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                         PowerUp - The Next Generation

  phase 5 digital products announces an Amiga-OS-compatible computer for 1997

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        o Amazing hardware project from phase 5 digital products
        o PowerUP project continues to make progress
        o Motorola appreciates the concept of phase 5
        o Technology demonstrations
        o phase 5 digital products on the situation of Amiga Technologies
        o About phase 5 digital products

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Oberursel, May 1996: Oberursel, May 1996: According to the plans of phase 5
digital products, Oberursel near Frankfurt, Germany, the coming year, 1997,
will be a year of joy for all Amiga enthusiasts. As an expansion of the PowerUp
project, which involves developing PowerPC processor cards for existing Amiga
models, the company has announced that an independent Amiga OS-compatible
computer system will be available in the first six months of 1997, representing
a revolution on the computer market.

"We will continue to give our full support to the Amiga idea because as we were
among the first Amiga users we continue to believe in the advantages and
superior concepts of the Amiga", says Wolf Dietrich, Managing Director of phase
5 digital products. "However, it is high time for a radical leap forwards in
technology that needs to be borne by a vision of a computer for the next
millennium. We have seen too many half-hearted efforts in the last few years."

In the view of Gerald Carda, Technical Director at phase 5, it is necessary to
take a step towards complete innovation in order to realise such a vision.
"Concepts that build up on the standard components of the PC world never offer
the scope that give a computer system the lead that the Amiga 1000 had over
other systems 12 years ago."

In line with this philosophy, the new computer will be based on a highly
integrated Custom Chip design which, as a central functional unit, will enable
the system to achieve a hitherto unknown performance. "We will demonstrate the
possibilities that are inherent in the resolute and single-minded pursuit of a
new development that does not become submerged in the mainstream of adaptation
to the Wintel world and the general tendency towards economy in the PC mass
market which more or less throttles innovation for the sake of saving one
single dollar", continues Gerald Carda. Despite this, the system now being
announced is not intended to become a dream machine in the high price category.
In the words of Wolf Dietrich: "On the basis of our current price calculation
we will be able to offer unusually good value for money for which our products
for the Amiga market are already renowned."

It is actually true that the extremely high degree of integration and the
realisation of novel concepts will make it possible to achieve a performance
that explodes existing bounds. Based on the PowerPC as the main processor, the
new computer, in addition to the high performance of the processor, offers
hardware support for multimedia (MPEG) and 3D functions, while even the basic
system offers a resolution of 1600x1200 pixels at 24-bit color depth and a
refresh rate of 72 Hz. At the same time special functions for image and video
effects have been implemented in the hardware. In addition there are audio
inputs and outputs in stereo CD quality, a video-compatible and Genlock-capable
24-bit video output and an FBAS/S-VHS video input. Along with the usual
interfaces, the system is rounded off by a Fast SCSI-II controller, a network
interface and an ISDN interface. With these features a complete system with a
120 MHz 603e PowerPC, 16 MByte memory, a SCSI hard disk of 1 GB and a
quad-speed CD ROM will be available for a purchase price of around 3,000 DM
(1,400 � or 2,000 US$, respectively) on the basis of the present market prices
for the components. "We hope that in just about one year from now we will even
be able to offer a 150 to 166 MHz 603e-processor at this price", anticipates
Wolf Dietrich. "In terms of performance the processor has no problems in
keeping up with a Pentium processor with an equally fast clock. However, there
is no sign of any comparable graphic performance anywhere the PC field and the
features of our systems will be difficult to match." There will be a similar
system available with a PowerPC 604-e processor and 150 MHz for about 4,000 DM
(1,800 � or 2,700 US$, respectively).

Although phase 5 digital products state that the total concept for the system
has already been under development for quite some time and has practically been
concluded, it is not possible to publish a more exact description of the system
features at the present point in time. "At the moment we are intensively
concerned with looking into whether it would be worth applying for a patent for
any of the concepts we have developed and, if so, for which. So unfortunately
we are not able to publish more precise details of the concept until after this
process has been concluded and we have possibly applied for protection by
patent", says Gerald Carda. For this reason we cannot reckon with any
publication of the full system specifications until the end of June.

Not only the hardware concept of phase 5, but also the software approach comes
as a surprise. The new computer system will be supplied with a completely new
operating system written in Native PowerPC code, but with binary compatibility
with Amiga-OS 3.x. Here Gerald Carda has the following comments: "As we are
already developing an Amiga-compatible PowerPC-Exec with an expansion library
and a PowerPC CyberGraphX version in the context of the PowerUp developments,
it is the logical consequence that the next step will be the innovative
development of the other components. An operating system that is compatible
with Amiga-OS 3.x makes it possible for the user to continue to use the
existing software that can run under CyberGraphX, while developers who already
give massive support to CyberGraphX will be able to continue to maintain and
develop their products at the present level. In this way we will be enabling
Amiga users to switch to the new system without any problems." "In addition",
continues Gerald Carda, "we will be opening up ways of making considerable
improvements in the internal structure and extensive additions to the scope of
functions". Besides the 24-bit support which has already become a standard due
to CyberGraphX, Gerald Carda names the coming CyberGraphX 3D and multimedia
interface as an example. There will also be an optimisation of the system's
performance and a revision and adaptation of the user interface in line with
the functional and optical state of the art. "For years Amiga-OS has
represented the conceptual realisation of ideas that today are propagated by
many to be special innovations. This means that reprogramming will make it
possible to achieve a really highly powered and modern OS. Of course our system
will also be open for other operating systems or emulations, such as MacOS or
an X-Windows link-up. The discussion concerning so-called new operating
systems, however, was intended more as marketing hype than as a realistic
alternative."

