Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/ami_guide.txt

Text File | 1995-04-14 | 44.9 KB | 894 lines

                           c6The Amiga:c7
               c7An Inside Look at a Powerful Computer

                     c2Written By Shane R. Monroe

c5=================================================================
                       Table of Contents
=================================================================

I. Introduction
        A. In The Beginning... ................................1
        B. History in the Making ..............................1
        C. The Amiga in Today's Market ........................2

II. Architecture
        A. To Kill a Clone ....................................3
        B. Parts is Parts .....................................4
        C. Matters of the RAM .................................6
        D. Indianapolis A500 ..................................7

III. The Operating System
        A. Its Never as Easy as it Looks (Or is it?) ..........7
        B. A Comfortable GUI ..................................8
        C. Multiple Task Master ...............................9
        D. Making the Best Better with 2.1+ ...................9

IV. Graphics:  Denise's Game
        A. The Basics plus ECS ................................10
        B. "Ham"ing it Up .....................................11
        C. "Blitter"ing Heights ...............................12
        D. When "Copper" Isn't a Metal ........................12
        E. The Wonderful Wizard of AGA ........................13

V. Sound with Paula the Orchestrator
        A. When Computers were New ............................13
        B. Amiga Rocks! .......................................14

VI. Input/Output:  Multitasking with Gary
        A. Mice and Such ......................................14
        B. A, E, I/O, and You .................................15
        C. Video Out ..........................................15

VII. Expansion: The Way of the Future
        A. Ah, But Can It... ..................................15
        B. Is it Live or is it Amiga? .........................16
        C. Sounds of Silence ..................................16
        D. Video Construction Set .............................16
        E. How to Burn Toast ..................................16

VIII. Defense, You May Give Your Closing Statements

IX. About the Author (As if You Cared...)



c6
I. Introduction

        A. In the Beginning...

        Welcome to what I hope will be the complete guide to the
Commodore Amiga Personal Computer.  Let me start off by saying that
this is not intended for the complete computer illiterate.  We will
discuss basic computer principles such as RAM, ROM, disk drives,
hard drives, monitors, etc. very little here.  This guide was made
primarily for the novice to intermediate Amiga owner and for those
people who own a different system or have researched into buying a
computer system.  If you are an experienced Amiga user, you will
find most of this text pretty boring, although the Amiga history
may be something that you were unfamiliar with.  It makes for
interesting reading all the same.  I learned quite a bit while
writing this and I think that just about everyone can pickup
something useful here.

        For those of you who are planning to purchase a computer in
the future, please read this guide.  It isn't very long, and it may
help you get a better computer system for less.  The purpose of
this guide is NOT to bash other computer types;  I simply want to
help open new doors to those who want to walk through them.  When
you are finished, pass it on to a friend who may be interested.
The secondary purpose of this guide is to help build Amiga
awareness which helps all us Amiga users out.  Have fun!

        B. History in the Making

        Back in the late 1970's, computers were very little known and
used.  They were the luxury of big corporations and colleges.  They
had gotten considerably smaller since the days when they took up a
full room, but they still weren't ready to come into the home yet.
By the early 1980's, computers were starting to happen.  Apple
created their first Apple II computer, which they cleverly gave
away to schools, then raked them over the coals for hardware and
software later, making them the original 'education' computer.  The
first IBMs started coming out with 16 color text and basic
graphics.  Of course, the best selling computer of all time was
also released:  the Commodore 64.  At the time, these computers
represented incredible processing power, graphics, and sound.  The
C64's three voices and graphics processing chip made it incredible
for games and educational titles.  The IBMs stayed on the
businessman's desk for several years following but started to get
into the personal computer market shortly there after.  Not to
hammer, but it seems that IBM always has to wait for someone else
to come out with the cutting edge of technology before trying to
match it.

        While this was going on, a group of individuals got together
and started designing what they hoped to be the best possible
computer made;  the Lorraine, Amiga's first project.  Among the
design team was Jay Miner, a designer for Atari.  He had plans for
a graphics chip set that would blow any current computer out of the
water.  Unfortunately, he and the rest of the Amiga group had no
funding to build this fantastic machine.

        With the beginning of the console game machine's age and the
huge success of the Atari 2600 and other game machines, a group of
doctors, lawyers, and other professionals decided that this was
where the future money was at.  Together, they wanted to invest big
money into developing the ultimate game machine.  Thus, the
alliance between them and Amiga started;  to build the ultimate
console games machine.

        Amiga was delighted to take on the job, secretly using the
funding to build the Lorraine.  To supplement their income, Amiga
began to make input devices such as joysticks, etc.  Within a
couple of years of endless revisions and smoke blowing to the
investors (they still wanted a console;  not a computer), the
Lorraine was finally done.  In 1982, the Lorraine was taken to the
Consumer Electronic Shows and displayed.  The response was
incredible.

