AUBRI@ASUACAD.BITNET (06/19/91)
re: What makes the Amiga suited for multimedia for those who don't know
anything about the Amiga.
First you must ask "what is multimedia?" This is a difficult question in itself
so here is ONE answer. "Multimedia is the integration of video, audio, music,
graphics, text, and animation into a presentation on a single platform which
is controllable by the end user." (Give or take...)
The Amiga contains a set of custom coprosessors which are dedicated to
individual multimedia tasks. One chip is dedicated to playing digital stereo
sound. One chip is dedicated to producing the 4096 color graphics. One chip
is dedicated to accessing the hard drive. Etc, etc. There are eight (8) custom
chips included in the Amiga 3000. This frees up the main 68030/68882 CPU to
run at full speed for general number crunching.
Using these custom chips also allows the Amiga to multitask. This means that
while the sound chip plays a music soundtrack, the graphics chip can be
playing back an animation with no interference. This ability to multitask
is a key element in sucessful multimedia presentations. While the animation is
playing, the harddrive can be retreiving the next section of the program.
Including video overlay on the Amiga is simple. Since the Amiga chips are timed
the same as video, no fancy conversions are needed. Plug in a $125 video
genlock board from Commodore and you have a single screen which can play
computer graphics AND laserdisc video.
If you want 24bit graphics with 16.7 million colors, there are several new
boards available that do just that. If you want 16bit audio, there are boards
that do just that. If you want video digitizing (24bit) there is a $400 device
that does just that.
I am definately NOT saying the other computers do not do these things. Quite
the contrary. However... I do submit that the Amiga provides powerful multi-
media computing and development at a competitive (and usually lower) price
when compared to the other platforms.
I was involved at the Pioneer multimedia shootout at ASU's 12th annual
Microcomputers in Education Conference a few months back. In a packed
auditorium, I had my personal Amiga system running head to head against
HyperStudio, HyperCard, and Linkway. In the end, (according to Pioneer and
many many other people I talked to afterwards) the Amiga shined above the rest.
I should mention, the Mac system was $11,000. The IBM system was $13,000. The
Apple IIgs system was $5,000. My Amiga multimedia system was $4,000.
I don't criticize other computer owners. The Amiga isn't for everybody.
I'd just like to honestly and realistically answer questions to people who
are interested in learning more about the Amiga as an affordable multimedia
tool. Thanks...
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| Brian C. Berg "I haven't lost my mind... |
| Arizona State University Amiga Lab it's backed up on tape |
| Amiga Student On-Campus Consultant somewhere!" |
| E-mail: aubri@asuacad.BITNET |
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| Opinions expressed are not necessarily unlike that of my own... |
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