Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!hao!ames!ptsfa!ihnp4!homxb!houxa!shah1 From: shah1@houxa.UUCP (J.SHAH) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: On Amiga 500, 2000 and Expansion etc. Message-ID: <1827@houxa.UUCP> Date: 15 Dec 87 15:02:33 GMT Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel Lines: 73 Summary: A500, A2000 etc XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I recently bought an AMIGA 500 after doing some research on the AMIGA family of computers. The A500 cost me $539 plus taxes in New York City. I suspect that we will be able to purchase the A2000 for about a $1000 more in the open market as soon as they are available in volume. The question is what are we getting for $1000? IBM compatibility has been discussed at length on this news group. I am an convert to the AMIGA from the IBM family (I still have an IBM PS/2 and an AT with the whole works at home) and to me having IBM capability on an AMIGA is like having "Chevy Capability" on a Rolls Royce. Besides, I can always buy an IBM 8088 Clone with CGA graphics for about $550. The IBM card on the A2000 even at the discounted prices is not a good deal at all. Lets be honest, how many of us technical types are dying to use spreadsheets and databases on PC compatibles. CBM alreay has machines for the MS-DOS market and thats the way they are addressing the PC-compatible market. The main point is PC compatibility is not going to make or break the amigas. The A2000 has a robust power supply and that has a value of about $50 to me because my friends (EEs) tell me thats how much a more robust power supply for the A500 should cost. The power supply for the A500 is a very poor marketing and technical decision on the part of CBM. I would have been more than willing to pay an incremental cost of $25 for a better power supply. The expansion capability of the A2000 comes to mind. I consider myself to be an average user. On my computer (A500) I need a parallel port, a serial port (I need two on the IBM because a mouse port on the older machines were not available), room for a multifunction card (which may include room for memory, math chips, clock etc), hard disk controller, possibly a memory card. The maximum number of expansion cards an average user will need is in the range of 2-3 and so the A2000 expansion capability is an overkill for the average user. CBM could have engieered an "AMIGA 1250" with 3 expansion slots and without any IBM compatible crap on it and still make the machine sell at the $900 (discounted) price range. Thats what I would have preferred to buy. The industry is rushing to offer expansion capability on the A500. Pacific already has a two slot expansion box for the A500 at $249. That price is still high and I think competition will drive the price of a bare box down to about $150 range but this is a move in the right direction. I suspect some company is going to come up with an expansion box for A500 with three slots and housing for a harddisk and a floppy (large power supply included) in the $200-250 range. So to me the A2000 expansion capability is worth about $300 more not $1000. The A2000 focuses on a very small market segment and is very good for a Byte magazine story on IBM compatibility. If CBM management is smart they will put their effort on the A500 and the "A1250". The peripheral vendors are already working on A500 expansions. I already miss the cheap expansion cards of good quality in the IBM compatible area. $350 for a hard disk controller ? Come on ! ypu must be joking? A blank memory card for $300? Oh yes, some body will pay any amount of money to keep their AMIGA religion alive. It is clear that the driving force is the AMIGA 500 and because of the number of A500s being sold, we will begin to see more quality software at competitive prices. Yes, I have couple of C-64s at home and we enjoy the large number of games avilable on it. Looks like CBM has created another people's computer: the AMIGA 500 and we are glad to be a part of the Amiga 500 community. A500 is not a second class citizen compared to the A2000, it is the wave of the future. Shah Jahan AT&T Bell Labs Holmdel, NJ 07733 (201) 949-1680 Disclaimer: These are personal opinions and are in no way endorsed by my employer AT&T Bell Labs. A1250 is an unregistered thought mark of the Network Philosophy Inc.