        Finally, the investors caught on to Amiga's ploy.  They yanked
their financial support.  The production and development of the
Lorraine skidded to a halt.  It was then that other computer
manufacturers decided to try for the machine.

        Atari came along first.  Making promises and proposing deals,
Atari continued to blow smoke to the Amiga group.  Commodore,
makers of the PET and the C64, come along with a hard copy contract
and terms ready to be signed.  At first, Amiga didn't want a pact
with Commodore due to conflicts with the CEO, Jack Tramiel.  But,
watching the market pass by, they signed up with Commodore.  Atari
was absolutely furious at losing the bid.  It was then that Atari
purchased the Atari ST computer from someone and began open
competition with the newly founded Commodore Amiga.  In 1984, the
Amiga Lorraine, now named just 'AMIGA' 1000 computer was released
to the public.

        In its first days, it was hailed as the best graphics and
sound powerhouse money could buy.  Artists, musicians, game
players, and more rushed out to get into this new technology.
Soon, Commodore saw the need for different and better versions of
the Amiga and that started the whole Amiga revolution.  While IBM,
Apple, and others struggled to play catch up, the Amiga continued
to flourish, reaching into new marketplaces where computers were
not really an integral part such as multimedia and video
processing.  Each step of the way, Commodore designed the
technology that others had to duplicate.

        C. The Amiga in Today's Market

        Today, the American marketplace appears to be flooded with IBM
clones and Macintoshes.  The Amiga stopped competing with these
platforms years ago, and started to move in on the big systems like
Silicon Graphics and Crays.  With its incredible graphics power and
video production capabilities, the Amiga continues to be the leader
in video which is readily evident if you watch cable TV preview
channels, go on a tour of Disney World's animation facilities, or
watch incredible graphic and special effect shows like Babylon 5.
The Amiga is behind all of them.

        In Europe, where the market is a different ball game, the
Amiga is the premier computer.  IBM is not the driving force behind
the market there.  Why?  The reasoning probably comes from the fact
that when you purchase an IBM (or clone) you are automatically
obligated to purchase add ons for just about every function.  The
European economy doesn't allow for much expenditure on hardware, so
the Europeans I guess figure that they should get a system that
contains all the aspects from the start.  They are also much more
individualistic about their machines.  They are a very passionate
people about computers just as Americans are passionate about their
cars.  "Everyone else has one" doesn't cut it for them.

        True, it is difficult to find an Amiga dealer these days, at
least, here in the States.  This is obviously due to the market.
But, just because the market is flooded with something certainly
doesn't make it the best for all applications.  After all, you
don't see Ferrari dealers everywhere, but that doesn't stop an
elite group from buying them.

II. Architecture

        A. To Kill a Clone

        When the Amiga team designed their computer, it was made (from
the bottom up) to be a graphics and sound powerhouse with the
ability to do things that others were never designed to do, such as
multitask (more on this later).  It was designed to be the most
user-friendly machine as well.  After all, when it came out, the
majority of people were still hesitant and even scared of
computers.  In order to understand what makes this Amiga so
powerful, we need to look into the heart of it.  To allow for fair
comparison and offer a point of reference for clone owners, we will
also breakdown the inside of a IBM clone as well.  I think that the
architecture will speak for itself.

- Please proceed to the next page -











        B. Parts is Parts

Basic Amiga Construction

          VIDEO   PARALLEL    SERIAL      AUDIO   JOY/MOUSE DISKS
            ^         ^         ^         ^    ^    ^    ^    ^
|           |         |           |  |  |            |         |  DENISE   | |  PAULA    | | GARY   ||
|  |CPU (680X0) |         |  |            |               |             |  |        |    |                 |        |    |                                  |  AGNUS   |   |
|        |    |        |                      |             |  |        |                      |             |        |        |
|        |              | | |ROM  (512k)     |    | FAST RAM BANK  | | CHIP RAM BANK    | |
| |                       |                | |                  | |
|                       |                | |                  | |
|                       |                | |                  | |
|                       |                | |                  | |
|                       |                | |                  | |
|
Breakdown of Parts:
-------------------
CPU - Performs math functions and executes programs.  The processor
      is from the Motorola family.  68000 is the most common.
ROM - Stores permanent system operation information.
Denise - Handles all graphics functions.
Paula - Handles all sound/music functions.
Gary - Handles all input/output functions.
Agnus - Acts as memory manager for Chip RAM.
Fast RAM - RAM only used by CPU for program and data storage.
Chip RAM - RAM needed to store graphics and sound data for use
           with the custom chips.  May be used by CPU if no other
           Fast RAM is available.

 NOTE:  As you can see, the load on the CPU is very minimal.
Almost every function of the Amiga is handled by one of the custom
chips (also known as 'The Custom Chip Set') which is owned
exclusively by Commodore which is why there is no such thing as an
'Amiga Compatible' computer.  This makes it possible for a slow CPU
based Amiga to run incredibly fast, often outrunning a 25-33mhz
clone.  This also permits 'true multitasking'.



