Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!pdbeam
From: pdbeam@watserv1.waterloo.edu (T.C.)
Subject: Atari TT 030 Launched!
Message-ID: <1990Jun5.143231.4977@watserv1.waterloo.edu>
Keywords: Atari TT
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 90 14:32:31 GMT
Lines: 91


ATARI OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES THE TT 030
------------------------------------
 
THIS IS NOT AN ATARI PRESS RELEASE--I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO ATARI.
THE OPINIONS BELOW ARE MY OWN AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF U OF W.
 
     I went to the official North American launch of the Atari TT 030 last 
night in Toronto.  The TT 030 will be available in limited quantities in 
Canada in late July/early August and fully available in September.  The TT 
will be officially launched in the US at Comdex in November.  I guess Atari is 
using Canada as a test market to work the bugs out of the system before they 
make their big push south of the border.  The expected price of the TT 030 
(2Mbytes, 40M hard disc) is under $4000 (CDN).  This puts it well under the 
Amiga 3000 in terms of price (the A3000 is under $4000 US). 
 
     The presentation I was at was for Ontario educators.  Earlier in the day 
there were presentations to the press, developers, and user's groups.  Some of 
these earlier meetings were attended by Sam Tramiel and other Atari US 
bigwigs.  The educator meeting was attended by the Atari Canada general 
manager and some sales managers.
 
TT Workstation Specifications (from an Atari Canada brochure)
-----------------------------
68030 CPU running at 16MHz (optional MC 68881/MC68882)
2Mbytes RAM expandable to 8Mbytes (26Mbytes using 4Mbit DRAMs)
Built in 1.44Mbyte 3.5" floppy
40Mbyte (28ms) Hard Disc
 
RGB and Monochrome Monitor Support (I saw it running a Multisync)
4096 Colour pallette, 320x200 to 320x480 with 256 colours
640x480 with 16 colours
640x400 with 2 colours (ST Hi-res)
1280x960 monochrome
 
Detatchable keyboard with joystick and mouse ports
 
SCSI and ACSI DMA ports
2 RS-232 ports (expandable to 4)
Parallel and MIDI ports
AppleTalk Interface
1 internal A24/D16 VME card slot
8-bit PCM Stereo sound
RT Clock
 
The TT 030 comes with TOS 2.0 which will be compatible with most existing ST 
software.  ST software runs about 1/3 faster on the TT 030.  Software compiled 
specifically for the 68030 (as opposed to ST software compiled for the 68000) 
runs MUCH faster at 16MHz with 32-bit through-put (sorry, no benchmarks, yet).  
So far both Borland and Mark Williams will be producing 68030 C compilers for 
the TT.  Apparently GNU C from the network will also compile better code on 
the TT than on the ST.  Existing ST software can be re-compiled to run at 
full-speed on the TT.  While ST software will run just fine on the TT, it will 
have to be re-compiled to take advantage of the TT extra capabilities (Math 
co-processor and enhanced video). 
 
UNIX V will be available for TT in the fall.  Contrary to the report in STart, 
the TT 030 WILL run Unix.
 
In the near future ISD will be releasing TT versions of DynaCADD and Calamus.  
At the presentation we were shown the TT 030 running ST DynaCADD and the 
system was noticably faster.  When a TT does ST med-res, the screen has 
approx. 2cm borders on either side and the picture runs off the bottom of the 
screen.  The aspect ratio is quite elongated top-to-bottom.
 
Later this year the tower TT (the TT/X?) will be released.  Among other 
things, the tower TT will have four VME slots.  Also to be released are an 
Ethernet card, a GENlock card, and a software IBM PC emulator.  The Atari GM 
said that Spectre GCR is being ported to the TT now.  Presently the TT 030 has 
the same GENlock capability as an STE.  
 
Atari made no mention of their marketing intentions to us, but then again we 
were educators and they probably didn't think we'd be interested.  I brought 
the issue up with an Atari official and he told me they were addressing the 
problem.
 
Also announced was the fact that Atari is now GEMS authorised to sell their 
PC-Compatible computers to the Ontatio Ministry of Education schools.  This is 
a very positive step.  Atari says they are considering submitting the TT to 
the Ministry for similar approval. 
 
I think Atari still have a lot of promises to keep (UNIX, hardware cards, 
software), but if they do then I think the TT will be a strong machine with 
good prospects in the future.  It certainly gives the Mac II and A3000 (not to 
mention Sun) a run for their money in terms of providing a platform for UNIX.
 
Travis Capener
c/o pdbeam@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
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