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Amiga Update (1996-10-07)
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AMIGA and the Amiga logo are trademarks of Amiga Technologies, GmbH
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961007
T H E N E V E R E N D I N G ( B U Y O U T ) S T O R Y
C A N A D I A N A M I G A S H O W
I N T E L L I G E N T L I F E F O U N D I N P C M A G
This issue's stories:
We present below a recent posting by VIScor's Jason Compton. It represents
the most recent information we've obtained on the seemingly endless buyout
of Amiga Technologies - and the New Star Amiga clone.
On a more cheerful topic, we present a press release from the folks
launching "Amiga Fest" in Ontario. It sounds like a fun time in the works.
Finally, we grabbed a posting from the "Amiga Web Directory" and reproduce
it here. It seems "PC Magazine" has at least one columnist who actually
understands - and even owns - an Amiga. Our suggestion is that everyone
reading this newsletter picks up a copy of the issue. Follow that with a
e-note saying you did so and thanking them for the report, mentioning that
you might buy other issues in the future if they cover the Amiga. It can't
hurt, and you'll be able to satisfy yourself that the magazine really does
contain these amazing words.
Have fun with this issue of AU!
Brad
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M O S T R E C E N T U P D A T E O N T H E A . T . B U Y O U T
Date: 6 Oct 1996 02:38:35 GMT
To start: No, I don't have any resolution news for you. When there is
some, it'll certainly come with more bells and whistles than these do.
As has been the case for over a month, Bill Buck is in Germany, continuing
discussions with Escom's trustees over the sale of the entire Amiga assets
and holdings. Amiga Technologies continues to operate with a reduced staff
(I, personally, was very sad to see my friend Christoph Guelicher depart)
and they are shipping and selling Amigas on a -daily- basis.
There are a couple of issues, not just the buyout, that are bothering
people on the net so I thought I'd try to clear them up.
New Star's Amiga: New Star is a company, licensed by Escom, that has
developed and is selling an Amiga clone. Before joining VIScorp last May,
I called New Star when I learned about their computer. I was told it was
an ECS machine with CD-ROM drive, probably with a 68000. In effect, it's a
beefed-up CDTV-style machine running 3.1. Command:
VIScorp is aware of New Star and, pending the sale, will respect their
rights for the Amiga in the Sino-China region. New Star's license, insofar
as I personally understand it, does not allow them to sell outside of this
region.
The "A6000T": Video Toaster Expo materials are beginning to emerge
promising the unveiling of the "Amiga 6000T". This is meeting with a lot
of deserved confusion.
The "A6000T" is QuikPak's internal name for an Amiga 4000T with 060 card
(dubbed the 4060) installed. It may or may not be the final sales
designation for this configuration. They've committed to sending a set of
such machines to the expo. This is a QuikPak bundle so they're not able to
use the "Amiga" name. They may sell under the "A6000T" name instead, much
as the CEI "A1962" monitor does.
In short--The "6000T" does not represent any sort of secret, mystical
near-finished machine, or short-term plan for the Amiga from VIScorp. It's
just the name applied to the 4000T/060 from QuikPak.
It's not the Video Toaster Expo organizers or QuikPak's fault for the
confusion, it's just something that wasn't explained well enough.
--
Jason Compton jcompton@xnet.com
Communications Manager - Amiga, VIScorp http://www.vistv.com/
Editor-in-Chief, Amiga Report Magazine (847) 741-0689 FAX
I know what I like. And I like what I know.
AR on Aminet - docs/mags/ar???.lha AR Mailing list - Mail me
WWW - http://www.omnipresence.com/Amiga/News/AR, www.cucug.org/ar/ar.html
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A M I G A F E S T I N C A N A D A
Amiga Fest '96
HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT Amiga Fest is a Go!
Amazing Software and Accessories in co-operation with RCD and Robinson
Consulting are pleased to announce Amiga Fest, the first show of it's kind
in Canada.
Amiga Fest will be held in conjunction with Computer Fest. With attendance
expected to be over 30,000 consumers, it will be the largest audience to
ever attend a Canadian Amiga related show. Admission is $10 or less.
This will be an opportunity for many non-Amiga users to get exposure to
the Amiga platform. It will also attract Amiga users who are not aware of
the advancements in peripherals and add-ons that are available today.
There is also an opportunity for resellers to widen their product base,
with new products being shown for the first time in Canada.