Basic Clone Construction

          VIDEO   PARALLEL    SERIAL              JOY/MOUSE DISKS
            ^         ^         ^                   ^    ^    ^
|  |   VIDEO CARD   | |  |  |  |            |  |CPU (80x86) |                                               |
|  |            |                                               |
|  |        |    |                                                 |
|        |    |                                                 |
|        |    |        |                      |                               |
|        |                      |                               |
|        |              | | |ROM  (512k)     |    | CONVENTIONAL   ||| EXTENDED RAM     | |
| |                       |                |||                       |     640k       |||                  | |
|                       |                ||| EXPANDED RAM     | |
|                       |                       |MEMORY MANAGER  |
Breakdown of Parts:
-------------------

CPU - As with the Amiga, it executes programs and stores data, but
      unlike the Amiga, it controls all the computer's functions
      including i/o, sound, control devices, etc.  This is why the
      CPU must run at speeds of 25+ Mhz to be truly productive.
Video Card - This is what determines colors, resolution, etc. of
             the clone's video.  It ranges from basic VGA to Super
             VGA and coming up XGA.
Conventional RAM - The 640K usable by MS-DOS to store programs and
                   graphics/sound data.  It should be noted that
                   this barrier is mandated by MS-DOS and is not
                   applicable to certain systems such as Windows in
                   Unprotected Mode and OS2, both of which are in-
                   compatible with MS-DOS applications, the
                   majority of software out there.
Memory Manager - A program in Conventional Memory that allows for
                 swapping out of RAM between Extended/Expanded
                 Memory in 64K chunks.  When the system needs more
                 RAM, it changes out a chunk of Conventional with
                 a chunk of the extra RAM so it has room.
Extended/Expanded Memory - Simply extra RAM usable by other Windows
                          or other operating systems, and DOS with
                          the Memory Manager (above).

NOTE: As you can see, the architecture is not very open ended;
this basic schematic has stayed the same since the beginning of the
IBM's PC line.  Through the addition of many cards or boards (for
better graphics, the addition of real sound, and input devices),
the clone has come a long way in the race.  But, it hasn't caught
up yet, and with the new Amiga 4000 out, it again has a long way to
go to catch up to Amiga technology.

        C. Matters of the RAM

        From the above diagram, you can see the liability that the
architecture has placed on the clone's RAM usage.  Again, it should
be noted that the 640K barrier is not inherent to the machine
structure, but to the operating system, MS-DOS.  Although this
problem is being worked on, to maintain compatibility with all the
existing programs, it still exists.  This is a real problem for
them.  But, the Amiga is not perfect in matters of RAM.

        There are two types of RAM in the Amiga, Fast and Chip.
Although you are pretty much unlimited on the expansion of Fast
RAM, Chip RAM is the Amiga's RAM liability.

        Fast RAM is standard RAM.  It can be expanded easily, cost
effectively, and all of it is autoconfiguring (i.e. when you add it
to the system, you have access to it;  a memory manager is not
required).  The more of this you have, the more you can use to load
larger programs in memory causing (usually) less disk access and
load times.  It is usable by the CPU only, not the chip set.

        Chip RAM is another story.  Since it is usable by both the CPU
and custom chips, it tends to get short at times, especially with
Amigas that have ONLY Chip RAM (A600, A2000).  Early Amigas came
with only 256K Chip RAM!  When you think about the fact that all
graphics and sound data must be stored here, you realize its
significance.  Middle aged Amigas had 512K (early A500s), later
models 1024K (late A500s, A2000s), and now the AGA machines (A1200,
A4000) have a full two megs (2024K).  It is worth noting that the
A3000 also has two megs of Chip RAM.  There are other factors
concerning Chip RAM but they are beyond the discussion of this
text.

        So which is machine is better on RAM?  Personally, if you have
at least a meg of Fast and a meg of Chip on an Amiga, you will very
rarely have troubles with RAM.  From what I have been told and
through my own experiences, RAM management on a clone is often
troubled.

        D. Indianapolis A500

        Let's talk about speed.  This seems to be the second thing
people classify their computers by after the processor type.  In
the clone world, speed is everything since it is all they have to
base the system on.  As mentioned before, speeds of 25+ mhz is
usually the minimum to achieve desired program speeds.  With the
Amiga, the story is slightly different.

        As we said before, the clone's structure is designed so that
the CPU does all the work.  The Amiga's custom chip set and
invention of Chip RAM made it possible for multiple tasks to happen
simultaneously.  For example, it is not uncommon for an Amiga user
with just a meg of RAM to optimize his hard drive, copy diskettes,
download a program from a BBS via a modem, re-index a database
file, and work on a letter all at the same time with negligible
speed loss.  All this can happen under the original Amiga's 7.14
Mhz clock speed.  The reason is clear by looking at the
architecture.  CPU speed has little to do with it;  the custom chip
set makes it possible.

