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AMReport International Online Magazine Volume 1.02
*---== AM REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Online Magazine of Choice!"
from
STR Publishing Inc.
""""""""""""""""""
July 13, 1991 Volume 1.02
==========================================================================
AMReport International Online Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32205-6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher
-----------------------------------------
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EST
BBS: 904-786-4176 USR/HST DUAL STANDARD
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EST
-----------------------------------------
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ALL issues of AMReport International Online Magazine
are available along with
A worldwide list of private bbs systems carrying AMReport
__________________________________________________________________
> 07/13/91: AMReport #1.02 The Online Magazine of Choice!
-------------------------
-The Editor's Desk -NCR SHIPS COLOR LCD -AT&T PC GONE
-NINTENDO LOSES SUIT -COMMODORE UNIT SALES -RELEASE 2 IN ROM!!
-CBM TO BE "CRUSHED" -IBM BUYS METAPHOR -Stock Watch
-BORLAND BUYS A-T -HP 1-2-3 -BYE PLINK, HELLO PORTAL
-New Uploads
-* Laptop Possibilities *-
-* Exploring the IBM/Apple Relationsip *-
==========================================================================
AMREPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
The _Number One_ Online Magazine
-* FEATURING *-
"UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
Current Events, Original Articles, Hot Tips, and Information
Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
==========================================================================
AMReport's support BBS, NODE 350, encourages BBS systems, worldwide, to
participate in the Fido/F-Net Mail Network. Or, call Node 350 direct at
904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging information relative
to the AM arena through an excellent International AM Mail Network. All
AM and related systems are welcome and invited to actively participate.
==========================================================================
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON: GENIE ~ CIS ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ F-NET
==========================================================================
TODAY'S NEWS ..TODAY!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> AMReport's Staff The regulars and this week's contributors!
================
Publisher - Editor
------------------
Ralph F. Mariano
PC DIVISION AMIGA DIVISION MAC DIVISION
----------- -------------- ------------
Robert Retelle Charles Hill R. ALBRITTON
IMPORTANT NOTICE
================
Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
via E-Mail to:
Compuserve.................... 76370,3045
GEnie......................... ST.REPORT
Delphi........................ RMARIANO
BIX........................... RMARIANO
FIDONET....................... 1:363/18 or 1:363/91
FNET.......................... NODE 350
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITORIAL
---------
Well, the second issue of AM-Report International is ready for press
(ready for uplink, actually) and everything seems to be moving along
pretty smoothly. The first issue was distributed far and wide and
seems to have met with success (no one openly laughed). Messages of
praise (two) far outweigh the messages of scorn (none) so I'm going
to do it again.
I did part of what I promised last issue: get a net address for
FidoNet (two of them, actually) so hate mail can be sent in private.
I will initiate accounts on GEnie and Delphi this weekend and hope
to have my own accounts there soon instead of relying on Ralph of
ST-Report to distribute AM-Report.
I've got an application in to Commodore for Certified Developer
status (yes, I do actually write commercial programs), and I think
there is a package/discount deal that comes with it for BIX. I will
wait until I confirm that before attempting an account there.
News was plentiful and as usual, some was good and some was bad. The
IBM/Apple deal dominated much of the business news this past week
and everyone and his brother are speculating on the meaning of Life,
the Universe and Everything according to the Big Blue Fruit.
Other mergers were in the news: Borland bought Ashton-Tate (DBase)
and IBM acquired Metaphor Computer Systems. Lotus introduced a
version of 1-2-3 for H-P/Apollo and American/People Link went south
for good.
Well, read it all for yourself and let me know what you think. I can
be reached via any of the email addresses listed above. The CIS and
FidoNet addresses go directly to me and the rest go through Ralph of
ST-Report.
-Chas
__
__///
\XX/ AM-Report International
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COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
to the Readers of;
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NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!
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IBM/APPLE WILL "CRUSH" COMMODORE
--------------------------------
The following was posted on CompuServe, and is of interest to the
Amiga community at large. It should be noted that the post is a
second generation post; at first placed on the Cleveland Freenet.
#: 27449 S3/Hot News and Rumors
06-Jul-91 00:32:16
Sb: #27273-Big Blue Apples
Fm: Kevin Darling 76703,4227
To: Tony Muscarella 70367,3321
An additional (unofficial report) originating from someone on
the Cleveland Freenet:
*** quote
Also, in a report which was on CNBC financial news yesterday, or the day
before, IBM was asked (after the announcement) the question: "What about
smaller companies?" IBM replied,
"We understand the threat posed by much smaller
companies, such as the Commodore Corporation,
however, we are not very worried about such a
small company infringing on our markets.
