mcohen@nrtc.northrop.com (Marty Cohen) (11/16/88)
Quote without permission from the current (Nov 14) InfoWorld, page 40: ======================================================================== "Commodore Business Machines Inc. of West Chester, Pennsylvania, expands the AT-compatible market with the introduction of its small-footprint system, the PC40-III. The PC40-III runs at 12 MHz with zero wait states and includes 1 megabyte of RAM expandable to 16 megabytes, 256K of video display RAM, and IBM VGA-compatible video and graphics modes. A 1.2 megabyte 5-1/4-inch floppy disk drive and a 40-megabyte drive are also standard. The unit includes four full-length expansion slots and built-in parallel, serial, and mouse ports. Available by the end of the year, the PC40-III costs $2,395, including MS-DOS and GW Basic. CBM is also showing the Amiga 2500. Although it is powered by the Motorola 68020 processor, users can add an MS-DOS compatible 286 Bridgeboard to the system, letting it run MS-DOS compatible software as an AT. The Amiga 2500 contains 7 full-size internal expansion slots, including four PC XT/AT and twp dual-purpose slots, a CPU expansion slot, and a video expansion slot. The Bridgeboard sells for $699.95 and is available now." ======================================================== How much of this is rumors, and how much fact - especially the $700 AT Bridgeboard and A2500 (though that is "showing", not shipping?
daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (11/17/88)
in article <5438@louie.udel.EDU>, mcohen@nrtc.northrop.com (Marty Cohen) says: > The Amiga 2500 contains 7 full-size internal expansion slots, > including four PC XT/AT and twp dual-purpose slots, a CPU expansion > slot, and a video expansion slot. > How much of this is rumors, and how much fact - especially the > $700 AT Bridgeboard and A2500 (though that is "showing", not > shipping? As mentioned here before, A2000+A2620 = A2500. Isn't mathemathics funs. One misleading statement there is the "CPU expansion slot". True, the A2000 has one, but if you buy an A2500, you'll find that there's an A2620 sitting in that expansion slot. There are a total of 9 expansion slots in an A2000. 1 Video slot, 1 CPU slot, 2 XT-only slots, 3 Amiga "Zorro II" slots, and 2 XT/AT/ZorroII slots (eg, bridge cards can go here). They may be announcing pricing and availability of these items during Comdex, but I've heard nothing official so far. CATS is accepting orders for A2620s from commercial developers under the developer program, and they are pretty close to shipping in general. -- Dave Haynie "The 32 Bit Guy" Commodore-Amiga "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: D-DAVE H BIX: hazy Amiga -- It's not just a job, it's an obsession
space@sns.UUCP (Lars Soltau) (11/20/88)
In article <5253@cbmvax.UUCP> daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes: >CATS is accepting orders for >A2620s from commercial developers under the developer program, and they >are pretty close to shipping in general. > >-- >Dave Haynie "The 32 Bit Guy" Commodore-Amiga "The Crew That Never Rests" > {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: D-DAVE H BIX: hazy > Amiga -- It's not just a job, it's an obsession Hmmm, this sounds great. I have been waiting for the A2620 ever since on the Hannover Fair '88 that Commodore guy told me that "production will begin next week". I am, however, worried that if I grab this thing as soon as it gets available, I might be in for some nasty surprises like "minor design changes". I still remember the A2090/A2090A case, I have an old A2090 in my A2000 and don't know for sure yet if I will ever be able to autoboot from it. So here's my two questions: 1) is this card in its final state? 2) is the UNIX port ready, i.e. will it become available at the same time as the A2620? BTW, it's great that you guys from CATS are available here on Usenet for questions. This shows that you are comitted to the Amiga. -- Lars Soltau UUCP: ...uunet!unido!sns!space BIX: -- no bucks -- Here's looking at you, kid! -- the Medusa
ditto@cbmvax.UUCP (Michael "Ford" Ditto) (11/22/88)
