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Amiga Update (1996-12-31)
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/\\ |\ /|| || / ` /\\ || A M I G A U P D A T E
/__\\ | \ / || || || ___ /__\\ || -News and Rumors-
/ \\_ | \/ ||_ _||_ \__// / \\_|| (An Occasional Newsletter)
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AMIGA and the Amiga logo are trademarks of Amiga Technologies, GmbH
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961231
P R O D A D & P I O S ' S C H R I S T M A S S U R P R I S E
C O M M E N T S O N Q U I K P A K B I D
S O M E P L A C E S T O G E T S U P P O R T
Editor's thoughts and introduction:
We seem to finishing the year with holiday issues. Actually, there
was some additional news for Amigans about Christmas time, though it
isn't quite as directly related as the QuikPak story in our 961225
issue. On December 23, PIOS and proDAD announced their cooperation in
a computing effort that should be of interest to Amigans. We have
stories below from them on their cooperation and on the PIOS ONE
computer system which will be one beneficiary of this effort.
We also picked up an interesting exchange of thoughts on the matter
of QuikPak, between Jason Compton and others in the Amiga Newsgroups
on the net. We thought we'd pass that along. We suggest you consider
the source when you read this posting - keeping in mind that, in this
case at least, the source is quite credible. Remember that Compton was
until recently the VIScorp Amiga information manager. While we're
mentioning Jason, we should point out for any not aware that he is the
Editor of the well regarded "Amiga Report" magazine, available free on
the Net. We'd like to encourage our readers who are using Amigas and
have AmigaQuide or Multiview to check out "Amiga Report" and support
it if you can. See Jason's post for on line addresses for the
magazine.
Finally, we found a list of on-line support sites for various Amiga
programs. We've had to edit the list some, as our particular copy came
without headings for some of the columns in the original post. We've
left the program name, version and address. Note that not all these
sites are American and English may or may not be appropriate. Also, we
haven't tested any of these, so we can't vouch for them.
We hope you enjoy this issue and wish you a Safe and Happy New Year's
celebration!
Brad Webb, Editor
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P I O S A N D P R O D A D C O O P E R A T I V E E F F O R T
PIOS ONE and pOS
Innovation over Emulation, Cooperation over Confrontation!
Two companies, one motto, to the advantage of developers and users:
PIOS Computer AG and proDAD Software
Borsigstr. 5 Feldelestr. 24
D-31135 Hildesheim D-78194 Immendingen
Germany Germany
Our Christmas Surprise
OFFICIAL COOPERATION ANNOUNCEMENT
The companies PIOS Computer AG, hardware producer and distributor,
and the software producer proDAD Software herewith announce officially
to cooperate in creating a new PowerPC-based computer system, called
PIOS ONE, and its combination and shipment with the pOS operating
system.
The goal of this strategic alliance is to create with united forces
an optimal combination of powerful but inexpensive hardware with an
innovative operating system which bases on a future-proof concept.To
achieve this, engineering geniuses like Andy Finkel, Dave Haynie (both
PIOS), and Holger Burkarth work hand in hand. Their experience in the
field, together with their sense for future and innovation, lead to a
user friendly, priceworthy, and modern device which will fit all
situations.
THE COMPONENTS
The hardware impresses by its modular concept, which improves the
performance compared to existing AMIGA systems to new heights due to
up-to-date RISC technology.The motherboard contains the base units of
the computer, the three PCI and two ISA slots, as well as the audio
part and all I/O, in proven standard technology, as it's used reliably
and inexpensively in industry standard devices. Graphics is provided
by a PCI bus card. The CPU module plugs on the motherboard and
contains besides the CPU chip also the system RAM (in standard DIMM
sockets) and cache RAM (also socketed, optional) as well as the
control circuitry for all this. This way, maximum performance is
assured also with faster CPUs. CPUs of the PowerPC 603 family are
used, with clock frequencies of currently 133 to 200 MHz. In future,
also CPU modules with several CPUs for multiprocessor operation are
possible.
The operating system pOS counts as its strengths among others
preemptive multitasking, multiprocessor support, JAVA, RTG, STG, as
well as unbeatable compactness and consequentially speed. Already
ported or currently being ported applications to pOS guarantee a broad
offering of software in all thinkable areas from the start of
distribution.
THE PHILOSOPHY: PRODUCTIVE INTEGRATION
Through pOS, the portable OS, which runs also on AMIGA 68k and AMIGA
PPC as well as other systems, it becomes possible to integrate the new
PIOS ONE hardware into an existing world of powerful applications. By
this, the AMIGA market is opened, revived, and expanded, software
developments become profitable again, and thus this is pOSitive
activity for the market and of course for its usership.
An advantage which multiplies with every new pOS-supported computer -
an advantage which can only be offered by powerful hardware
cooperating with a powerful OS!