The commitment with which phase 5 digital products will force forward this
project is reflected not least in the considerable volume of investment that
has been made in the development. "By the middle of 1997 we will have invested
seven-digit figures in this project", says Wolf Dietrich. "We have the
know-how, the development team, the technical equipment, the support from third
parties (especially Motorola) and the financial basis for this project. The
only thing that we still need is massive and positive support from the Amiga
user basis. With this early disclosure of our objectives we expect to receive
the anticipated response from the users, for, after all, such a project only
makes sense if there is still a large number of convinced Amiga fans. We
therefore appeal to all Amiga fans to write to us, to send us faxes or to
contact us via E-mail (under the address specially set up for this purpose:
aproject@phase5.de ). Every positive reaction will strengthen this
forward-looking project."

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PowerUP project continues to make progress
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The PowerUp project also continues to make progress. "The delivery of the
developer PowerPC boards will now start in summer", says Gerald Carda.
"Unfortunately, we are a few months behind in our schedule due to extensive
discussions between Motorola, Amiga Technologies and phase 5. These companies
were to agree on a close cooperation and clarify a number of matters,
especially with regard to new standards specific to the new PowerPC. After the
discussion concerning a takeover by VIScorp started and the wave or
redundancies that directly followed at Amiga Technologies, which led to most of
the contact persons who had been involved in the projects leaving the company,
AT abandoned the present cooperation. For this reason we will waste no further
time and will continue with our project on our own, which was the way in which
we started it. Nor can we wait any longer to see what VIScorp might possibly
intend or not intend."

The support for external developers in the PowerUp program is now complete.
More than 250 developers - including practically all noted commercial software
suppliers in the Amiga field - are registered and their numbers are growing
every day. This alone is evidence of the strong support for the future
Amiga-compatible PowerPC platform. As from the second half of May, the
registered users will now be able to order the PowerPC Beta developer boards
from phase 5 which mean the green light for the hot phase of the world-wide
software development.

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Motorola appreciates the concept of phase 5
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In the realisation of their new, innovative computer system phase 5 will be
fully supported by Motorola. "We appreciate the powerful and innovative concept
that phase 5 represents and we fully support the efforts of this company as a
partner in our global PowerPC strategy." says John Letham, European Technical
Marketing Manager, Motorola RISC Microprocessors. "We have had a number of
joint meetings now and we are impressed by the know-how and vision that is the
basis of phase 5�'s driving force."

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Technology demonstrations
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In close cooperation with Motorola phase 5 is preparing technology
demonstrations, to be shown in due course, which will demonstrate the
impressive capabilities of the next generation of PowerPC 603e CPUs at
significantly increased clock rates. This programme is already underway and
Summer of 1996 will see phase 5 present prototypes of PowerPC boards for Amiga
3000/4000 as well as for the Apple Macintosh 7500/8500/9500 series. "With the
presentation of these new processors, Motorola as a leading semiconductor
manufacturer clearly illustrates their capabilities demonstrating exactly why
the next generation of PowerPC CPUs will hold the pole position in the
microprocessor performance race". says Wolf Dietrich of phase 5. "Our computer
system, when shipping next year, will also offer these extremely fast
processors, delivering true high-end workstation performance. The higher speed
of the CPUs will also deliver a performance increase to the upgrade boards for
existing Amiga systems." With the presentation of this PowerPC technology demo
on Apple MacIntosh system phase 5 digital products announces their entry into
the MacIntosh accelerator market. This new branch of their operation will make
additional use of the PowerPC know-how that is been build up in the Amiga
development, while for both the Amiga and the MacIntosh PowerPC products an
even more attractive pricing can be realized due to the higher quantity demands
of PowerPC processors

