraries (DDLs) that Microsoft is providing in the multimedia extensions to Windows 3.0. Those DDLs include code for creating and editing static and animated graphics; an audio-device interface library that allows users to play and record complex sound tracks and synchronize them with video; search and retrieve routines for CD ROM files; modem support; and a special-effect library for graphics. Although officials at IBM headquarters in Armonk, N.Y., would give no details about the machine, they have committed in the past to bring multimedia technology to the mainstream PC market. Microsoft officials in Redmond, Wash., also declined to comment on whether they are developing a special version of Windows for the multimedia PS/2. However, they have in the past slated plans to extend both Windows and Presentation Manager to run on multimedia hardware. "At the moment, the market belongs to Apple", said Richard Shaffer, editor of the Technologic Computer Letter in New York. But, he said, "IBM is big enough that it can come into the game late and still win". [A picture accompanies the article, with the following headline: Windows Gets a Multimedia Library New Dynamic Link Library Extensions include: Audio-Device Interface Task Manager Animation Metafile Rich Text Bitmap Search Modem Special Effects Resource Manager Sprite ] --- END OF QUOTE My only comment is this: Do you think IBM and Microsoft looked at an Amiga? :-) Dynamic libraries, MIDI, modem port, animation, special effects, audio ports sprites, animation files: I seem to have seen those before :-) Maybe the Amiga is becoming 'mainstream'. Seriously: I truly hope 1.4 comes out SOON. Food for thought, Amiga fans :-) -- Marco Papa 'Doc' -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= uucp:...!pollux!papa BIX:papa ARPAnet:pollux!papa@oberon.usc.edu "There's Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Diga and Caligari!" -- Rick Unland -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) (10/11/89)
In article <20405@usc.edu> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes: >IBM, MICROSOFT SET STAGE FOR STEREO, VIDEO PS/2 > Gawd! not again. IBM 'steals' ideas from mainstream computers, calls it it's own, and the press goes for it. Sheesh! First they take the acronym 'PC' and make it so that whenever you hear the word you have to mean 'IBM PC'. Then they come out with an 'Enhanced' keyboard and make the press go ga-ga about how great it is, not one word was mentioned that DEC had the same keyboard on their 'PCs' and VT terminals for a few years before IBM. Now they are going to make a multi-media machine, so I guess it's time for Amiga to hang up its hat and turn over the leadership to IBM. Cuz when they do it, they will be known as the 'innovators' of this technology, even though Amiga was there first. But one good thing may come out of it: Now that IBM will support graphics, sound, MIDI, game ports, etc, it will be slightly harder for them to point at Amiga and cry "game machine". We can just point back and say "Nyah! Look who's talkin'" > "At the moment, the market belongs to Apple", said Richard Shaffer, Apple????? just where do they come off with that? How many TV shows use Apples? How many music videos have Apples in them :-). If you look at the visibility of the two, it seems to me that Amiga has a much higher profile outside of the standard computer industry. Amiga has inroads in the music business, hollywood, and a lot of scientific and university applications. >editor of the Technologic Computer Letter in New York. But, he said, "IBM >is big enough that it can come into the game late and still win". Translation: IBM is *BIG*. They can swipe technology/terminology any time they want and make it theirs. Blech! -- John Sparks | {rutgers|uunet}!ukma!corpane!sparks | D.I.S.K. 24hrs 1200bps ||||||||||||||| sparks@corpane.UUCP | 502/968-5401 thru -5406 Although the moon is smaller than the earth, it is farther away.