Commodore concentrates on multimedia, and they
currently are good at it.
"However, with our (Apple/IBM) new multimedia
machine being released in the future, and Apple
releasing their own multimedia system "QuickTime"
this October, we feel that the already popular
Macintosh and IBMs will be able to easily crush
any competition other companies may pose."
*** unquote
Earlier reports from the Associated Press and United Press International
had stated that the Justice Department was reviewing the plans but
expected no challenges to the deal. The Justice Dept. normally reviews
such cases which might end up creating an unfair market or monopoly
situation.
In light of the above quote, it seems to me that CBM should do
everything in its power to make waves at the Justice Dept. in order to
delay the agreement as long as possible. This agreement could bring
Commodore and the Amiga into the mainstream of future computing if they
have the vision and Apple/IBM license their operating system to others.
======================================================================
RELEASE 2 FINALLY IN ROM
------------------------
Inside information has it that Release 2 of the Amiga OS has finally
been 'graven in silicon'. Further reports have surfaced saying that
Commodore will release the v.2 ROMs at the upcoming AmigaWorld Expo
in Orlando, FL (July 26, 27 & 28). Recent unconfirmed rumors hint
that the reason Release 2 was so late getting into ROM, was that
support for outline fonts was added at the last minute. Specifically
"AGFA Compugraphic fonts coupled with the new DR2D structured
drawing standard."
In another quote (from FidoNet Amiga*National) a message stated that
a report from CATS stated that Release 2 supports standard AGFA
fonts, with .otag files. "To the OS, it appears to be a standard
diskfont. CompuGraphic fonts will be supplied with system
software..."
AM-Report will fully cover all events at the AmigaWorld Expo in
Orlando [since I just happen to live there].
======================================================================
NINTENDO LOSES SUIT
-------------------
U.S. District Court Judge Fern Smith has ruled that Lewis Galoob Toys
Inc.'s "Game Genie" add-on was not infringing on Nintendo of America,
Inc.'s copyrights.
The "Game Genie" is a devie that when added onto a Nintendo game
system, it allows the player to alter the circumstances of the game:
unlimited lives, enhanced fire power, increased abilities, etc.
Galoob Toys has been under an injunction preventing them from
manufacturing, promoting or selling "Game Genies" pending outcome of
the trial. Judge Smith has amended the injunction to permit Galoob to
manufacture, but not promote or sell the product pending Nintendo's
decision on appeal. Nintendo has posted a $15 million bond to cover
Galoob's possible lost profits as a result of the litigation.
The trial was a non-jury trial and the has not yet released a written
order and decision.
Nintendo reps stated that they believe they will appeal after their
lawyers have had a chance to study the court's written opinion.
=====================================================================
NORWEGIANS ACCUSED!
-------------------
Police in Oslo, Norway, have arrested to men on suspicion of breaking
western export restrictions relating to computer equipment sales to
Communist countries.
Police reports state that one of the suspects is an employee of
Norway's troubled computer maker Norsk Data A/S, but stressed the
company had nothing to do with the case.
The charge, violating CoCom regulations, includes "giving false
information export documents to the Foreign Ministry." The charge
carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines.
Specifics on the type of computer equipment and to which country it
went have not been released.
=====================================================================
COMPUTER UNIT SALES
-------------------
According to Computer Intelligence/InfoCorp, Commodore has sold 1.3
million units worldwide so far in 1991. The following stats were
given in the July 8th issue of Computerworld:
Worldwide Unit Sales (in Millions)
COMPANY 1989 1990 1991
-----------------------------------------------
IBM 2.7 3.0 3.4
Apple 1.5 1.6 2.1
NEC 1.1 1.3 1.4
Commodore 1.9 1.8 1.3
-------------------------------
19.0 20.7 23.7
=====================================================================
AT&T PC GONE!
-------------
AT&T's Computer Systems Division was merged recently into NCR, Corp.
with NCR retaining control. Both AT&T and NCR have approximatly the
same market share in PCs (1%), but AT&T used and EISA bus architecture
manufactured by Intel and NCR machines used IBM's Micro Channel.
