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From: kurt@fluke.UUCP (Kurt Guntheroth)
Newsgroups: net.micro.cbm
Subject: Re: Amiga query (drool)
Message-ID: <105@vax2.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Dec-84 12:17:35 EST
Article-I.D.: vax2.105
Posted: Mon Dec  3 12:17:35 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Dec-84 23:49:50 EST
References: <3600003@uokvax.UUCP>
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Everett, WA
Lines: 30

The interesting things about the Amiga I have heard in the press are:

68000 based.
designed for under $1000 market
bunch of memory (128K?)
built-in disk drive
640x200 graphics mode, 80 column text mode
4096 colors (perhaps in only some modes)
MOST IMPORTANT:  A special video circuit which attempts to compensate for
bandwidth limitations of TV's.  It distorts the signal in a way inverse to
the distortion in TVs with the result that images look sharp on a TV.  The
goal is to produce readable 80 columns on a conventional color TV.
(Naturally there are limitations to this but even if it is only better than
what you get now it would be really exciting.)

A company named Amiga had constructed a hardware prototype of this machine
around a patent on the video hardware.  They were peddling it to home
computer makers including both Atari and Commodore.  Traniel/Atari is
currently sueing Commodore claiming Atari has prior rights to buy Amiga and
the computer (perhaps code named Lorraine at Commodore).  

Sources:
EE Times (various issues this summer) seems a reasonable source
Compute! Commodore Gazette (various issues this fall) who knows

I sure hope legal hassles don't prevent this product from reaching the market.
-- 
Kurt Guntheroth
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
{uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!kurt