Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!news.iastate.edu!vaxf.iastate.edu!TAAB5
From: taab5@isuvax.iastate.edu (Marc Barrett)
Subject: Re: The Amiga's Future
Message-ID: <1991Jun22.140127.19580@news.iastate.edu>
Sender: news@news.iastate.edu (USENET News System)
Reply-To: taab5@isuvax.iastate.edu
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA.
References: <1991Jun20.075145.22785@m.cs.uiuc.edu> <rkushner.0343@sycom.UUCP> <1991Jun21.183216.29240@news.iastate.edu>,<430@hfsi.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 22 Jun 1991 14:01:27 GMT
Lines: 78

In article <430@hfsi.UUCP>, frank@hfsi.UUCP (Frank McPherson) writes:
>In article <1991Jun21.183216.29240@news.iastate.edu> taab5@isuvax.iastate.edu writes:
>>
>>   In addition, all Amiga systems above the A500 should include SCSI
>>interfaces, hard drives, and display enhancers as standard hardware.  This
>>includes the A2000, which has become so underpowered and overpriced as of
>>late compared to the A500 below it and the A3000 above it that it creates 
>>a gaping hole in Commodore's product line.  
>
>I agree with you about the SCSI interface; it would be nice if it were
>standard on everything.  I disagree that the A2000 should be priced 
>very low to sell more of them.  It makes more sense to me to price the 
>A2000 close enough to the price of an A3000 that most people who are 
>considering getting a higher-end Amiga than a 500 may as well go with
>the A3000-16/50, since it's only <insert dollar amount here> dollars 
>more than the A2000.  The larger the percent of the Amiga ownership we
>can get on the newer machines, the more of a chance there is for real 
>advances in the architecture (chipset, etc) and the operating
>system (device independent graphics, etc).

   That is not what I said.  I don't think the A2000 should be lower-priced,
I think it should be discontinued entirely.  It costs too much to make, and
gives you far too little performance for the dollar compared to the A500
and A3000.  The A2000 should be replaced with a machine with fewer slots,
smaller case, smaller power supply, and a built-in SCSI controller and
display enhancer.

   The A2000 really is creating a very large, empty void in Commodore
Amiga product line.  At the top, Commodore has a very competitive machine
in the A3000 to compete with other systems priced above $2500.  In the
low-end, Commodore's A500 is also adequate competition for machines priced
below $1000.  What does Commodore have to compete against systems from
clone makers and Apple priced between $1000 and $2500?  Just the A2000
and A2000HD.

   Let's take the MAC LC as an example.  This machine has a list price of
$2499.  For this price, the A3000/16 is too expensive to compete against
the LC because it costs $1000 more.  The A500 is far too cheap, and aimed
at a different market.  The only thing Commodore has to compete against
the MAC LC is the A2000HD.  Now we'll compare these two systems.  

Feature Description |   Macintosh LC   |    Amiga 2000HD
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hard Disk Size      |     40M          |       40M
Memory              |     2M           |       1M
Max Resolution      | 584x386/640x480* |      704x480
Color Palette       |     16 Million   |       4096
# of on-screen      |                  |
  colors at max.res |  256/32,768*     |        16
Interlaced?         |        NO        |        YES
CPU                 |    68020 @ 14Mhz |     68000 @ 7Mhz
               
   *With extra VRAM ($300), the MAC LC can display 32,768 colors at once
at 584x386 or 256 colors at once at 640x480.

   As you can see, the A2000HD pales compared to the MAC LC, especially
in color capabilities and flicker-free resolutions.  Some people might
say that it is unfair to compare the LC against the A2000HD, as the A3000
would be a better comparison.  However to be fair to both sides, the
A2000HD is the best comparison, since the A3000 costs so much more than
the LC.  The A2000 also has additional problems.  For one thing, the
included SCSI controller is NOT built-in, but included as a card.  This
has created problems in that the contacts can eventually become coroded,
causing erratic problems with the controller.

   I hope it is obvious now that Commodore desperately needs something
to compete adequately against systems like the MAC LC.   

>
>-- Frank McPherson                  INTERNET: emcphers@manu.cs.vt.edu --

  -------------------------------------------------------------
 / Marc Barrett  -MB- | BITNET:   XGR39@ISUVAX.BITNET        /   
/  ISU COM S Student  | Internet: XGR39@CCVAX.IASTATE.EDU   /      
------------------------------------------------------------    
\        The great thing about standards is that          /
 \       there are so many of them to choose from.       /
  -------------------------------------------------------
