Steve@sandv.UUCP (Steve Laisch) (06/03/91)
Any one know if IMS will allow families to lease the MM/1? I mean, every time I call IMS I find out the MM/1 can ONLY be leased thru a business type deal. I am a 17 year old student who has 1 more year of Highschool before I attend college and I would like to have this terminal so I can use the C language and the graphics thru C..
kdarling@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) (06/06/91)
>Any one know if IMS will allow families to lease the MM/1? I mean, every time >I call IMS I find out the MM/1 can ONLY be leased thru a business type deal. I don't think it was up to them, but a condition from the financing bank. If they can figure out a home/person deal, I'm sure they will do so. Of course, you could always do like some families these days, and incorporate yourselves ;-). regards - kevin <kdarling@catt.ncsu.edu>
jhenders@wimsey.bc.ca (John Henders) (06/06/91)
In article <90@sandv.UUCP> Steve@sandv.UUCP (Steve Laisch) writes: > ...<stuff about leasing an MM/1 deleted> Is there any MM/1 discussion going on in any newsgroups? I'm interested in one, and would like to see what users think of it? John Henders On Usenet:jhenders@wimsey.bc.ca ...ubc-cs!van-bc!jhenders
swansonc@acc.stolaf.edu (Chris Swanson) (06/09/91)
Greetings, Here's one, short question: What is the MM/1? Regards, -=Chris -- Chris Swanson, C.U. CS/Pre-med Student, 1502 N. 59 st., Omaha, NE 68104-4830 DDN: [CDS6] INTERNET: swansonc@acc.stolaf.edu UUCP: uunet!stolaf!swansonc AT&T: Work: (402)-449-4894 Home: (402)-551-7393 or (402)-551-0766 I would deny this reality, but that wouldn't pay the bills...
kdarling@hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) (06/10/91)
> Here's one, short question: What is the MM/1?
Short general answer: it's one of several new 680x0 computers, which have
in common that they come with the OS-9 multitasking/user operating system.
Intended for personal, small business, or industrial controller usages.
Specific answer: "MM/1" stands for "MultiMedia computer version 1". An
ambitious name, but no more hype-ish than most computers/ads these days,
I guess ;-). Will depend on what 3td party soft/hardware shows up.
Hardware details: Two 4x9" six-layer cards plugged into a small bus.
The first card uses the CMOS Signetics 68070/VSC cpu/video/system-controller
chip set at 15MHz. Basically the 68070 is an effective-12.5Mhz 68000 clone
integrated with dual DMA channels, MMU, I2C interprocessor bus and timers.
The video output is NTSC/PAL-freq RGB-analog with sync polarity jumpers,
with these main NTSC modes:
320 x 210/420 at 256 colors/pixel (normal/interlace)
384 x 240/480 at 256 colors/pixel (overscan)
640 x 210/420 at 16 colors/pixel (normal/interlace)
768 x 240/480 at 16 colors/pixel (overscan)
The video chip itself includes a one R/W cycle pixel logic combinatorial
unit, and can execute special modechange instructions per each scanline.
There's also a video RAM output header for expansion to other resolution
combinations. The included palette controller is a Brooktree Bt478,
giving 8-bits each R/G/B for a total of 16 million+ color choices.
First card also has 2 serial ports (MIDI adapter for one is available),
single-bit sound, DMA high-density floppy controller, PC/XT keyboard port,
1-Meg RAM, boot/debug ROM.
Second card has a battery-backed clock, DMA SCSI port, 2 parallel, 3 serial,
dual channel (stereo) DMAable 8-bit line-level A/D/A ports (input & output),
analog joystick, two SIMM (mac/pc) RAM sockets: expansion to 3M or 9M total.
Included software: Professional OS9/68K ver2.4, C compiler, multiple screen/
window driver, dozens of programming/gfx utilities, uucp, etc. I think
if you get both cards, low-profile case and a 1.4meg 3.5" drive, it's a bit
less than $1000 right now... user buys his own desired PC keyboard and mouse.
Addons being tested include a color frame capture board and an 68EC30 card.
It's from Interactive Media Systems. I'm sure someone knows the address.
Mostly an OS9 fanatics' machine right now. So it's not really competing for
buyers of the A-word computer. Also, IMS intends to later sell Amiga/OS9.
I personally don't care what machine anyone buys, as long as it has OS-9 ;-).
Disclaimer: I'm working on a windowing system to be used on it, the other
two 68K/OS9 systems, plus for ports Atari ST/OS9, Mac/OS9, and Amiga/OS9.
But whether my own stuff is used or not, the longterm goal is create a new,
united 68K-machine software market. cheers - kevin <kdarling@catt.ncsu.edu>