king@dciem.dciem.dnd.ca (Stephen King) (10/12/89)
In article <20405@usc.edu> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes: > [...] >My only comment is this: Do you think IBM and Microsoft looked at an Amiga? :-) >Dynamic libraries, MIDI, modem port, animation, special effects, audio ports >sprites, animation files: I seem to have seen those before :-) Maybe the >Amiga is becoming 'mainstream'. At the recent audio-video show here in Toronto, two computers were featured extensively: the Mac II and the Amiga. There is a pro-video editing package for the MacII that plays realtime video in a window from the hard disc. Fabulous. While there are many terrific packages for the Amiga, nothing seems to come even close to what this MacII was able to do <sigh>. Perhaps we are in the process of being scooped. >Seriously: I truly hope 1.4 comes out SOON. I would rather see an Amiga 3000 that supported HDTV, 32 bit DMA, etc. BTW, I saw the Sony HDTV display - WOW. Looks more like film than video. I also saw NEC's HDTV, and guess what? - they got their source video from a Sony videodisc!! The Sony rep told me that many production houses are using HDTV for mastering their stuff, then converting it to NTSC for distribution. SMPTE has adopted the Sony HDTV standard (or, one of them as the case may be), so come on Commodore, look at what's going on and get with it! Don't let MicroSoft heap another shitty defacto standard onto us! Thanks. (soapbox mode off) -- Se non e` vero, e` ben trovato ...{utzoo|mnetor}!dciem!dretor!king king@dretor.dciem.dnd.ca
usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) (10/13/89)
In article <2571@dciem.dciem.dnd.ca> king@dretor.dciem.dnd.ca (Stephen King) writes: ->In article <20405@usc.edu> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes: ->> [...] -> ->Fabulous. While there are many terrific packages for the Amiga, nothing ->seems to come even close to what this MacII was able to do <sigh>. I suggest that you check the price tags on the two systems. I would bet that the Apple setup costs more than twice the amiga setup does. -> ->>Seriously: I truly hope 1.4 comes out SOON. -> ->I would rather see an Amiga 3000 that supported HDTV, 32 bit DMA, etc. (CBM could make this happen, but then I doubt you could afford an A3000 if they did. I sure couldn't. Heck, I'd be happy if I could have some expansion memory, and ecstatic with a hard drive too!) This is tough since there really isn't an HDTV standard yet. There are lots of proposals, but I have not heard of any kind of consensus yet. I could easily be wrong. Joe Porkka porkka@frith.egr.msu.edu
tra@avsd.UUCP (Ted Asocks) (10/13/89)
In article <2571@dciem.dciem.dnd.ca> king@dretor.dciem.dnd.ca (Stephen King) writes: > >I would rather see an Amiga 3000 that supported HDTV, 32 bit DMA, etc. stuff deleted >the case may be), so come on Commodore, look at what's going on and get >with it! more stuff deleted > ...{utzoo|mnetor}!dciem!dretor!king king@dretor.dciem.dnd.ca Please let's be realistic about HDTV and the Amiga 3000, I for one would like to afford a 3000. By doing some rough calculations using some SMPTE information on production HDTV standard: Sampling rate: 74.25 Mhz Active pixels: 1920 x 1035 Bits per pixel: 24 Using the above specifications the memory required to store one frame of HDTV would be over 5.96 megabytes, one field would be half of that (HDTV is 2:1 interlaced). That might make animations a little tough :-). Then add the special HDTV monitor with a 16:9 aspect ratio (the wider aspect ratio is responsible for much of the impact of HDTV) which cost about $6000 at the low end, you have got yourself an expensive system. I did see a HDTV framestore for the Mac at NAB in April, the price with 12 megs of memory as of June 2, 1989 was $45,000. It should be available early 1990. The manufacturer is Rebo Research, NY, NY. It may be a little cheaper now that the price of memory is going down :-). All the above does not take into account the inevitable data compression that will be used with HDTV, that will reduce memory requirements, but it still will be expensive. I haven't mentioned the bus bandwidth required to update the screen yet... but I think I've made my point. -- --------------------------- UUCP: {ucbvax,hplabs,octopus}!avsd!S!tra | Ted Asocks | POST: AMPEX Corp, Redwood City, CA 94063 --------------------------- PHONE: (415) 367-2853 My views and opinions do not represent those of my company
tdesjardins@spurge.waterloo.edu (Tim Desjardins) (10/13/89)
In article <4962@cps3xx.UUCP> porkka@frith.UUCP (Joe Porkka) writes: >->... seems to come even close to what this MacII was able to do <sigh>. > >I suggest that you check the price tags on the two systems. >I would bet that the Apple setup costs more than twice the amiga setup >does. Unfortunately big schools and business don't care that much about price as they do about functionality. So Apple could sell all kinds of big price tag systems and create a standard and small business and the consumer would be left in the cold with no Apple and no multimedia hardware or software. > ... >This is tough since there really isn't an HDTV standard yet. > Joe Porkka porkka@frith.egr.msu.edu You're right, there is no North American HDTV standard yet, the FCC has demanded that regular TV's be able to receive HDTV broadcasts ( obviously the signal has a subcarrier or something for the regular TV signal or vice versa ). One last disclaimer I'm not saying that regular TV's will be able to display HDTV quality pictures, but that a broadcast of a program should be viewable on both HDTV's and regular TV's, in thier own resoltions respectively. Have a nice day. Tim Desjardins. tdesjardins@spurge.waterloo.{edu|cdn}
david@ms.uky.edu (David Herron -- One of the vertebrae) (10/19/89)
As I said to a friend the other day ...
it would be a shame for Apple to take away a market that Commodore created.
(and now IBM ... sheesh ...)
--
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