At the same time, it is possible on this purely PowerPC-based
computer to run the operating system and the applications natively and
thus much faster than on 68k computers or an emulation of them. The
appreciated AMIGA feeling is returning.
Overtuned systems with bloated operating systems now can be
considered horrors of the past.
THE TIME AND COST PLAN
The operating system pOS already exists, as it was also officially
confirmed and was recognized in the market with considerable
resonance.The PIOS ONE hardware will be completed already at the begin
of January.
The completed system will be shown for the first time at CeBIT 97 and
be available probably from May/June 1997. The total price for the
entry model will be around US$ 1000!
THE DISTRIBUTION
will be handled through world-wide distribution centers and existing
as well as newly acquired dealer networks.
More information available from
[http://www.pios.de] PIOS Computer AG
[http://www.prodad.de] ProDAD Software
Think pOSitive with PIOS ONE!
Hildesheim and Immendingen, in December 1996
gev. Stefan Domeyer, GF PIOS
gev. Andreas Huber, GF proDAD
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P I O S O N E I N D E T A I L
PIOS Computer AG
PIOS ONE - The Creative Concept
The PIOS ONE is entering the scene as a computer which provides
newest technology with up-to-date performance characteristics and
oeconomic use of resources. This computer is affordable by everyone
and will make it fun again to use a computer, following the motto
No RISC - no fun
Hardware
The Hardware impresses by its modular concept, which covers the
performance spectrum from home use up to workstations. A later
upgrade of the entry model to the top model is possible without
problems and at no bigger expenses.
The PIOS ONE uses the PowerPC family of microprocessors from
companies Motorola, IBM, and Apple.The high engineering capacity of
these companies assures these products a future with permanent
progress and adaptation to all coming demands.This technology promises
the full bandwidth of performance and a secure future with well
defined development paths for the coming years, and all this at
reasonable prices.
Generally, RISC processors define the state of art in microprocessor
technology. RISC stands for Reduced Instruction Set Computer. These
processors don't offer the programmer as many commands as older CISC
processors (Complex Instruction Set Computer), but thus the hardware
of these processors becomes so much simpler that you can achieve much
more speed and thus computing performance compared to a CISC processor
at comparable hardware costs.Further typical characteristics of RISC
processors are terms like superscalarity and pipelined architecture.
Particularly the PowerPC processors are available in a whole family
of versions. Thus you can find the optimal processor model for every
kind of application. Also the processors are easily exchangeable
among each other, so that it's easy to build an upgradable computer
which can be equipped with a more powerful processor model later. For
the PowerPC family, there exist concrete plans for the next years for
their further development. Especially optimized versions for
Multimedia applications and for extremely high computing power are
announced.
Software
The user will be able to choose among several alternatives for the
Operating System Software, which all will be part of the normal
shipment:
BeOS
pOS
Linux
BeOS by company Be Inc.is a new, innovative operating system, which
supports up-to-date concepts like Multithreading and Multiprocessing.
In "Multithreading", each application program is separated into
several parallel running "threads" on their own. Thus the software
can make optimal use of "Multiprocessing", which means that several
microprocessors run simultaneously in a computer independently.
More info about PIOS ONE and BeOS
pOS by company proDADis an operating system, which builds the bridge
to the AMIGA world.Thus it is an extremely fast, compact, and
efficient operating system which promises to get the maximum
performance out of the up-to-date RISC hardware.
More info about PIOS ONE and pOS
Linux is a platform independent operating system for highest demands,
for experts. {NOTE: Linux is an excellent version of the Unix
operating system. Brad}
Developer Program
Especially for the PIOS ONE, but also for purchasers of the BeBox,
PIOS offers Developer Support.Besides getting newest and most detailed
informationen, you can also purchase computers directly. In the case
of the PIOS ONE, registered developers can already order devices of
the Null Series.
Availability
At first the device will be built in a Null Series for
developers. Orders can already be placed.
The completed system will be shown for the first time at CeBIT 97 and
be available probably from May/June 1997. The total price for the
entry model will be around US$ 1000!
Distribution will be handled through world wide distribution centers
and existing or newly acquired dealer networks.
More detailed information is available from
[http://www.pios.de] PIOS Computer AG
[http://www.be.de] Be Inc.
[http://www.prodad.de] ProDAD Software
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Q U I K P A K B I D F O R A M I G A D I S C U S S E D
30 Dec 1996
R. Eveland (reveland@uoguelph.ca) wrote:
"Well if AT/Escom had not paid for the inventory then of course
Quikpak would not release it. If they did it is quite
possible they would never see their money. And can you blame
them for actively selling the inventory? I think any company
would do that in order to re-coup their investment... Anyway
at least they now have a bid in for AT. 99% of Amiga users I
think have lost confidence in VIScorp getting AT. I think if
that was going to happen it would have by now. AT least in the
context that most amiga users wnated it to happen anyway.