NCR plans to utilize only Micro Channel machines in the future, giving
the ax to the recently acquired AT&T machines, even though AT&T has
machines in some large accounts such as American Airlines, Pan
American Airways and United Parcel Service. New machines shipped from
the combined company will be NCR boxes.
NCR said it will honor all AT&T deals and contracts acquired through
the merger.
=====================================================================
STOCK WATCH
-----------
Stock Watch is a weekly feature of AM-Report that lists the previous
weeks securities activities for the four "name" computer companies:
Apple, Atari, Commodore & IBM. The two numbers listed are the CLOSE
and CHANGE values for the stock. Commodore & IBM are traded on the
NYSE; Apple on the NASDAQ and Atari on the AMEX.
MON TUE WED THUR FRI
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Apple 46¾ +1 1/8 46 7/8 +1/8 47¼ + 3/8 46¾ -½ 46¾ Unch
Atari 2½ Unch 2 3/8 -1/8 2 3/8 Unch 2 3/8 Unch 2 1/8 -¼
CBM 13.375 +1 13 1/8 -¼ 13 1/8 Unch 13 -1/8 13 3/8 +3/8
IBM 100½ +1 7/8 99½ -1 98¾ -¾ 98¼ -½ 99 5/8 +1 1/8
WEEKLY GAINS/LOSES
------------------
COMPANY SYMBOL START FINISH CHANGE
-------------------------------------------------------
Apple (AAPL) 45 5/8 46 3/4 + 1 1/8
Atari (ATC) 2 1/2 2 1/8 - 3/8
Commodore (CBU) 12 3/8 13 3/8 + 1
IBM (IBM) 98 5/8 99 5/8 + 1
======================================================================
LOTUS 1-2-3 FOR HP/APOLLO
-------------------------
Lotus Development Corp. has created a version of its popular spreadsheet
program, 1-2-3, for Hewlett-Packard's Apollo 9000 Series 300 and 400
workstations. Lotus has said it will also support HP's new Series 700
workstations and Series 800 business systems. The Series 700 machine
was reviewed in the June 1991 issue of BYTE magazine.
All of the systems are based on HP's PA-RISC hardware architecture.
Dave Rome, the Lotus director of Unix-related products, said that the
breadth of HP's product line afforded Lotus an opportunity to move Lotus
1-2-3 into a wide range of markets.
=======================================================================
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
=====================
People/Link is gone. The Amiga Zone is moving to Portal.
---------------------------------------------------------
28 June 1991
Dear Amiga Modem Users:
It's with great sadness that I must inform you that People/Link
shut its doors this afternoon and, to the best of my personal
knowledge is no longer in business. I founded and ran (Sysoped)
the Amiga Zone Clubs on Plink for the last 6 years. Seeing as how
the rug was pulled out from under me before I was able to announce
this to the 10000 plus members of the Zone, I'm posting it here
with the hopes that all you kind folks will pass the word around
to as many people, as quickly as possible.
The Amiga Zone crew is moving our act to Portal. Portal is a
multi-user realtime national dialup network similar to Plink with
many additional features: Zmodem batch file transfers, a full
Usenet newsfeed, real-time live conferencing, and soon, in the
tradition of the Amiga Zone, the best online Amiga support
anywhere.
The entire crew of the Zone is moving to Portal with me: Dan
James, Steve Tibbett, Oran Sands, Bill Seymour, Steve Gillmor,
John Hoffman, and Jim Meyer (all Amigoids of renown in their own
right) will work with me to set up, open, expand and manage Portal's
Amiga support areas.
If you're a former Plink subscriber, we hope to see you on Portal
soon! You can sign up any of these ways:
By Voice: 1-408-973-9111 (9am-5pm Pacific Time)
By Modem: 1-408-725-0561 (24 hours)
Or just dial your local Telenet/SprintNet node and type "C PORTAL"
(without the quotes) at Telenet's "@" prompt for online signup,
rates, and more information.
Portal is, like Plink was, a PCPursuit "DAF" (Direct Acccess
Facility). Rate/Pricing info is available when you sign up.
When you sign up, be sure to tell them I sent you. I hope to see
you online on Portal soon. It'll take us a short time to get
things up to speed but there's already a library chocked full of
Amiga files with thousands more to come in the next few weeks.
The entire Fred Fish collection (500 disks) will soon be online in
its entirety.
Please post this notice everywhere: your local BBSes, put it in
your User Group Newsletters, tell your friends, especially if you
or they were Plink subscribers. Give it to 10 friends. Ask them to
do the same.