        So, we have a "slow" Amiga outrunning many times faster
clones.  Imagine if you increased your Amiga speed to 25, 33, 40,
or 50 mhz!  Imagine the speeds you would see!  The race is on...

III. The Operating System

        A. Its Never as Easy as it Looks (Or is it?)

        Okay, so now we have looked at the hardware, but what about
the system software?  What good is all this high tech hardware if
you have a crappy interface to use it?  Let's see what the Amiga
and the clones have to offer.

        Most machines run what we Amiga users call a Command Line
Interface (CLI) or often called a DOS prompt.  This is simply a
prompt that you type your commands in at, such as the filename to
run, DELETE, COPY, etc.  This involved learning a new 'language'
before being able to use your new computer.  This is the way that
most clone and older computer systems operate (i.e. MS-DOS 6.0, DR-
DOS, Apple, C64, etc).  Then came the Graphic User Interface (GUI)
which would change the way people used computers forever.

        Macintosh had it first (followed shortly by the Amiga);  this
GUI.  When it first came out, it was hailed as a huge step in
helping people afraid of computers adjust since it was so easy to
use and very difficult to mess up on.  The GUI has little pictures
called ICONS that represent programs.  To run them, you just move
the little pointer with your mouse, click the icon twice, and BAM;
the program ran.  When the program was done, BAM; the GUI came back
and waited for your next command.  Copying files was as easy as
holding down the mouse button over the icon and dragging it to a
new disk-icon.  To delete it, you dragged it into the trash-icon.
It was then easy to do almost any function without ever typing a
key.  It was HOT!

        Again, I hate to bring it up, but it wasn't until long after
the Mac and Amiga entered the market that clones decided to cash in
on the GUI.  Their answer was Windows, a very bad tempered program
requiring several megs of RAM and a very fast machine to run it.
Even then, the system was slow and pretty unfriendly.  Over the
last couple years, Windows has started to come around, but it is
still quite far from being a friendly GUI.  The other alternative
is OS/2 which currently seems to be in the minority to Windows.
Unfortunately, the clone was never constructed to function in a
multitasking GUI environment, so they have had to really work hard
to get what they have.  Now, since Windows is so grudgingly slow,
there are numerous accelerators made to increase performance, all
at a cost to the user, of course.

        The Amiga, on the other hand, was designed from the bottom up
to multitask in a GUI environment.  The system is fluid, the
restriction few, and the requirements small.  Every Amiga can run
the GUI (known to Amigians as WORKBENCH) from the smallest A600 to
the speedy A4000, equally.  The more RAM you have, the more
applications you can run.

        B. A Comfortable GUI

        I have used many popular GUI's for most popular platforms;
from Mac to Windows.  I will profess to being pretty clueless on
OS/2 however.  For my experiences, the WorkBench is by far the
simplest most versatile GUI around.

        Most GUI's have the basics;  moving, executing, renaming,
copying, etc.  The Amiga is no different.  But even the early
AmigaDOS V1.2 had more.  From scrolling windows to advanced
functions like formatting disks and running scripts (known to
clones as batch files) right from the WorkBench.  The operating
system even came with a built-in speech synthesizer which was
unheard of at that time and still is to this date.  With little
programs called 'hacks' you could make even more things possible
like button launched programs (similar to docks on Unix systems),
bigger-than-screen WorkBenches, little rockets that chase your
pointer around the screen until you stop moving it and it is
destroyed, and tons more.  Icon editors made possible to completely
customize your environment with two step animated icons.  The list
goes on and on.  Many of these things are still not possible in any
other GUI environment.  The ease was a breakthrough in personal
computing.

        C. Multiple Task Master

        Discussed previously, the Amiga is the only true multitasking
personal computer available today.  Its power comes from the four
custom chips that drive the OS.  This would be a good time to
discuss the differences between multitasking and TASKSWITCHING.

        Multitasking is the ability to do multiple tasks
SIMULTANEOUSLY.  An example would be to optimize a hard drive
partition while reading a program off another, or dialing your
modem while printing a letter.  These tasks require multiple i/o
routines to happen.  Without the Gary, these things cannot happen
together, but they are then considered taskswitching.

        Taskswitching is where multiple programs reside in RAM and
SEQUENTIALLY they are given access to the CPU.  This may produce a
similar effect, but those of you who have actually worked in a real
multitasking environment know the difference.  You don't have to
wait for programs to catch up, printing isn't halted because some
other program wants to use a disk drive, the screen doesn't refresh
until another program gives up the graphics card, etc.  The
difference is night and day, when you get to see it for yourself.
Though many systems SAY they multitask, you now understand that
they don't.  By definition, multitasking means using multiple
processors which only the Amiga has.  Even the new Intel PENTAD CPU
will not truly multitask but RUNS LIKE it has two 486 chips.  'Runs
like' and 'runs' are two different things.

