b3tLeading ArticletRokDaZonethpf2s2c08Computer'97. f1c09One could loose many words here, but even the best rhetorics wouldn't help. Once again, c10A.I. c09didn't keep their words and it was on third party companies to raise confidence in people for a future of the best system in the world once again. c10Petro Tyschtschenko c09as well as c10Darrick Lisle c09said - well - nothing. But at least with few words this time. What seems especially intrigueing is that when comparing the statements, Mr. Tyschtschenko gave c10Generation c09(cp. related article) to others which you can find in magazines or on the net you surely find that they are extremely similar to eachothers. Sometimes almost word by word. Does this mean only one person actually really talked to him and all the others copied? Surely not. We can be quite sure that all the words, c10Mr. Tyschtschenko c09gave were really carefully picked and this also fits into the picture that no one of the few presenters at the c10A.I. c09booth gave any significant information after request. They were very eager to hand out their buttons, fliers and stickers, but being asked after real data, they always pointed at coming pressannouncements after the exhibition. So an overall disappointing situation after the event? No, not at all. f2c08 The Third Wave Is Coming f1c09After about one and a halve year of almost complete silence from the gameproducing as much as from any companies on the Amiga softwaresector, forcing many games mags to merging or upgiving (c10Amiga Jokerc09, c10Amiga Gamesc09, ...) it was time for a new blast. And here it is. All of a sudden and totally unexpected the shrinkened market is swamped with new releases. c10Trapped IIc09, c10Gloom IIIc09, c10Shadow of the Third Moonc09, c10Mystc09, c10Foundationc09, c10On Escape c09to name but a few all landed in the second half of 1997 or will be released early 1998. On the applicationsmarket, c10Wildfire c09seemingly set signals and with c10PageStream 3.3c09, c10Turboprint 6c09, c10Elastic Dreams c09(Morphing), c10Camouflage AB c09(sequenzer with integrated harddisk- recording), c10Reflectionsc09, c10X-DVE 3.0c09, c10StormC 3.0c09, c10Arteffect 2.5c09, c10Cygnus ED 4.0c09, c10Tornado 3D c09new highend software packages are here and pump new breath into our lungs. A direct result of the awillingness of certain developers to take full advance of external hardware such as FastRAM, turboboards, graphicscards, soundcards and CD-Rom. Much as wellknown Scene coders such as c10Azurec09, c10Manta c09and c10Axis c09demanded for long, the stakes for software finally started to rise with the existing market as much as every PC-user is used to. Much too long, one-eyed Amigafanatics have lowered given powerressources by demands that everything should be runable under plain OCS and without FastRAM. Many have barred the CD-Rom from streaming into the market by not being awilled to spend the few bucks for a 4X-drive. Open your eyes and realize: The times of the lazy A1200 is over, the plain A4030/25 is an anachronism these days. f2c08 Amiga Upgrades - Expensive Solution? f1c09While we all bought our computers for 1000,- to 4000,- DM in 1993 and spend few on extra equipment since then, an average PC-user trying to keep up at least to some instance with late standards changed his entire system at least once in this time. This means, although the PC is by far cheaper than the Amiga then was and today is - their users had to invest much more money in the meantime than we did so far. If one PC only costs DM 2000,- the A4000 looks like a miserable deal for 2500,- DM (1993). But remember: The PC user spend these 2000,- DM f2twice f1- once in 1992 and the second one latest with the new PentiumII in 1998. That's DM 4000,- isn't it? Moreover you get a A4030/25 for 1100,- DM nowadays. So, if you as... - c10A1200 c09user (then 1100,-DM) with - c10Blizzard030/50 c09(then 500,-DM) plus - c101GB harddisk c09(then 300,- DM) buy a - c10PowerUp board c09(900,-DM) now plus - c1016 MB FastRAM c09(150,-DM), - a c10graphicsboard c09(200 DM,-; used) and if you still don't have it a - c106X AT CD-Rom c09(150,- DM or so), then you spent 3300,- DM altogether. If you really need it, you get an additional new c1016Bit Maestro soundcard c09for under 200,- DM. Ok, that's still not a c10PentiumIIc09, but: - You just bought a high-end system. - You saved yourself from c10Windowsc09. - You don't need to hunt for drivers. - You don't fill your harddrive with unwanted logfiles. - You don't have to adapt yourself to a new system with new problems. - You sticked to your mates/contacts. - You still are able to load your favourite programs/demos. Do you even have the slightest idea what a PPC can mean to an Amiga? This more than just the jump from 68000 to 68020. This is a quantum leap. f2c08 Back to Software f1c09The classical periode of silence in the Scene besides the summerbreak is November and December: Directly before c10The Party'97c09. Despite the higher competitionprizes at c10Assembly c09and c10The Gatheringc09: Winning the real classical event still was, is and remains The Party democontest for the widespread international competition. Despite this fact, the Scene seems very lively this year as expressed by the number of reviews in c10Generation#25 c09and c10#25bc09. This could possibly have three reasons: c081.) c09There have been several parties such as c10Dreamhack c09and c10Saturne c09recently. This is a strong factor surely, but doesn't entirely fit as only few releases came out at these events. c082.) c10The Party c09looses importance so that people don't hesitate to release already before instead at the event. Could be a reason, but then again The Party'97 is the most talked about topic at the moment. c083.) c09The Scene itself is strongly concentrating on releases and productions due to the latest positive trend for the Amiga community as indicated by the PowerUp boards and the already mentioned overall software flood. I tend to believe in this as it simply feels good and as the other reasons before can't convince due given reasons. f2c08 Coming to an End f1c09Whatever can be said about the inferior situation of the Amiga when compared with the PC, one thing remains factual: At the moment something like a third spring is coming and people realize it. The Amiga has a future, as small and as noninfluential it may be compared to the main computermarket. Once again we can stand upright and with best confidence claim that we are proud of what we have and what we have achieved. c08Amiga rulzt!