kim@amdahl.UUCP (03/14/87)
[ "Send lawyers, guns, and money ..." ]
I'm posting this for a friend here who does not have direct access
to the net. It *is* something worth thinking about now ...
/kim
From Pete Jordan @ Amdahl Corp:
For those fortunate enough to directly use USENET, could you ask
Commodore a question for me?
I would like to know what the odds are of updating an Amiga 2000 to
a full 32-bit data path machine are in the future, beyond the 68020
accelerator card already mentioned? For example, will we be able to
replace mother boards or will we have to buy a completely new machine?
It's not to early for Commodore engineering to start addressing this
issue, even if we are talking about 1988 or (gulp) 1989.
Thank you very much.
--
UUCP: kim@amdahl.amdahl.com
or: {sun,decwrl,hplabs,pyramid,ihnp4,seismo,oliveb,cbosgd}!amdahl!kim
DDD: 408-746-8462
USPS: Amdahl Corp. M/S 249, 1250 E. Arques Av, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
CIS: 76535,25
[ Any thoughts or opinions which may or may not have been expressed ]
[ herein are my own. They are not necessarily those of my employer. ]grr@cbmvax.UUCP (03/15/87)
In article <5893@amdahl.UUCP> kim@amdahl.UUCP (Kim DeVaughn) writes: >From Pete Jordan @ Amdahl Corp: > > I would like to know what the odds are of updating an Amiga 2000 to > a full 32-bit data path machine are in the future, beyond the 68020 > accelerator card already mentioned? For example, will we be able to > replace mother boards or will we have to buy a completely new machine? > It's not to early for Commodore engineering to start addressing this > issue, even if we are talking about 1988 or (gulp) 1989. The general plan is that a 68020 card would have a 32-bit local memory bus, with the existing 16-bit expansion bus becoming, in effect, a "slow" peripheral/memory bus. This allows 32-bit performance levels without the trashing the existant expansion bus products and the custom chip set. Putting the 68020 on the mainboard is basically a cost/marketing decision. The base price for such a system would be substantially more than the current A2000 (though not as much as a Mac II 8-). It is hard to tell whether such main-boards would be interchangable. If this product was created in the near-future, commonality of casework would be a big plus. In the longer term, other issues such as the trend toward small, sexy cases might be more important. Such issues are addressed, however it is important to remember that the benefit of giving "new" customers a cheaper machine may outweigh concerns about providing "cheap" upgrades that might add to the base price or other- wise detract from sale appeal of a new machine. *** these are personal opinions and perspectives, not a Commodore position *** -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)
pbrody@udenva.UUCP (Paul Brody ) (03/16/87)
I have a few questions about the 2000. First, will an expansion box be made available for 1000 users to plug in 2000 cards ? Second, will the 3000 will finished by the end of this year or early next year ? What is the delay ? Finally, are there new custom chips being developed that will eliminate interlace flicker ? Will it be possible to retrofit them on older Amigas ? =--=--=--=--Paul Brody -==-==-==-==DU
grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) (03/17/87)
In article <3263@udenva.UUCP> pbrody@udenva.UUCP (Paul Brody ) writes: > >I have a few questions about the 2000. > >First, will an expansion box be made available for 1000 users to plug in 2000 >cards ? Commodore has always given the A1000 expansion box market to third parties (for better or worse 8-). At this point, CSA and ASDG have announced A1000 expansion boxes that accept the new form factor cards and provide some additional degree of A2000ness. Byte-by-Byte has committed themselves to further development of "zorro" cards. The other players have yet to be heard from in public. >Second, will the 3000 will finished by the end of this year or early next >year ? What is the delay ? The current A2000 with the plug-in processor cards stands somewhere between the original A2000 and A3000 product notions. We hope have the 68020 card available within few months after the A2000 hits the streets. With to expansion possible in the A2000 framework, plans for an A3000 machine are somewhat vague. It seems reasonable to expect further developments using the A2000 product as a starting point, rather than prior A2000, A3000, "Ranger" product concepts. >Finally, are there new custom chips being developed that will eliminate >interlace flicker ? Will it be possible to retrofit them on older Amigas ? We are currently working on an enhanced version of the Amiga chipset. Retrofits for the A1000's are problematic, since it is far easier design in new chips than to shove them into designs completed before the details of the chips were defined. As engineers, we try to provide for the future, but our crystal balls are notoriouly cloudy and our ability to predict market trends is marginal at best. -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by mStr120k I
page@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu (Bob Page) (03/17/87)
> will the 3000 [be] finished by the end of this year or early next year?
Ha! What's a 3000?
Don't look for another machine for a long time.
..Bob
--
Bob Page, U of Lowell CS Dept. ulowell!page, page@ulowell.CSNET