In article <77@sns.UUCP> space@sns.UUCP (Lars Soltau) writes: >Hmmm, this sounds great. I have been waiting for the A2620 ever since on the >Hannover Fair '88 that Commodore guy told me that "production will begin next >week". >I am, however, worried that if I grab this thing as soon as it gets available, >I might be in for some nasty surprises like "minor design changes". I still >remember the A2090/A2090A case, I have an old A2090 in my A2000 and don't >know for sure yet if I will ever be able to autoboot from it. > >So here's my two questions: >1) is this card in its final state? Is anything ever in its final state? :-) Seriously, though, given the amount of time that 2620's have been around C=A and the number of revisions there have been (not a lot, but enough to convince me that the thing's been thought through) I'd be quite happy to buy one today. >2) is the UNIX port ready, i.e. will it become available at the same time > as the A2620? Unix works fine (does that make it "ready"?) and registered developers can apply to purchase beta A2500UX machines now. According to the "rumors" I hear, the A2500 is "available" now, the A2500UX (same thing plus bigger disk, cartridge tape & Unix) will come along right behind (i.e. Real Soon Now) and then the A2620 and Unix will be available as separate (upgrade) products. Only the A2500 is officially announced, the rest was shown at COMDEX as a "technology preview" -- no date or price commitments. I think they announced a price for the A2500, but I can't remember it. -- -=] Ford [=- "The number of Unix installations (In Real Life: Mike Ditto) has grown to 10, with more expected." ford@kenobi.cts.com - The Unix Programmer's Manual, ...!sdcsvax!crash!elgar!ford 2nd Edition, June, 1972. ditto@cbmvax.commodore.com
space@sns.UUCP (Lars Soltau) (11/28/88)
In article <5290@cbmvax.UUCP> ditto@cbmvax.UUCP (Michael "Ford" Ditto) writes: >Is anything ever in its final state? :-) Seriously, though, given the >amount of time that 2620's have been around C=A and the number of revisions >there have been (not a lot, but enough to convince me that the thing's >been thought through) I'd be quite happy to buy one today. > Thnx for the answer, now I'm really hot for this thing. <hubba, hubba> :-) BTW, I want to express my satisfaction with the support CATS is giving users on the net. Nearly all questions get answered, no matter how dumb or smart. This provides for a somewhat personal relation between users and developers, like "this is our machine, and we're all sticking together". -- Lars Soltau UUCP: ...uunet!unido!sns!space BIX: -- no bucks -- Here's looking at you, kid! -- the Medusa
jdow@gryphon.COM (J. Dow) (11/28/88)
In article <5290@cbmvax.UUCP> ditto@cbmvax.UUCP (Michael "Ford" Ditto) writes: >In article <77@sns.UUCP> space@sns.UUCP (Lars Soltau) writes: >>Hmmm, this sounds great. I have been waiting for the A2620 ever since on the >>Hannover Fair '88 that Commodore guy told me that "production will begin next >>week". >>So here's my two questions: >>1) is this card in its final state? > >Is anything ever in its final state? :-) Seriously, though, given the >amount of time that 2620's have been around C=A and the number of revisions >there have been (not a lot, but enough to convince me that the thing's >been thought through) I'd be quite happy to buy one today. > >>2) is the UNIX port ready, i.e. will it become available at the same time >> as the A2620? > >Unix works fine (does that make it "ready"?) and registered developers >can apply to purchase beta A2500UX machines now. According to the >"rumors" I hear, the A2500 is "available" now, the A2500UX (same thing >plus bigger disk, cartridge tape & Unix) will come along right behind >(i.e. Real Soon Now) and then the A2620 and Unix will be available as >separate (upgrade) products. Only the A2500 is officially announced, >the rest was shown at COMDEX as a "technology preview" -- no date or >price commitments. There are some issues with the UNIX that still need solution. For one thing we need a generic interface tool that will allow device drivers configured for AmigaDOS to also work with UNIX. SOme kind of utility willhave to be included or things will be pretty grim for folks who do not have 2090A controllers. Just now that 2500 box is a closed system that has absolutely no vendor support from other vendors that I know of. This is the word I garnered at COMDEX just past. If it is now obsolete would someone let me know, please? -- Sometimes a bird in the hand leaves a sticky deposit. Perhaps it were best it remain there in the bush with the other one. {@_@} jdow@bix (where else?) Sometimes the dragon wins. Sometimes jdow@gryphon.CTS.COM the knight. Does the fair maiden ever {backbone}!gryphon!jdow win? Surely both the knight and dragon stink. Maybe the maiden should suicide? Better yet - she should get an Amiga and quit playing with dragons and knights.