I thank you for your time. Keep the faith.
Harv Laser
Portal: harv
========================================================================
BORLAND TO ACQUIRE ASHTON-TATE
------------------------------
On July 10th, Borland International announced that it has signed a
definitive agreement to acquire Ashton-Tate. Ashton-Tate shareholders
will receive a fraction of a share of Borland common stock having a
market value of $17.50 for each share of A-T. The deal was approved
unanimously by both boards of directors.
A-T has about 25.1 million shares of stock outstanding, and Borland has
about 15 million. The deal is expected to be completed later in the
year and still requires both government and shareholder approval.
A-T is known for their PC standard setting database software, DBase III
and DBase IV. Borland is best known for their 'Turbo' line of
programming languages including Turbo Pascal and Turbo C.
Wednsday, shares of Ashton-Tate closed at 15 7/8, up 4 5/8 (41.1%) from
the previous day on 12,982,100 traded shares. Borland closed at 47 3/8,
down 2¼ on 2,256,600 shares traded. A-T topped the OTC "most active"
list and placed 5th for the days bets percentage gainers. Borland was
5th on the OTC "most active" list for Wednsday.
=======================================================================
NEC OFFERS COLOR LCD'S
----------------------
Japan's NEC Corp. has unveiled a new line of color LCD display's for
its laptop PC-9801T model F51 and F71. The thin film transistor (tft)
displays can simultaneously show 16 colors from a pallette of 4,096.
Shipments begin next week.
=======================================================================
IBM BUYS METAPHOR
-----------------
Three years ago, IBM purchased 8% of Metaphor Computer Systems, Inc. of
Mountain View, CA for $10 million. Last year, the two established a
joint software venture called Patriot Partners. Now, IBM has purchased
the software house outright for and undisclosed sum. The deal is said
to advance IBM's recent collaboration with Apple Computer, Inc.
Both Apple and Patriot Partners have been independently developing the
same type of software: object-oriented programming (OOP). With OOP,
software is written in 'hunks', which are reusable, allowing software
engineers to create new programs without "reinventing the wheel" and
starting from scratch. Both companies are also working on ways to allow
incompatible computers to use the same software.
IBM said that Patriot Partner's work will be integrated into the joint-
venture software company planned under the IBM-Apple agreement. Patriot
Partners will no longer exist once it is merged into the new company,
but rather become a wholly owned subsidary of IBM. The deal still must
be approved by Metaphor shareholders and government authorities.
========================================================================
What the IBM/Apple Deal Means to Amiga
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(part 2)
Last week I looked at the general outline of the IBM/Apple deal and
speculated on the feasability of it actually coming to term and the
effect on current markets, specifically the current crop of IBM and
Macintosh computers as well as the workstation market. This week
we will focus more on how Commodore might be affected as well as
looking at what exactly the agreement covers and doesn't cover.
1) The Actual Agreement
It should be pointed out the IBM and Apple only issued a LETTER OF
INTENT, and have not finalized anything. Conservative estimates
place a time table of at least six months before all the details
are ironed out.
The Macintosh interface will be "melded" to an advanced version of
IBM's Unix operating system, AIX. A jointly owned software company
will be chared with developing an object-oreiented software
environment capable of running applications written for AIX, OS/2
and the Macintosh. IBM and Motorola will team up to build a single
chip version of the RISC System/6000 chipset used by IBM in its
workstations. Joint development of platform-independent multimedia
software.
That is one tall order.
Later comments by IBM representatives helped to clarify part of the
issue when a spokesman acknowledged that the new object oriented
system would replace OS/2 in about four years. IBM continued to
say that it would try to ensure "complete and undiminished support"
for the installed base of OS/2. With public acknowledgement that
OS/2 is a dead end, exactly how much support in terms of upgrades
and bug-fixes can users expect? How much manpower is IBM willing
to commit to a "lame duck" operating system that has never really
caught on?
What about Apple's A/UX version of Unix? No mention is made, but
it is speculated that it will eventually be replaced outright with
the joint version of AIX.
IBM has said that it will also continue to support the Motif
interface developed by the Open Software Foundation, of which it is
a member. It will be interesting to see how IBM will utilize the
Macintosh interface yet still remain faithful to the OSF/Motif
standard.
Another player is NeXT and the NeXTStep interface. Why NeXT? IBM
has licensed the NeXTStep interface as an optional interface for
its RISC/6000 series of workstations. What will happen to NeXT's
biggest revenue generator so far?
