🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <7886@cbmvax.UUCP>, daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes...
>in article <8909082318.AA08542@postgres.Berkeley.EDU>, dillon@POSTGRES.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) says:
> 
>> 	Whatever it has, it had better have a 32 bit data bus or it's no
>>     better than an A2000.  Sometimes commodore can be so stupid and miss
>>     the real obvious necessities.
> 
>Wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something, Matt?
> 
Probably, or he's still mad about not thinking about that interrupt in the 
parnet design. ;-) ;-)

But to get this topic back on track, I would like get some of the load I
have regarding the A3000 of my back. During my various conversations with 
Dave Haynie I avoided this topic, to be able to discuss it here without 
breaching any non-disclosure agreements.

1. I think we can safely assume that the A3000 will feature a 32 bit wide
system bus.

2. A stoopid(tm) thing to do would be an A3000 without a 32 bit version of
the custom chips. Enhancements that go beyond that of the ECS would be
needed to place the A3000 succesfully in the upper PC/lower workstation 
range.

3. Another VERY stoopid(tm) thing would be the placement of the CPU on the
motherboard. A violation of the OSA concept and even those PeeCee 
designers have learned this lesson. A really nice thing would be a 68000
as fallback CPU on the motherboard. Whilst giving utmost compatibility with
all the "standard" Amigas, this feature could be implemented at very low
costs...

4. A friend of mine (Martin Kopp of TurboBackup fame) has much more to say on
this specific subject, but in nutshell his proposal goes like this:
-An Amiga without compatible custom chipset is no longer an Amiga.
-The chipset has certain limitations that are VERY expensive to overcome.
-The solution is simple, supply the A3000 with a powerful chipset (like large 
 screens [1024 by 1024 min.] more colors...) but don't try to do the 
 (financially) impossible and have the whole system try to refresh these
 displays at flicker free rates (25Hz are sufficient for animations). 
 Instead use an "extended" FlickerFixer approach that will allow the user to
 purchase "video cards" that will give him the display he needs and can afford.
 Like standard NTSC would be nearly for free, while HDTV with option to display
 1280 by 800 pixels at 100Hz would drive you bankrupt... :-) 

5. I could live with an A3000 that consists of an A2000 with ECS, A2630...
But a quick'n dirty solution (and nothing else is possible in the time until
the next CeBIT) 

6. Don't let any hyperactive marketroids push the Amiga development too far
too hasty...(This is for "insiders")

Regards,

<CB>
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