space@sns.UUCP (Lars Soltau) (11/30/88)
In article <9025@gryphon.COM> jdow@gryphon.COM (J. Dow) writes: [stuff deleted] >for AmigaDOS to also work with UNIX. SOme kind of utility willhave to be >included or things will be pretty grim for folks who do not have 2090A >controllers. I *do* have a 2090, but not a 2090A. How are my chances for a UNIX in this year? -- Lars Soltau UUCP: ...uunet!unido!sns!space BIX: -- no bucks -- Here's looking at you, kid! -- the Medusa
daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (11/30/88)
in article <77@sns.UUCP>, space@sns.UUCP (Lars Soltau) says: > Summary: Future versions of the A2620 > So here's my two questions: > 1) is this card in its final state? Yes. It allows autoboot in both AmigaOS and UNIX, etc. It's completely finalized; there WON'T be an A2620A or anything like that. Whoever you talked to last spring at Hannover obviously had nothing what so ever to do with the A2620 project. > 2) is the UNIX port ready, i.e. will it become available at the same time > as the A2620? UNIX is in beta test now. The A2620, and presumably the bundled A2500 US system, will be available before UNIX is released. Commercial developers can sign up for UNIX beta testing. > BTW, it's great that you guys from CATS are available here on Usenet for > questions. This shows that you are comitted to the Amiga. Us hardware systems engineering types are here too. We don't yet have an animal, though some of us used to be C128 Animals. > Lars Soltau UUCP: ...uunet!unido!sns!space BIX: -- no bucks -- > > Here's looking at you, kid! > -- the Medusa -- Dave Haynie "The 32 Bit Guy" Commodore-Amiga "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: D-DAVE H BIX: hazy Amiga -- It's not just a job, it's an obsession
daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (12/03/88)
in article <92@sns.UUCP>, space@sns.UUCP (Lars Soltau) says: > Summary: is that "A2090" or "A2090A"? > In article <9025@gryphon.COM> jdow@gryphon.COM (J. Dow) writes: >>for AmigaDOS to also work with UNIX. SOme kind of utility willhave to be >>included or things will be pretty grim for folks who do not have 2090A >>controllers. > I *do* have a 2090, but not a 2090A. How are my chances for a UNIX in this year? Amiga UNIX doesn't care about "A" or not. The register map is the same for both the 2090 and the 2090A. The actual UNIX device driver is in the A2620 ROMs. A person using only UNIX on an Amiga wouldn't know the difference between the two. > Lars Soltau UUCP: ...uunet!unido!sns!space BIX: -- no bucks -- -- Dave Haynie "The 32 Bit Guy" Commodore-Amiga "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: D-DAVE H BIX: hazy Amiga -- It's not just a job, it's an obsession
ditto@cbmvax.UUCP (Michael "Ford" Ditto) (12/03/88)
In article <92@sns.UUCP>, space@sns.UUCP (Lars Soltau) says: > I *do* have a 2090, but not a 2090A. How are my chances for a UNIX in this year? In article <5400@cbmvax.UUCP> daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes: >Amiga UNIX doesn't care about "A" or not. The register map is the same for >both the 2090 and the 2090A. The actual UNIX device driver is in the A2620 >ROMs. Actually, it's just the boot code that's in the ROM, not an actual Unix device driver, but the effect is the same. The ROM knows how to autoboot Unix from floppy and 2090 SCSI. I think it can also use ST-506, although I've never actually tried it. Someday, Unix might use the normal Exec autoboot facility, which would mean that 2090's would no longer work, but any autoboot devices would. -- -=] Ford [=- "The number of Unix installations (In Real Life: Mike Ditto) has grown to 10, with more expected." ford@kenobi.cts.com - The Unix Programmer's Manual, ...!sdcsvax!crash!elgar!ford 2nd Edition, June, 1972. ditto@cbmvax.commodore.com
FelineGrace@cup.portal.com (Dana B Bourgeois) (12/04/88)
Just a little tiny note to jdow:
let's say the maiden DOES get an Amiga and DOES quit playing with dragons.
Then what should she do? Can you tell? I've been waiting and wondering.
Thanks.............
^ ^
o o
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FelineGrace not DOGS, not GOATS, CATS! <-- that's the ticket