It will be interesting to see how IBM and Apple plan to write
software that is usable on Intel, Motorola and RISC/6000 based
machines with no hitches. Software programmers are notorious for
using direct hardware calls to get better performance from limited
hardware, and IBM/Apple will be hard pressed to create an OS that
is fast enough to handle the real-time updates necessary in their
professed marker: multimedia. Not only do they have to DO it, but
they have to do it in a reasonable cost range. Apple is well known
for such stunts as the Mac Classic (lovely low price, but can't be
used with their new System 7 without adding more RAM) and their low
priced Mac II ads (read the fine print: monitor and keyboard not
included.)
Word on the street is that IBM is looking for a "prenuptial"
agreement before things proceed further. IBM has no desire to be
on the receiving end of an Apple lawsuit. Previous technology
shared by Apple and licensed to others like Microsoft and Hewlett-
Packard has resulted in lawsuits over the extent of agreements with
Apple claiming that MS and HP went too far in copying the "look and
feel" of the Macintosh interface. The current announcement had no
information on specific technology exchange agreements, patent
cross-licensing or other details.
2) How This Affects Commodore And The Amiga
Apple is set to release its "QuickTime" multimedia authoring and
presentation system in October of this year. IBM has stated that
this system will be included in the agreement and will be the basis
for a "platform-independent" multimedia standard. This does not
bode well for Commodore.
While QuickTime has yet to be released, and Apple is not one to be
a stickler on release dates, it will have a major impact on the
computing world since IBM and Apple combined have over 40% of the
marketplace in thier pocket. This announcement, while not good for
the Amiga, was targeted at Microsoft and their "Multimedia PC"
standard. Bill Gates has touted a minimum configuration of a PC
with at least an Intel 80286 processor, 1 Mb of RAM and a CD-ROM
drive as well as some other goodies for "proper" multimedia.
In an interview on CNBC/FNN, and IBM spokesman stated that while
they are aware of smaller companies and their efforts, the combined
forces of Apple and IBM should "easily crush any competition any
other companies may pose." Commodore was mentioned by name. This
smacks of a "Robber Baron" attitude with sights on a monopoly in
the multimedia market. Never-the-less, industry experts predict
that no challenge will be raised to the merger on anti-trust gounds.
3) What Can Commodore Do?
Commodore has three main choices.
A) They can ignore the deal, hoping IBM and Apple cannot work
together and getting chewed up if they can.
B) They can license the subsequent operating system for the
Amiga and replace Amix (the Amiga version of Unix) with a
superior version.
or
C) They can release their lawyers and fight it tooth-and-nail on
anti-trust grounds.
Eventually, Commodore would lose choice C. The combined capital and
clout of IBM and Apple could buy Commodore just to shut them up.
Lawsuit costs could cripple CBM, but only annoy the big boys. Choice
A is the most likely path to be taken, and Commodore will most likely
end up selling CDTV and A500s to the consumer crouds through mass
market outlets. The Amiga will have a niche for a few years in the
video and games markets, and as long as New Tek keeps the lights on
in Alcatraz, there will be an interest in the Amiga. The right choice
is B, though.
The Amiga, Atari ST and Macintosh proved that even if you use the
same processor family, machines can be quite different. Since the
big boys intend on making a version of Unix that runs on all major
processor families, and the Amiga uses one of the "big three" cpus,
things could work out nice.
Software that works on different architecture will have to be VERY
well behaved, and stick to operating system calls and not go direct
to the hardware (since it is all different). Each OS kernal would be
optimized for the specific system so what is wrong with Commodore
licensing the OS and optimizing it to utilize all the coprocessors
found in the A3000? If I am not mistaken, something like this is
being done with Unix V.4 right now. It would really tick Apple off
to see a system it co-developed running faster on a non-Apple machine
than on a Mac!
While I have never confirmed it, rumors about the A3000 state that
its CPU slot doesn't lock out the onboard cpu when in use. It is
possible to use an '040 expansion card IN PARALLEL with the '030 on
the motherboard. An OS that recognizes this and utilizes it could
wind up giving the RISC/6000 a run for its money!
AmigaDOS would survive, since Unix has never really caught on in the
home markets, and Commodore would not want to abandon all their
current users for promises of glory and gold. An option, like Unix
is now would be a good solution.
