@database DirectPowerAmiga.html
@remark Converted with HTML2Guide ©1997 Mark Harman
@wordwrap

@node MAIN "DirectPowerAmiga.html"
@{"b"}New Amiga From Direct Software@{"ub"}  

I'm sure you've read the news, seen the adverts, but just in case, I'll give the details here: 
    	
    A1200 Tower Casing 
    	
    68060 @ 50MHz 
    	
    16MB Fast, 2MB Chip 
    	
    Picasso IV Card (4MB Video) 
    	
    1GB Hard Drive 
    	
    8x CD ROM 
    	
    Zorro slots 
    	
    14" Monitor  

Wow! Okay, as many have said, this is not so much a new Amiga, rather just existing technology stuck together. But what's wrong with that? I ask you: How much would such a set up cost otherwise? I'll do a quick guess: 
    	
    Basic A1200 Tower with '060 (Eagle) -  £900 
    	
    16MB SIMM -  £30 
    	
    Picasso IV Card -  £300 
    	
    1GB Hard Drive - About  £130 
    	
    8x CD ROM (Internal) - About  £80 
    	
    Monitor - Let's say  £250  

That totals  £1690, almost  £200 more. And you've got the hassle of buying from loads of different companies, and sticking it all together yourself.  

Of course, they are calling it @{"i"}The@{"ui"} Power Amiga, when there's not a PPC chip in sight! But...  

Rumour has it that version Mark 2 of this will be PowerPC based, and as such, it will be the first complete Amiga available with PPC (rather than via accelerator cards), so it will be rather fitting to be called The PowerAmiga after all! And thinking along a different route, remember that Mac laptops were called PowerBooks even when they were 680x0 based. So I guess they are now PowerPowerBooks - maybe we'll have Direct's PowerPowerAmiga?  

So if you are thinking of buying this machine, you'd be foolish not to wait until a PowerPC version. Think about it - the Blizzard 1260 costs  £350 (which is quite possibly what they're using?), and has only just recently fallen from  £400. Meanwhile, we have a 175MHz 603e, around twice as fast, costing just  £300, and it includes SCSI-2 too! Slap in a 50MHz '030 (which must be dirt cheap), and you've got a PowerAmiga twice as fast, for no extra cost (if anything, cheaper).  

Sure, there may not be the software to take advantage of it, and at the moment, an '060 would be faster, but looking long term, you've got to think PPC!  

This machine would be great value - okay, still a way off PCs, but far better than we've had for ages, and just as good as any PowerMac (which usually have no Gfx card as standard, remember!)  

And who is producing this machine? Direct Software! If they can do it, I think Gateway 2000 should be able to do a lot better, especially if they build a new machine, rather than using existing bits of technology.  

Also good news is that Direct Software have said they will port/produce software for their machine (and hence, all high end Amigas), including Haunted, Phantasmagoria (a 7CD Mac adventure), and also 'numerous serious titles'. What could that mean?  
	----------------------------------------
 

One last thing. Should we still call them Direct @{"i"}Software@{"ui"}???   
 
@endnode