They may still walk away with some piece of the technology
that will allow them to produce set top boxes."
I understand what QuikPak's view is. But do you understand that
QuikPak's refusal to release the inventory caused a serious break in
ANYBODY's ability to purchase the technology? The trustee says "Yes,
I can secure that inventory for you" and the inventory's warehouser
(QuikPak) says "No, you can't." So, what is VIScorp or anybody else to
do? Here are their options: Don't bid on the inventory, thereby
making their offer look low to the trustee, or bid for it with the
knowledge that QuikPak says they won't release it. It's a losing
proposition both ways.
Your argument, Darren, is indicative of so much short-sightedness in
the Amiga market. There is a real big picture out there, one where if
the numbers don't add up, the money doesn't move. If I learned one
thing during my "time on the inside", it was that.
QuikPak was a rather large numerical anomaly. They could have played
by the rules and taken their recourse with the bankruptcy like all of
the rest of Escom's creditors. What if the whole world acted this
way? Nobody seemed very pleased about the reports of the Philipines
Commodore warehouse being raided by those Commodore owed money to.
Yes, QuikPak got burned by the Escom bankruptcy. Nobody forced
QuikPak to get in business with Escom.
Yes, QuikPak has an interest in self-survival, so to them, keeping and
selling the Escom inventory is "fair." To anybody bidding for the
Escom properties, who sees the A4000T stuff as belonging to Escom and
wants to buy it from the trustee, it is a major roadblock.
Christ, people, painting everyone save Hembach, VIScorp, and Bill
Gates as a saint is not the truth of the matter. Lots of people are
looking out for their own self-interest and trying to get by, and that
unfortunately means that toes are being stepped on. PIOS blames
VIScorp for not taking their plans, VIScorp blames QuikPak for
creating an inventory dispute, QuikPak may blame someone in Escom for
something or other. Phase5 blames AT for the Walker taking up too
much of their time. AT probably blames someone else for something.
Do you begin to see why I'm not buying the "consortium of companies
buying the Amiga" idea?
--
Jason Compton jcompton@xnet.com
Editor-in-Chief, Amiga Report Magazine (847) 741-0689 FAX
AR on Aminet - docs/mags/ar???.lha WWW - http://www.cucug.org/ar/
'I said, "You wouldn't understand." Take what's yours, be damned.'
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S O M E S O U R C E S O F O N - L I N E S U P P O R T
23 Dec 1996
Amiga Replac.OS 1.10 http://aros.fh-konstanz.de/~digulla/
FinalCalc 1.05 Fax: +1 602-431-8361 lighty@goodnet.com
Pagestream 3.2 US:support@softlogik.com
TWIST 3.0 support@hisoft.co.uk
PersonalPaint 7.0 info@cloanto.it
Reflections 4.0 carstenl@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de
Cinema4D 4.0 webmaster@maxon-computer.com
QuickCam x a036888t@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us
Cocktel x adver@prodad.de
Monument Designer3.0 adver@prodad.de
Audio Thunder 1.0 info@asimware.com
DiskSalv 4.0 info@iam.com
AWeb 2.1 support@amitrix.com
IEdit 2.30 wiz@pragmanet.it
GoldED 4.4.1 dietmar@tomate.oche.de
AirMail 3.9 + toysoft@connect.ab.ca
ZEUS 1.1.3 http://www.csosl.co.uk/zeus/
MRBackup Pro 2.5 (1Q97 v3.0) mrbackup@iam.com
http://www.iam.com/amiga/mrbackup.html
Image Engineer 3.3 sbe@yallara.cs.rmit.edu.au
SuperView 5.70 Andreas_Kleinert@t-online.de
Visage 39.11 cmh@lls.se
ArtStudio 2.0 MotionStudios@mail.netwave.de
Xfig 1.14 + terjepe@login.eunet.no
ScanTek 2.7 wzoehner@nuernberg.netsurf.de
PictDT 43.757 laire@mises.uni-paderborn.de
CyberShow Pro 8.1 hhoff@pool.informatik.rwth-aachen.de
PhotoAlbum 2.5 hhoff@pool.informatik.rwth-aachen.de
EGSPhotoAlbum 7.1 hhoff@pool.informatik.rwth-aachen.de
EGSTV 7.1 hhoff@pool.informatik.rwth-aachen.de
ShapeShifter 3.7 bauec002@goofy.zdv.uni-mainz.de
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Amiga Update on the net: some issues available at:
http://www.sharbor.com/amiga/news/ (in html format)
http://www.amigacom.com (in ASCII text)
All back issues available (in ASCII text) at:
http://www.globaldialog.com/AdventureCentral/AU.html
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Copyright 1996 by Brad Webb. Freely distributable, if not modified.
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/\\ |\ /|| || / ` /\\ || Brad Webb/AmigaUpdate
/__\\ | \ / || || || ___ /__\\ || bandr@globaldialog.com
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