3) Finally
It will be a while before all the details are sorted out, and any
firm conclusions can be drawn. If Apple and IBM CAN work together,
it will mean a major change in the future of computing. Hopefully
it will be for the better, but one can never tell. With action and a
little foresight, Commodore could come out smelling like roses.
Unfortunatly, Irving Gould is not known as a man of vision (unless
you are discussing ways to avoid paying taxes). Only time will tell.
===================================================================
PRODUCT POSSIBILITY?
--------------------
There has been a lot on interest lately on the feasability of an Amiga
laptop. The major drawback is that since the Amiga is so heavily tied
to outstanding color graphics, it would need a color screen. Color
screens for laptops are EXPENSIVE, to say the least. Decent ones
(that can display the 4096 colors of the Amiga) consume LOTS of power.
The best color laptop screen I have heard of was an active-matrix
screen that supposedly looked just as good as an RGB monitor.
(NOTE: An ACTIVE MATRIX screen is one where every pixel has its own
transistor regulating intensity. While this provides for
excellent color control, it is very difficult to manufacture.
The most popular screen size is 640 x 480 in pixels. This
requires that there be 307,200 transistors -- for each of
the three primary colors: red, blue & green. This works
out to 921,600 transistors per screen. Even with today's
technology, getting all 921,600 transistors in place, without
one of them going bad is difficult and expensive. Currently
AM color screens are not available on laptops with batteries,
only A/C plug-in laptops 'cause they draw so much power.
This technique is used in the Mac Portable's screen, but is
easier there since that is a monochrome screen and only one
transistor per pixel is necessary to control the intensity.
A PASSIVE MATRIX screen is where each SCAN LINE has its own
transistor set controlling regulating pixel intensity. While
this is much easier to manufacture, it does not provide the
same control as ACTIVE MATRIX technology does. PM screens
do not look as sharp or crisp as active matrix.)
What is the Amiga to do? Well, there are three possibilities.
1) There are PM monochrome screens capable of displaying 64 shades of
grey. This would allow the Amiga to use every display mode,
including HALFBRITE but excluding HAM. Most likely HAM could be
mapped to 64 levels of intensity with an acceptable result for
temporary work. A quick check with ADPro could confirm this. An
external RGB port would take care of the rest.
2) A Video slot running horizontally in the machine. Many PC laptops
have one or two slots available. Some machines, such as Tandy and
some Toshiba LTs have custom slots but most provide one or two
PC compatible 8 or 16 bit slots for things like modems, fax/modems
and ethernet boards. An Amiga LT with a video slot would be
unbeatable! Pop a Video Toaster in there and volia! Instant,
portable Toast!
You eliminate most of the screen problem 'cause where are Toasters
used? Where t here are plenty of monitors available, that's where.
Using the Toaster's composite out to a monitor, as well as a grey
scale built-in screen would be great! For a portable setup, where
you are trying to show a client what you can do, going to them
is a new twist. Better than a video tape, a LIVE demonstration
could really be effective. It is easier to lug a monitor and a LT
than a monitor and a full A2000! Besides, you can hook it up to a
T.V., since many newer models have a "video" mode bypassing the R.F.
and NTSC is what you'd be selling anyway.
3) How about an Amiga Brick (tm)?
The Brick is a PC compatible computer sans monitor and keyboard. The
idea is that if you want to compute at home and the office, instead
of buying two computers, just by two keyboards & monitors and one
Brick! The mcahine has received rave reviews and it IS a neat idea.
In the PC worlds, you pay $2,495 and get the following:
16 MHz 80386-SX w/4 Mb RAM (8 Mb max); 1.44 3½" floppy; 44 Mb hard
drive; 2400 baud internal modem; 1024x768 VGA w/1 Mb video ram;
a half-slot 16-bit slot; DOS; 1 year warranty w/30 day money back
guarantee and either Windows 3.0 or Desqview 386 and a mouse.
Accessories include:
104 Mb hard drive --- $395
212 Mb hard drive --- $995
8 Mb RAM --- $396
20 MHz cpu --- $250
VGA monitor & kybd --- $218 (mono, 640x480, 12", beige)
VGA monitor & kybd --- $464 (color, 640x480, 14", beige)
Docking Terminal --- $349
It is an extra $195 if you want the VGA monitor and kybd to be black
instead of beige! (The Brick itself is black.) The docking terminal
allows you to simply plug all plugs into it and connect them all by
slipping the Brick into it. It also give another 16-bit, 3/4 length
slot. Math FPUs are also available.