        D. Making the Best Better with 2.1+

        Everything can be improved, and the Workbench V1.3 had lots of
room in it, even with all its power.  It looked cheesy, users
demanded more powerful commands, etc.  The system lasted almost 5
years without an update.  Finally, Commodore released the 2.0
system ROMS.  A replacement chip for the ROM inside Amigas.  A new
breakthrough came with it.

        Before I get into the improvements of this system, let me take
a moment to share a little story with you about the development on
2.0.

        When Commodore announced the 2.0 system, the Amiga community
went nuts;  it had been a long time.  Commodore continued to post
release dates then continued to fail to meet them.  Dealers and
users alike became very terse over the situation.  When dealers
started to pull their orders, Commodore made an official
announcement that the reason for the extra delays was a problem at
the factory.  Apparently, they hired the same company that Intel
used to burn duplicates of their 80x86 chips.  The Intel chips and
Commodore's ROMs wrote their data in opposite directions, see.
Well, for whatever reason, the company burned all the Commodore
ROMs backwards!  The entire order had to be sent back and done
again.  Pretty amusing.  A delay that wasn't Commodore's fault...

        Anyway, to make a long story short, 2.1 (and above;  they are
up to 4.0 now) offered lots of new changes.  The look became a very
sleek 3-D interface, the ability to read and write MS-DOS and
Macintosh disks were built into the system, hacks became neat
obedient programs called Commodities, a user tool menu was added so
that you could add you own applications to the pull down menus, and
far too much more to write about.  There were some very exciting
additions to the system.  The unfortunate truth, though, is that
with the release of 2.1+, the speech synthesis was removed from the
system.  Although Commodore would not comment directly, the
accepted belief is that the company that produced the synthesizer
wanted too much money or terminated their contract for some reason,
forcing Commodore to pull the program.  However, the program was
software based; not hardware based.  Copying a few programs from
your 1.3 disk will re-enable speech on the new system.  Yet another
interesting landmark in Amiga history.

IV. Graphics:  Denise's Game

        A. The Basics plus ECS

        Everyone wants to know about graphics these days.  Reasonable,
considering the multiple uses of the computer.  As before, the
Amiga was designed as a graphics and sound powerhouse, so let's see
how it stands up.

        The Amigas graphics haven't changed too much until just
recently.  Until now it wasn't necessary;  everyone was still
playing the catch-up game (and they still are in many areas).
Until the creation of AGA (advanced graphics architecture), all
Amigas were created equal.

        Were it still the early 1980's, I couldn't just throw a list
of specs at you and expect you to understand.  Now, there is a much
greater awareness and understanding of computers.  The basic Amiga
system is capable of a maximum resolution of 746 x 438 pixels with
up to 4096 colors displayed simultaneously.  Pretty impressive
specs.  The resolution is not as high as the newer Super VGA cards
for clones, but you aren't going to get 4096 colors on a standard
Super VGA card either.  Most common for clone is 256 colors.
Believe me, more colors are better than more resolution in most
applications.  Although most Amiga games and color-intensive
productivity use 32 or 64 colors, most of the 256 color games look
no different than their 64 color counterparts.  If there is a
difference, it is very little.  The difference between a 256 color
digitized image and a 4096 color image is incredible;  so much so
that I can't explain it to you without you seeing for yourself.
        Speed of graphics is also inherently faster on Amiga, again,
courtesy of the custom chip set.  This is why you can take a copy
of Wrath of the Demon and run it on a 32 color Amiga at 7.14 Mhz
and it looks better and smoother than the same game on a 256 color
25 Mhz clone.  There are factors involved other than speed that
make the Amiga a superior graphics machine which we will look at
shortly.

        The ECS (enhanced chip set) as designed by Commodore basically
to placate Amiga users who were demanding better graphics; to hold
them over until AGA.  The enhancement wasn't huge;  but it was
called for.  The major addition was a new graphics mode called
Super Productivity which knocked you down to 4 colors but allowed
1280x400 resolution.  It was designed to meet the needs of
expanding business and productivity software development.  It
consisted of replacing the Denise with the new Super Denise and the
Agnus with the Fatter (or sometimes known as Super) Agnus.
Together, they permitted the new modes.  The cost of this upgrade
currently is under $100, and it does give the older machines access
to one meg of Chip RAM.  The A600, A3000, and some A2000s have this
ECS installed already.  The A1200 and A4000, of course, have AGA.