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phase 5 digital products on the situation of Amiga Technologies
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In addition to this project announcement, phase 5 also made some side remarks
on the current state of affairs with regard to Amiga Technologies. "To our
regret we found that Amiga Technologies offers us no sort of outlook or basis
for developing into the future", says Wolf Dietrich. "The first year of Amiga
Technologies was marked by a continued chain of wrong decisions which have been
responsible for the bad situation in which the company now finds itself. The
results must be adequate to the objectives set in the spring of 1995 and in
this respect they are more than disappointing. There is no getting away from
this. In fact the same mistakes were made that were previously made at
Commodore and partly by the same people. For example, attempts continue to keep
technically outdated products on the market at unrealistic prices, which is
particularly true in the case of the A4000T. Another point is that the
marketing concepts are completely outdated, there is an absence of any kind of
futuristic vision and a lack of any independent development, which is so
pronounced that today AT neither has any 68060 technology to show for itself
nor even a sign of any PowerPC technology. The brief spark of any independent
development was extinguished again by the latest wave of redundancies. In this
respect the only thing that we can just about expect from AT is that they sell
off their large quantities of existing stock. These do give us some cause to
hope that the existing products will be on the market for a while and that, in
due course, they will be offered at more realistic prices. Finally, the only
thing that can be said about the activities of AT is: They should have asked
someone who knows his stuff."

In the opinion of phase 5 a takeover of Amiga Technologies by VIScorp does not
awaken hope of any major innovations or any strengthening of the Amiga system.
"So far we have heard nothing from VIScorp that would cause us to assume that
anything different is being planned than the exploitation of the Amiga
technology in a settop box. Nor do we see why this company, which must
certainly concentrate all its efforts on realising its settop projects, should
be interested in further pursuing the primary aim of continuing with the Amiga
system. If this had been the case, it would already have been quite feasible
for VIScorp to initiate such a project as a licensee of the Amiga technology."
phase 5 sees this critical opinion confirmed by current events. "The actions of
VIScorp do not convince us that they are serious in continuing with the Amiga.
So far, for example, VIScorp has not directly spoken to the developers who were
the last to support the Amiga. Nor was there any reaction when we tried to make
contact. The VIScorp meeting in Toulouse that has now been announced lacks any
kind of organisation and was called without there being any recognisable
concept behind it. For this reason it is more than doubtful whether even a sign
of any constructive result can be expected to come out of it, so that in our
view it would be a pure waste of time to attend, as we have repeatedly found in
the recent year at ESCOM meetings. We don't need a repeat of that." Let it be
mentioned in passing that the hope often expressed in the general discussion,
i.e. that in VIScorp Amiga will find itself taken over by a company that will
finance the development of a new generation of Amiga products more or less from
the petty cash, is something that Wolf Dietrich considers to be very
optimistic. "For a start we had exactly the same expectations a year ago when
everyone thought that the giant ESCOM would get things moving at Amiga from a
standing position and quickly produce a new generation of Amiga computers for a
more competitive price. Secondly we should first wait and see whether the
figures that have been bandied about in the discussion concerning VIScorp's
takeover of AT have any sort of real fundament."

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About phase 5 digital products
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phase 5 digital products, based in Oberursel near Frankfurt, are
internationally operating manufacturers of hardware and software products. The
company is entirely owned by its founders, Gerald Carda and Wolf Dietrich.
Since the market launch of its first product line in 1992 this company, which
consists of an experienced team of the first Amiga users and developers,
quickly established itself as one of the leading manufacturers in the Amiga
market. Since 1992 its products have been distinguished many times, including
20 awards for Product of the Year in Amiga journals. In 1995 phase 5 supplied
accessories to the value of some DM 12 million (5.5 million � or 8 million US$)
in the Amiga market alone. Since the Christmas season of 1995 almost 30,000
hardware products have been delivered. The product portfolio for Amiga includes
accelerator cards, SCSI controllers and graphics cards. In these fields phase 5
digital products has repeatedly proved itself to be manufacturer that is a
forerunner and an innovative leader, for instance in bringing out the first
Zorro III-DMA-SCSI controller world-wide, the Fastlane Z3, in producing the
first 68030 card world-wide with a DMA-SCSI controller for the Amiga 1200, in
offering the first 68060 card world-wide for Amiga systems (the Cyberstorm
060/50 for A4000), in manufacturing the first 64-bit graphics card world-wide
with full system-integrated 24-bit support (the CyberVision64 for A3000/A4000)
or in bringing out the first 68060 card for the A1200 world-wide, the Blizzard
1260. Along with intensive development activities as a Beta developer for
Motorola in the 68060 and PowerPC field, hardware developments at phase 5
include pure research work in the field of multimedia high-performance DSPs and
in the latest development department ASE (advanced silicon engineering) VLSI
chip design. An expanding team of some 20 staff is currently working on these
projects at the company's headquarters in Oberursel on premises covering an
area of 960 square metres. In the adjoining service area, which covers an area
of almost 600 square metres, the company, as from August 96, will be producing
hardware products - including the new PowerPC products - in its own, highly
modern manufacturing plant using the most recent manufacturing techniques.
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     Contact:
     phase 5 digital products
     In der Au 27
     61440 Oberursel, Germany

     Intl. Phone: +49 6171 583787
     Intl.Fax: +49 6171 583789

     Email: mail@phase5.de
     oder: aproject@phase5.de

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