Amiga Fest will be held Nov. 29 - Dec. 1 at the International Centre,
6900 Airport Rd., in Mississauga, Ontario. For more information contact
Amazing Software and Accessories at 1-800-847-3315 or Email amazing@cyg.net
Resellers backing Amiga Fest!
The response from Resellers to Amiga Fest has been fantastic.
Retailers including National Amiga, Videolink, Visual Vision, The Computer
And You, Valley Soft, ARCH Computer Technology, and APC are just some of
the dealers that will have booths at the show.
One of the contributing factors to this high reseller attendance, is the
low cost of booth space for such a high visibility show.
With Computer Fest being the largest show of it's kind in Canada, media
coverage will be extensive. Magazines such as Amazing Computing, Toronto
Computes and VPM will all be covering the show.
NewTek makes only Canadian appearance at Amiga Fest!
What Amiga Show is complete without presentations and demonstrations by
Don Ballance of NewTek. Don will be making his only last Canadian
appearance this year at Amiga Fest. The Video Toaster, Video Flyer,
LightWave 3D will be demonstrated each day. Don will share the latest
exciting new product developments.
Manufacturers rally to Amiga Fest!
Confirmations from manufacturers are streaming in to Amiga Fest
Headquarters. Some of the hottest Amiga companies are adding their
support. Newtek, Applied Magic, QuikPak, DKB, Visual Insperations, Click
BOOM, Ocean, Replica Technolgies have all given Amiga Fest the nod. This
number is growing daily.
A4000t to be given away at Amiga Fest!
QuikPak has provided an Amiga 4000t system that will be given away at
Amiga Fest. A free draw will be held to determine the winner.
For More Info Call Toll Free1-800-847-3315Voice: 519.393.6270Fax:
519.393.6233
Send E-Mail To:Amiga Fest '96
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T H I S R E A L L Y I S I N A P C M A G A Z I N E ? ?
{The good folks of the Amiga Web Directory ran the following article at
their on line site recently. They used the quotes without permission from
"PC Magazine" and we cribbed their article in turn without permission - so
we'll give them a plug. If you're using a web browser and you're not
checking their site regularly, you're missing the best Amiga site in the
world in our opinion. No hype, that's truly our opinion. Brad}
Amiga Mentioned in PC Magazine
We're hoping the big wigs at http://www.pcmag.com/ PC Magazine don't get
upset if they find us quoting noted columnist and sometimes acerbic pundit,
John C. Dvorak from their latest issue here. It's just that we were so
taken by an actual, positive mention of the Amiga in an otherwise
Wintel-centric publication that we were compelled to purloin a line or two
for the Amiga Web Directory.
From PC Magazine, October 22, 1996
Inside Track By John C. Dvorak
Used Without Permission
The Jinxed Machine Rises Once Again, Maybe, Dept.: The hapless Amiga, a
machine a decade ahead of its time (there's a lesson in there somewhere)
was sold by a bankrupt Commodore to Germany's Escom AG two years back.
Users hoped the sale would signal a revival, but Escom AG couldn't do
anything with it and went bankrupt in July1995, leaving the Amiga in
shambles. Now the machine's design has been sold to VIScorp, a
Chicago-based set~top-box maker. Meanwhile, as a result of the bankruptcy,
numerous companies are claiming rights to the machine.
No matter. VIScorp plans to revive the machine. There is some talk about
porting the Amiga's OS code to the PowerPC, which would probably be a great
idea, since the Amiga OS remains one of the great operating systems of the
past 20 years, incorporating a small kernel and tremendous multitasking
capability the likes of which have only recently been developed in OS/2 and
Windows NT. The biggest difference is that the Amiga OS could operate
fully and multitask in as little as 256K of address space. Even today, the
OS is only about 1MB in size. And to this day, there is very little a
memory-hogging, CD-ROM loading OS can do that the Amiga can't.Tight
code--there's nothing like it.
I've had an Amiga for maybe a decade. It's the single most reliable piece
of equipment I've ever owned. It's amazing! You can easily understand why
so many fanatics are out there wondering why they are alone in their love
of the thing. The Amiga continues to inspire a vibrant--albeit
cultlike--community, not unlike that which you have with Linux, the Unix
clone.Expect to see VIScorp release a 68060 upgrade board for the machine.
Amazing how high-quality machinery never dies an easy death.
Champaign-Urbana Commodore Users Group / cucug@cucug.org
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Copyright 1996 by Brad Webb. Freely distributable, if not modified.
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