        B. "Ham"ing it Up

        Most Amiga users know they have a graphics mode called HAM
(Hold and Modify) which is what gives them to power to display that
4096 color palette.  How or why it works is often a mystery,
certainly to a consumer who is new to Amiga, and to many Amiga
users to this date.  We will explore what it is, how it works, and
what you can and cannot do with it.  But first, another interesting
little tidbit about HAM.

        HAM is a hack;  no doubt about it.  The Amiga was never
designed to use this mode nor display 4096 colors.  It was the
designer of the chipset, Jay Miner, who came up with the idea and
decided at the last second to implement it.  In truth, he didn't
expect anyone to use it.

        Hold and Modify is very complicated, and is even shadowed in
Amiga books about graphics.  We will try to be simple.

        Each pixel contains a color register which tells it what color
to be.  Normally, this could be 32 different colors but the Denise
had a neat little mode called 'Extra Half Bright' which would
generate another 32 colors by dimming the existing 32 colors to
half as bright, thus 64 colors.  Pixels are drawn from left to
right.  By using a neat little hardware hack, Jay managed to make
each pixel's color dependant on the pixels to the left of it.
Without getting too deep, this allowed for an incredible amount of
colors to be displayed;  4096.  So why can't we all get more
excited about this mode?

        First off, this mode became widely accepted and is usable in
just about every application that Amiga has to offer, from paint
programs to video character generators to video digitizers.  One
group, New Tek, hacked the mode further and allowed 4096 different
colors PER LINE of resolution!!  Since this 'Dynamic-Hires'
required two megs of RAM and disabled the entire Amiga to display
it, the limitations outweighed the advantages.

        Unfortunately, HAM requires that the left-most pixels on the
screen stay constant (read this as 'no full screen animation') and
great care must be taken when trying to animate anywhere else on
the screen.  Translation?  HAM is awesome for stills, but that is
about it.  A powerful plus for the Amiga as stills are widely used
in multimedia and presentations.

        C. "Blitter"ing Heights

        Blitter is a word synonymous with Amiga alone.  The word
itself refers to a function of the Denise chip.  Simply put, the
blitter allows objects of ANY size (up to the current screen
resolution) to be moved INDEPENDENTLY of the screen!  Imagine,
being able to have a BOB (blitter object block) half the size of
the screen scrolling around the screen at high speeds while being
animated!  This may not sound amazing to you but when you consider
that in order for a clone to do the same thing, the object must
actually be drawn on the screen.  When the object is moved, the
next location's pixels must be stored in a buffer so that it can be
replaced when the object moves again.  This cut-and-paste method
requires tons of speed and more RAM that a BOB.  More so, it never
really looks smooth like a BOB does.  Sprites are just like BOBs
except faster and hardware independent of the screen completely.
They are more limited in size and colors, but are unbelievably
smooth.  The mouse pointer is a good example of a sprite.  Look at
the mouse pointer of other GUIs such as Windows and note how choppy
they are next to the Workbench pointer.

        The blitter opens incredible doors, mostly to entertainment
and educational fields.  This amazing function, again, increases
the overall speed of graphics and the Amiga in general.

        D. When "Copper" Isn't a Metal

        Copper is what a penny is made out of, right?  True, but it is
also yet another fantastic function of the Denise chip inside the
Amiga.  And you thought the blitter was neat....

        The copper allows independent control of each line of pixels
on the screen.  In this fashion, incredible graphic effects are
possible.  Imagine rainbow colored bars that move smoothly up and
down the screen, shifting through colors as it moves.  These are
known to Amiga users as Copper Bars.  You can alter text on the
screen to be multiple colors, create scrolling text that bends and
warps as it travels across the screen.  The power of the copper and
blitter combined can produce some visual effects that can literally
take your breath away.  Those of you who have seen demos that use
plasma effects and rainbow colored 3d boxes spinning through a star
field know what I mean.  For those of you who haven't, find an
Amiga owner to show you some demos.  I think that you will be
incredibly impressed.

        These special graphic modes; blitter, copper, etc. do not
exist on any other machine than the Amiga.  To coin a phrase, 'Only
Amiga Makes It Possible'.  If you don't take a look at the graphic
capabilities of the Amiga before you buy your next computer, you
are cheating yourself out of some true computing magic.

        E. The Wonderful Wizard of AGA

        Advanced Graphic Architecture.  Amazing thing.  Two new custom
chips added to the board of an Amiga, the Lisa and Alice, creates
a whole new standard of graphics power.  Once again, it is time for
the IBM to clone some more technology...

        With the A1200 or A4000, you now have an incredible arsenal at
your disposal.  1280x1148 resolution.  256,000 colors from 16.8
million color palette.  Blitter and copper.  Full access to all
colors in all resolutions.  Any questions?

