chandra@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Kevin M. Kilbride) (10/17/90)
Here's one for the rumor mill: I phoned M.A.S.T. 15OCT90 to inquire about their so-called "Infinity Machine," which some of you might recall was announced about a year ago and has been advertised in print off-and-on for nearly as long. I hadn't called these folks since early Spring, when they were still promising a release in the second quarter of 1990, but when I talked to them this time, they quoted me a release date: 15NOV90. The machine is now essentially a proprietary expansion bus for A500 and A1000 computers that comes with up to eight slots (the guy I was talking to spoke of "configurations" that had varying numbers of slots) into which you can plug a variety of modules. Existing modules include a selection of SCSI interfaces at a variety of performance levels (I neglected to ask if they were of the same family and upgradable) and a 24-bit color card with RGB in and out. The color card accepts the RGB output of the Amiga and forms a third playfield that is a backdrop to the Amiga's playfields. The card supports interlaced resolutions up to the maximum displayable by the Amiga and M.A.S.T. will put all specifications and utilities in the public domain. Cost: $495. The guy said the card is FINISHED and ready to ship and all they are waiting on is the software they will bundle with the thing. Dale Luck is reportedly interested in the card. The chassis, SCSI interface(s) and color card are all scheduled to be released on 15NOV90. Other modules include DRAM and CPU cards (an '040 card will be available sometime after Motorola begins producing them in quantity). One of the big points the guy was trying to make to me was that their system would be small in comparison to currently- available Zorro expansion boxes, most of which are half-effective hacks anyway. Keep in mind that I don't have all the details yet; please reserve your inacturate-data-poster flames :-) While it could be argued that we don't need yet another bus standard, it must be admitted that A500 and A1000 users have been more or less disenfrachised from the Zorro bus by Commodore. If this product really does get out the door cheaply, I, for one, will welcome it. M.A.S.T. said that descriptive literature is being printed up right now. If you want to receive a copy, I suggest you give them a buzz. (Sorry, I don't have their ph# in front of me--further proof that I don't work for these people :-) chandra@ucscb.ucsc.edu BIX: chandra USM: 183 Palo Verde Tr. / Santa Cruz, CA 95060-3215