The Amiga could have something along these lines. An Amiga Brick with
a video slot built in, and a docking bay with a Zorro-III slot would
be nifty! The PC Brick is small, about the size and weight of a
college (abridged) dictionary.
The Amiga would be much simpler to connect. Heck, the machine has an
NTSC compatible port and NTSC compatible video, it could be hooked
into almost anywhere! (NOTE: No slight to PAL systems, just replace
the letters NTSC with PAL and the same situation holds true.)
How about it Commodore? Any possibility of an Amiga LT in the near
future?
NOTE: Monday, the Commerce Department ruled that Japanese companies
were "dumping" flat-panel displays used in laptop computers on
the U.S. market at "less than fair" prices.
The Commerce Department ruled that the Japanese companies had
dumped three types of flat panel screens -- active-matrix
liquid crystal, electroluminescent and gas plasma. They
dismissed complaints about passive-matrix displays since none
are produced in the U.S.
It recommended duties of 62.67 per cent on active-matrix
displays and of 7.02 per cent on electroluminiscent screens.
It decided not to levy duties on the gas plasma displays
because they would be too low to bother collecting.
Companies includine Apple, Compaq and IBM have lobbied against
such import duties.
For the duties to go into effect, the International Trade
Commission (ITC) must find that the Japanese actions have hurt
U.S. manufacturers.
=======================================================================
WHAT'S NEW IN THE AMIGA LIBRARIES
---------------------------------
CIS/AmigaUser
-------------
MIOTLN.LZH/B 186K 11-Jul-91 MIoutline, Type 1 to PDraw Font Converter
DJ500V.LZH/B 6K 11-Jul-91 HP DJ500 v.2
LHCON.LZH/B 20K 09-Jul-91 Converts ARC and ZOO formatted files to LHARC
AMIBCK.LZH/B 75K 07-Jul-91 AmiBack v1.04 DEMO version Device Backup System
AMIUTL.LZH/B 38K 07-Jul-91 AmigUtil II, version 2.0, an EXCELLENT DirUtil
CBACCT.LZH/B 216K 07-Jul-91 The CheckBook Accountant 2.0 by J.R. Almasol
DJ500.LZH/B 6K 07-Jul-91 HP DeskJet 500 Amiga printer driver
TTXCRN.LZH/B 8K 07-Jul-91 Uncrunch PP text files and edit with TurboText
AMRC10.LZH/B 16K 07-Jul-91 AM Report International, a weekly news magazine
A10MOD.LZH/B 47K 06-Jul-91 A10 Stereo Speaker mod for power switch
MORSE3.LZH/B 6K 05-Jul-91 Morse Code Practice Program in Assembler
CIS/Amiga Tech
--------------
HCC.LZH/B 474K 09-Jul-91 Update to Sozobon C compiler
SYNWRK.LZH/B 102K 09-Jul-91 Graphic env for design of neural networks
MTEST.LZH/B 11K 07-Jul-91 2 Memory test programs with C source.
POPPER.LZH/B 49K 07-Jul-91 Add menus and submenus to workbench
CIS/Amiga Arts
--------------
ANEXT.LZH/B 347K 11-Jul-91 NeXT emulator AmigaVision program
ALICE.LZH/B 556K 10-Jul-91 Alice-Run-Anim.lzh
RUDY.LZH/B 100K 09-Jul-91 G. Jetson at work with his computer 'Rudy'.
MULPLA.LZH/B 97K 09-Jul-91 Player for many Soundtracker type mods.
LMART1.LZH/B 147K 08-Jul-91 1sr in series of 5 Louis Markoya images. HAME
LMART2.LZH/B 124K 08-Jul-91 2nd in series of 5 Louis Markoya images. HAME
LMART3.LZH/B 114K 08-Jul-91 3rd in series of 5 Louis Markoya images. HAME
LMART4.LZH/B 127K 08-Jul-91 4th in series of 5 Louis Markoya images. HAME
LMART5.LZH/B 133K 08-Jul-91 5th in series of 5 Louis Markoya images. HAME
IMGED.LZH/B 33K 07-Jul-91 Imagine.config file editor
KITTEN.LZH/B 8K 07-Jul-91 DMCS song for MIDI, "Kitten on the Keys"
6LAKES.LZH/B 64K 06-Jul-91 6 Lakes Country Club for Jack Nicklaus' Golf.
