wes@wsccs.UUCP (Barnacle Wes) (02/13/88)
Neil Harris (or anyone at Atari):
Is there anything more you can tell us about this 68030-based system?
(Other than it will be announced/released/showed at the Hanover Fair.)
Is this the fabled "TT" computer? How much memory, disk space, I/O
connectors, bus slots, serial ports, and etc does it have? Does it have
graphics, or will we be plugging our ST's into it as the console?
(OK, OK, I realize this was a waste of time, but I *HAD* to ask).
--
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/ U i n T e c h \ - Isaac Asimov - obie!wesgood@atari.UUCP (Roy Good) (02/18/88)
First I should introduce myself. I have recently joined Atari's engineering group with responsibility for the coordination of product development, both hardware and software. So now you've all got someone new to singe! One of the things I will be trying to implement is a more structured and timely approach to the release of information regarding the status of new products, their specifications, capabilities etc, as well as trying to bring more focus into the channels through which such information is disseminated. For the Atari 68030 UNIX (tm AT&T etc etc) system, the story is that the ubit will be previewed at Hannover to a very select group of invitees. I have perhaps a more cautious view towards product announcements and release, and prefer to wait until a product is in a known and marketable state before making definitive statements. Others in this industry do not necessarily share my viewpoint! The 68030 will be a full V.3.1 SVID-compatible unit, and it is my hope that we will be able to fight off the inevitable clamoring for early units until such time as the entire product has gone through all the test cycles that such a product needs to be exposed to before it is ready for mass release. By 'entire product' I mean the real system, including options and supporting software and applications, and not just a very good box which comes up with a prompt. Right now our prototype design looks good and is happily running a lot of UNIX code, but there is still work to be done to make it a complete product, including various neat and special interfaces. By the same token, I do not like to see software put out for general arrow-shooting until our own quivers, and those of our closest trusted associates, have been emptied. And then it will be released for a reasonable Beta test period before being made generally available. Many of us here do read the input for enhancements, fixes etc, on this net, Bix, Genie and Compuserve. Much of that input has been acted upon for the upcoming TOS release for ST & Mega. Some of you will doubtless be disappointed that your own pet wishes have not all be incorporated; many of you will be glad to see that we have taken notice. It is very easy to be forced into premature releases due to public pressure. And very dangerous. I hope we at Atari, and you the valued customers, can work together to provide a better product for all. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roy J. Good Product Development, Atari Corporation Views expressed are my own. Atari may agree or disagree; they have the right. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas_E_Zerucha@cup.portal.com (02/19/88)
Thanks for the report on the 68030. I am wondering if there will be at least a socket for a 68882 (if not the chip - or the 881) or some other support for floating point. In this case I think I prefer to stick with the standard 882 instead of going custom.