Conference hydra::amiga_v1

> This note is being created on an Amiga 3000 runing Syndesis TSSnet (DECnet
> clone) and GFXbase's X11 implementation. 


Ahem! Where is this A3000 located :_)

john

RE:.1
>   Ahem! Where is this A3000 located :_)

LKG2-1
		-SES

    Steven,
    
    		Can you give us more details on the X part
    
    		Will it work locally or does it need a Vax Host ( For want
    of a better phrase )
    
    			- Pete -

    I asked Steve if he'd be willing to do a formal demontation for the
    rest of us Amigoids, and his response follows.  So we'll have an idea
    how many are likely to show up, please send me mail (SEND/AUTHOR from
    Notes) to let me know.          ====== ==== == ====
    
>       Thanks  for  offering to organize this. I would very much like to
>   do this. Thursday morning is the time. Between 9:30 and 11:30  in  my
>   office.  There  is a more formal demo scheduled for the afternoon and
>   aimed at some Digital management - the  real  reason  for  this.  Wes
>   Plouff  is  the instigator and deserves the credit for kicking things
>   in the butt and getting them going.
>
>       This *is* field test software and I have special dispensation for
>   Commodore (w.r.t. non-disclosure)  to  show  this  off,  but  not  to
>   perform  benchmarks  or other performance "Comparisons." Syndesis and
>   GFXbase have also been very helpful in  this  endeavour.  What  I  am
>   trying to say is this is all on the "up and up" and nothing sneaky.
>   
>       I  mean  *really*!  Commodore  loaned  me  2  Ethernet  cards  to
>   demonstrate  this.  One  is in Steve Spodaryk's 2000+2620 in LKG1. He
>   will be demoing the software with 1.3 to the management group.
>   
>   	Thanks,
>   		-SES

Digital Review June 4 1990 issue has a small writeup on DECnet (TSSnet) 
and X windows for Amiga! Page 9.

It mentions that with the Amiga 3000 and these packages (ethernet and sw)
the Amiga is the lowest cost X-Windows Workstations available - priced
at about $4500.00.

john

So, do Digital and Commodore have some sort of development agreement?

RE:.6

>   So,  do  Digital  and  Commodore  have  some  sort of development
>   agreement?

Amiga 3000 platforms are being considered for a rather unglamorous
role (no screen, keyboard, or mouse) in a project I am working on.

This entails no special relationship. Digital may purchase a few
amigas to sell to a customer.

Because of the nature of the situation I can not say more.

	Thanks,
		-SES

    Re .5:
    
>   Digital Review June 4 1990 issue has a small writeup on DECnet (TSSnet) 
>   and X windows for Amiga! Page 9.

    I'll have to check it out.
    
>   It mentions that with the Amiga 3000 and these packages (ethernet and
>   sw) the Amiga is the lowest cost X-Windows Workstations available -
>   priced at about $4500.00.
    
    Having visited Steve's system yesterday, I was truly impressed.  An
    A3000 with an EtherNet card and both the X.11 and TSSnet (DECnet)
    software is a FANTASTIC workstation.  It's also the ONLY personal
    computer at ANY price that provides BOTH host and client X.11 support.
    
    About the only thing one could wish for is a larger monitor (at least
    1280x960 pixels), but Steve's multi-sync monitor was just fine.  The
    X.11 software allows configuration of a large virtual screen and then
    does automatic vertical/horizontal scrolling as one moves the mouse.
    
    At one point, Steve's DEC workstation and the A3000 each had Xwindows
    opened to the other.  Responsiveness was excellent in both directions.
    
    Considering that the Amiga handles multiple SCREENS, this becomes even
    more mind-boggling.  One can bounce among X-Windows, the workbench,
    network management, a terminal emulator (a freebie in the TSSnet
    package, but you can use your favorite communications program as long
    as you can tell it to talk to TSSnet's virtual device) and other
    applications to one's heart's content.
    
    Amazing!!!

     Don't forget that X-windows supports the 19" monochrome monitors being
offered for the Amiga.  True, you lose 4094 colors, but it would make a 
really great monochrome workstation (approx 1k x 1k resolution).  Excellent
for Amiga based DTP also.

     People are really amazed when they see me using DECwrite or BookReader
on my Amiga '020.  The responsiveness is excellent.  Much better than a 
VAXstation 2000, and about the same as a VAXstation 3100.  Steve Sullivan's
A3000 has them all beat (in my opinion).

Steve - Looking forward to Color X-Windows for the Amiga :^)

     

    For those curious about the demo:  When I read Steve Spodaryk's note
    about running X and serial line DECnet, I thought that here would be
    the perfect chance to show Amiga and its capabilities to some of the
    people directly responsible for personal computer products here at
    Digital.  Due entirely to the hard work of Steves Spodaryk and
    Sullivan, several weeks later this actually happened.  My part was to
    lob press clippings and mail messages in what I hoped was the right
    direction.
    
    The aim of this technology demonstration was to show that Amiga can run
    Ethernet, X Windows and DECnet today, so that there would be little
    technical risk in a Digital decision to somehow officially support
    Amiga as another brand of personal computer under PCSA.  A decision
    could be made solely on the business merits of any proposal.
    
    Now, the missing piece here is the business case to get Digital
    interested in making a profit from Amiga-related products.  However, I
    feel we did at least raise awareness about the machine in a couple of
    places, so a future proposal would at least be seen as plausible.
    
    On demo day, several people came, we all had fun, and folks were
    suitably impressed by an A2500 and an A3000 displaying standard
    DECwindows applications like DECwrite and Bookreader, as well as native
    Amiga applications.  The two Steves also got questions like, "What are
    you _doing_ when you pull down those screens?"
    
    And the level of official interest after the demo?  IMO, it's very
    modest.  Amiga will get in the back door at Digital if at all, just as
    the Macintosh did a few years back.  I am encouraged by the response
    this session got - it was a good first step, but some of you other guys
    will have to do demos, too.
    
    Answering the question of a few replies back, no, there is no official
    relationship today between Digital and Commodore, at least not to my
    knowledge.  Could it happen?  The answer is at least not a flat denial.
    
    Wes