Amiga view. (future of Commodore's Amiga microcomputers)
by Denny Atkin
Just when it seemed things were getting bleak, as if a big blue cloud had fallen over the computer world, a tiny ray of sunlight is trying to burst through. Imagine a weird universe where almost everyone is a clone. In this azure existence, only a few dare to be different.
In a land where a zillion variations of bizarre Intelcompatible microprocessors and huge, bloated operating systems fight for dominance, it's a struggle for anyone who bucks the standard to stay alive. Many years ago, a powerful machine burst into the world, stealing attention from the clones. Although people saw this newcomer as something innovative, with abilities no clone could match, it was different And in this universe, different is accepted only by the daring. While its Andy Warhol--overseen birth did result in 15 minutes of fame, it soon slipped into the background.
The clones continued to multiply and grow stronger, almost matching some of the newcomer's abilities. Even those people with the courage to accept the different began to consider joining the clones.
Belatedly, but hopefully not too late, the newcomer's creators decided that they needed to give it new abilities to bring it back to the forefront. The leaders commanded the engineer wizards to lock themselves in their labs and use their magic to enhance the newcomer. The spokespersons realized it was time to reevaluate how they spread the Word. For the first time in years, it appeared light might shine through the murky blue haze.
The next six months or so will tell us if this story has a moral or not. But the optimist in me says that it might just be that you can get up again after sitting still for too long. Sometimes Amiga Resource has been pretty hard on Commodore. It's hard not to be. We're Amiga enthusiasts, and we wonder why the machine hasn't enjoyed the success in the U.S. that is has in Europe.
Recent columns by Sheldon Leemon (June) and Arlan Levitan (July) hit Commodore hard for some pricing policies that seemed to fly in the face of logic. Fortunately, Commodore never really implemented those policies, but unfortunately, the articles went to press before we found that out. We're sorry these articles appeared after the policies changed. (See page A-30 for details.)
Now, we find ourselves complimenting Commodore. Recent pricing promotions have brought Amiga 2000 and 3000 prices closer to the realm of the realistic. Commodore has moved public relations in-house, so magazines can now get more accurate information to you more quickly. The company has finally released the A2386SX Bridgeboard. Best of all, its engineers are working on some really neat stuff that will blow your socks off (and I don't mean the 600), and a small-scale but intelligently implemented ad campaign is planned for this fall. If all this comes together before 1992 ends, we may yet see an Amiga renaissance in the U.S.
AMIGA RESOURCE AMIGA VIEW A-1
Will the Amiga's story have a happy ending? By Denny Atkin. THE EAR A-2
The Amiga 600--too bizaree for the U.S. market? By Sheldon Leemon. MULTIMEDIA PLAYERS A close look at how CDTV stacks up to its primary By Mark R. Brown. AMIGA OVERSEAS A-12
Another look at Amiga happenings in Europe. By Mike Nelson. ABSTRACTIONS A-14
Arlan says so long, but not goodbye. By Arlan Levitan. CLI CLIPS A-16
A look at versatile pattern scripts. By Jim Butterfield. IMAGINATIONS A-18
The debut of our new 3-D rendering tutorial series. By Steven Worley. REVIEWS A-20
Super JAM!, Agony, World Circuit, Knights of the Sky, and many other titles are reviewed. FEEDBACK A-30
Commodore responds to recent Amiga pricing issues. PROGRAMMER'S PAGE A-31
No matter what you put on your screen, it's all just numbers. By Rhett Anderson. TAKING SIDES A-32
Will CD-ROM be a major player in the computer market? By Rhett Anderson and Randy Thompson.