        Sure, why not own one?  There isn't a real reason not to jump
on the AGA bandwagon.  In all honesty, though, AGA isn't really big
as of this writing.  There are but a handful (but growing steadily)
of programs which make use of this technology.  Backward
compatibility is not as good as it could be:  80% or so of older
program work fine under AGA, but what are the chances of it being
the program you want to use that won't work?  The worst problem for
Amiga owners;  there is no way to update a non-AGA machine to AGA.
This may change in time, but currently, upgrading means 'purchasing
new' and basically throwing away all the enhancements in your
current Amiga.  This is not a great prospect for all of us.  We are
reaping the wealth, though.  Since AGA's introduction, prices on
old Amigas and their respective hardware has dropped.  It has never
been easier to upgrade than now.  In a way, I guess, AGA has help
the entire Amiga and potential Amiga community.  All I can say is
'it is about time Amiga crawled back on top of technology'.

 V. Sound with Paula the Orchestrator

        A. When Computers were New

        In the late 1970's, sound from computers was pretty much
limited to beeps.  Sure, you could make them different frequencies,
but that didn't add much to the game.  Rudimentary sound began to
pop up on the Apple and the Atari computers, then, in the early
1980's, the Commodore 64 was released.  With its three separate
voices with nine octave range, it became the most powerful computer
around for sound.  Then, came the Amiga.  Naturally, as the Amiga's
four voice, two channel, hi-fi, stereo sound started making
headlines, the IBM world tried to come up with a sound card to stay
on the bandwagon.  Its early attempts, Ad-Lib and Sound Blaster and
a multitude of other no-name brands, failed miserably.  The only
machine of the day to top the Amiga's sound capability was the
Apple IIgs, Apple Computer's entry into this new class of computer
dominated by Amiga and the Atari ST.  With its tons of voices and
quality sound output, it was a great rival.  Fortunately for Amiga,
the Apple IIgs was quietly discontinued in the middle to late '80s
and never heard from since.  Failure was mostly due to the strive
to maintain total compatibility with the older Apple II line,
causing the rest of the system to suffer.  The machine had
potential but not the passion the Amiga public had.

        In the mean time, the Atari ST made its name amongst musicians
who used it heavily for sequencing and MIDI work.  It, too, went to
computer heaven, although it should be noted that the Atari ST is
still a contender in Europe where it holds just behind the Amiga.

        B. Amiga Rocks!

        Many Amiga users will tell you that the sound of the Amiga is
aging and in dire need of upgrade.  Although the clone world has
the Sound Blaster Pro to compete sound-wise, the output is far from
high quality.  That fact alone has continued to keep the Amiga on
top for music and sound, but it won't last much longer.  There are
lots of new developments in the works, though, that will again hurl
Amiga ahead of the game.  Still, potential buyers need to hear both
the Amiga and clone play the same music and decide for themselves
which truly sounds better.  Don't worry;  you won't have to pay too
close attention.  Sound is carried through standard RCA jacks,
ready to plug in to your current stereo or dedicated amp.

VI. Input/Output:  Multitasking with Gary

        A. Mice and Such

        First off, what good is a GUI without a mouse?  Exactly.  That
is why every Amiga comes with a mouse.  You can't have a good
entertainment system without a joystick, and although one is not
provided, a joystick port is.  Thankfully, Amiga uses standard
digital 9-pin joysticks (same as the old Atari 2600 and C64 use) so
they are easy and cheap to find.  Chances are, you already have one
in your closet somewhere.  You may use two joysticks by unplugging
the mouse and plugging in one there.  With a special adapter, you
can use four joysticks for the ultimate family gaming session.  Of
course, switchboxes are available to shift from mouse to joystick.
As you may have guessed, these necessities are not always provided
to clone buyers.  If you are in the market for an entertainment
system, keep this fact in mind.  The Amiga world has a cruel
mnemonic for IBM...It means I.mpiles B.uying M.ore.

        B. A, E, I/O, and You

        The Amiga is not proprietary in its input/output devices.
This means that printers, modems, MIDI, etc. are compatible with
most on the market.  You may use existing clone printers, modems,
SCSI/IDE compatible disk drives and removable media, etc. on your
Amiga without a hitch.  The basic difference in input/output on an
Amiga is that it is handled independently of the processor, thus,
has the ability to multitask.  You may not use analog joysticks (an
adaptor is available, though), mice, or other type devices made
specifically for a clone.  Most of these things you would not use
anyway.

        C. Video Out

        Standard video output on the Amiga is RGB, which is why we
cannot use a VGA monitor without an adaptor.  However, low priced
RGB monitors are available and the output is quite nice.  For
certain video modes on the newer machines, you will need a
multisync monitor which bottom end will cost you about $500.
Should you not have the cash to ship out for a monitor, a TV set
will work decently.  Granted, it will not be as crisp, but it will
suffice, especially if you want to play games.  For A500, A2000,
and A3000s, you will need to buy an adapter to send the video to
the TV.  For about $20 you can't go wrong.  There is a standard
composite output (monochrome for the above machines) on Amigas
which uses a standard Video Out RCA jack.  This plugs in easily to
most newer televisions, and all VCRs.  This way, you can even tape
your graphics!  A monitor is certainly better if you can get one.
A monitor also enables the viewing of the PAL television standard
used in Europe.  If you plan on running anything PAL (you will,
trust me) a TV set will not function properly.  Any Amiga with at
least a meg of Chip RAM can go into PAL mode.  Fortunately, all
Amigas have this with the exception of a few old A500s.