PICBAS.LZH/B 61K 05-Jul-91 PicBase v0.36: Shareware IFF Picture DataBase
CIS/Amiga Vendor
----------------
BLACK BELT SYSTEMS
------------------
SPIRAL.IPB/B 1K 06-Jul-91 A spiral blend for Image Professional
***********************************************************************
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
_________________________________
To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
Wait for the U#= prompt.
Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.
**** SIGN UP FEE WAIVED ****
The system will now prompt you for your information.
-> NOW! GENIE BASIC STAR SERVICE IS IN EFFECT!! <-
GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission
***********************************************************************
> Hard Disks STR InfoFile ***** ABCO PRICE CHANGES! *****
=======================
** EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! **
ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC.
P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
Est. 1985
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT
BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 PM - 6 AM EDT
_________________________________________
HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
_________________________________________
All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST
are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s).
*-ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE-*
(you are NOT limited to two drives ONLY!)
(all cables and connectors installed)
* ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
* ICD ADSCSI+ HOST ADAPTERS * FULL SCSI COMMAND SET SUPPORTED *
* SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS *
WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
Deluxe 2 bay Cabinet w/65w auto-switching PS
Model Description Autopark Price
==================================================
SGN4951 51Mb 28ms 3.5" Y 479.00
SGN1096 85Mb 24ms 5.25" Y 549.00
SGN2055 105mb 17ms 3.5" Y QUANTUM 699.00
SGN6277 120Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 789.00
SGN1296 168Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 1019.00
==================================================
FULLY ASSEMBLED SCSI DRIVES DEDUCT $60.00
ADD $35.00 for 4 BAY SUPER CABINET w/250w PS
PLEASE NOTE: The above is partial listing only!
CPU ACCELERATOR & MEMORY UPGRADES AVAILABLE & INSTALLED
Call for VERY special Introductory prices!
If you don't see what you want listed here, call us.
Odds are we have it or, can get it for you!
AT THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE!
"We service what we sell. (when necessary)"
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* SYQUEST 44MB (#555) >> ABCO "44" << REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE *
- SYQUEST 44 MB DRIVE - ICD ST ADSCSI PLUS H/A
- ICD Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable
- Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply
(1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.
--->> SPECIAL! NOW ONLY __$ 645.00__ <<---
**** SCSI UNITS -> ONLY $585.00 ****
WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
Cart and Utility Software Included!
EXTRA CARTS: $ 74.50
DRIVE MECH ONLY: $ 349.95
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
SPECIALLY PRICED ** $1019.00 **
Includes TWO cartridges!
* SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
50mb SQG51 $ 819.00 85mb SQG96 $ 1019.00
LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE
WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
(over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)
ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - AT/AM SPEED - GCR
LARGER units are available - (Custom Configurations)
*>> NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! <<*
- Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets -
* MOST Replacement Toner Cartridge Kits $42.95 *
* Toner Starter Kits $49.95 *
* Replacement Drums $183.95 *
>> MANY other COMPUTER related products STOCKED <<
ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
-* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
(A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
_________________________________________
DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
please, call for details
Personal and Company Checks are accepted.
ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY!
CALL: 1-800-562-4037 -=**=- CALL: 1-904-783-3319
Customer Orders ONLY Customer Service
9am - 8pm EDT
Tues thru Sat
ABCO is EXPANDING!! CALL FOR INFORMATION!
____________________________________________________________
> A "Quotable Quote"
====================
"IN A FIGHT BETWEEN YOU AND THE WORLD, BACK THE WORLD"
....FRANK ZAPPA
__
__///
\XX/ AM-Report International
=======================================================================
NEXT WEEK IN AM-Report International
Device independent graphics (DIG)! What they are...why they are hot...
who's got them...and why the Amiga needs them. A special guest speaker
will give you his views on DIG and the Amiga.
Don't miss it!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
AMReport International Online Magazine
Available through more than 10,000 Private BBS systems WorldWide!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
AMReport "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" July 13, 1991
16/32bit Magazine copyright 1991 Issue 1 Vol.2
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors/staff, PCReport, STReport, AMReport, MCReport. Permission to
reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Each reprint
must include the name of the publication, date, issue # and the author's
name. The entire publication and/or portions therein may not be edited in
any way without prior written permission. The entire contents, at the
time of publication, are believed to be reasonably accurate. The editors,
contributors and/or staff are not responsible for the use/misuse of infor-
mation contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
