[comp.sys.atari.st] Atari 68020 box

pete@utgpu.UUCP (03/08/87)

	Hi everybody,

	I would like to thank the guys at Atari for the recent bunch of
postings. We very much appreciate your contributions.
	I also would like to heartily commend them on the proposal for the
design of the 68020 box. I, like many others, waited anxiously to see
what that "other" company would announce with their new machines. BUT
after seeing the price of the "Tan Toaster II" (over $9000 Canadian) I
quickly gave up on them ever getting thier prices realistic.
	I would like to ask a couple of questions, out of interest, and
so that we may quelch the certain plethora of rumours to come:
1. Any guestimate (And I expect netters to treat it that way) of an arrival
   date?

2. Processor speed? Memory? Are the designs final?

3. Most important, how many bucks? Will the average person be able to afford
   the beast?

	I will certainly not ask what un*x system it will use, since that
has obviously not been decided. Am I right in assuming that a Un*x windowing
environment (GEM?) will be resident in the 1040? And that the 68020 box will
serve as a "raw horsepower" machine? With the blitter, this makes a lot of
sence.

	Again, thanks for the info, I realise that you probably won't be
able to answer many of these questions for marketing/development reasons.

						Pete Santangeli
						pete@utgpu

leavens@atari.UUCP (Alex Leavens) (03/09/87)

in article <1987Mar7.232932.23308@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>, pete@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Peter Santangeli) says:
> 1. Any guestimate (And I expect netters to treat it that way) of an arrival
>    date?

  Our projected date is now sometime early 88, but that's a guesstimate,
of course.  <grin>

> 2. Processor speed? Memory? Are the designs final?

  From what I understand, the designs are not final.  One thing that has
been holding us up is waiting for Motorola to finish their MMU that works
with the 68030.  We want that, so that the design can be made so taht you
can upgrade to a 30 if you want.  Speed?  real fast.  <grin>

> 3. Most important, how many bucks? Will the average person be able to afford
>    the beast?

  I expect so, although we don't have any prices.  Remember our slogan:
Power Without The Price <grin>.

  Yes, it will plug in the back of the current ST's, and use the ST as a
superfast supersmart front end.

--alex @ Atar

BIX: alexl.           GEnie: ALEXLEAVENS            AtariCorp: 408-745-2006