VII. Expansion: The Way of the Future

        A. Ah, But Can It...

        Chances are...YES!  The Amiga has access to just tons of neat
innovative goodies.  If you can find the hardware for the clone,
there is a good chance that Amiga can use it or has a comparative
product;  scanners, digitizers, framegrabbers, floptical drives,
CD-ROM, graphic tablets, light pens, video boards, the list goes on
and on.  You can count on Amiga being able to use the latest
hardware.

        You may be interested to know that the newest sensation,
Virtual Reality, is being pioneered on the Amiga.  Every major
platform of VR contains at least one Amiga;  Virtuality, Dactal
Nightmare, Battletech, and more.  When VR becomes affordable at
home, you can be sure that Amiga will be the one in the lead (with
clones trying to duplicate it).

        B. Is it Live or is it Amiga?

        With multimedia being the current computer sensation, Amiga
has the power to beef up your presentations.  Using a DIGITIZER,
you can grab actual video or sound/music and record it to your
Amiga.  Sure, you can do this with clones, too, but remember the
HAM graphic mode and the hi-fi output of Amiga sound and you will
see why the Amiga is better equipped to handle this job.  If you
plan to get extensive into this digital medium, plan on a system
with a large hard drive and lots of RAM.  If you plan on getting a
clone, you will even need more.

        C. Sounds of Silence

        If you plan on composing music, look to the Amiga to help.
Not only is the output and construction better (see above), but the
software has been refined to a science.  With a MIDI instrument and
the powerful program OctaMed Professional you can even hack your
Amiga into playing eight voices!  Combine digitized instruments
with synthesized sounds and create music like you would never
believe.  It even prints sheet music for you!  With the support of
dozens of music composition programs, players, sequencers, and MIDI
you can create just about anything your ears desire.  If you aren't
a musician, relax.  Just call your local Amiga BBS and download
hundreds of public domain music files (we call 'em MODs) just to
sit back and enjoy.  There is something for everyone;  rave,
classical, techno, hard rock, rap, and lots more.

        D. Video Construction Set

        Some of the video specs of the Amiga got you worried?  No
problem.  There are dozens of 24 bit graphic video boards to help
you achieve your goal.  Some are cheap, some aren't, but all will
help you improve your video out.  There are powerful all-in-one
boxes like the Impact Vision 24 with built-in framegrabber, paint
program, PIP display capabilities and lots more.  Just want some
broadcast quality images?  Pick the DCTV with built-in digitizer
and NTSC quality paint program.  Ever want your own video
production studio?  NewTek's Video Toaster is for you (see below).
The world of Amiga video is entirely open ended with lots more on
the way.  Whatever your needs are in video, the Amiga will assist
you in achieving it.

        E. How to Burn Toast

        A video production studio.  Normally an expensive acquisition
ranging up to $75K for good equipment can be yours for $2000.  How?
With NewTek's Video Toaster.  Even if you are a clone owner, you
have probably heard about this little box.  This card has the
entire power of a $50K studio;  character generator, 24-bit paint
box, digital effects generator, genlock, framegrabber, luminance
keyer, ChromaFx generator, three dimensional graphics
render/animator, and more.  This box will leave you breathless.  In
fact, NewTek (these boys drive Lotus' to work so they are doing
something right) will send you a Toaster Demo Tape FREE if you
give'em a call.  They even pick up postage.  NewTek went on record
as to saying that the Amiga was the only computer capable of
running a Toaster.  Hey, they said it, not me...

VIII. Defense, You May Give Your Closing Statements

        Just to close things up here...

        If this sounds like a blatant ad for the Commodore Amiga by a
truly Amiga-radical author, you are correct.  I have spent the last
several years of my life promoting, using, and supporting the
Amiga.  Having worked with almost all the popular platforms in the
computing world, I decided long ago that the Amiga was the best
computer for almost every application,  as well as the cheapest;
not only to buy but to expand.  If what you want is a clone, then
chances are you will get a clone;  my labors over this text will
make no difference.  If you are serious about getting a computer to
fit your needs and want to get the most for your money, I hope that
this document has given you some valid points to think about.

IX. About the Author (As if You Cared...)

        I live in Summerville, SC with my wife and daughter.  I have
been using many computer types for the past 12 years.  When not
working, I write programs for my Shareware company, Dark Unicorn
Productions.  I am also considering expanding into a video