AT Amiga logo, Why do I use it?

Amiga, 32 bit pre-emptive multitasking since 1985

Amiga 4000 Amiga 1200

Click on pictures to see them in full size.


These are some qualities which make the AMIGA such a unique Computer:

AutoConfig (TM)
Fully automatical recognition and OS mounting of hardware expansions during system start. It's plug'n'play. No IRQ conflicts. Every time I hear people talk about the problems they've got when trying to install some expansion cards in their computers, I think I'm glad that I use an Amiga.

Preemptive Multitasking
Reliable operation and blazingly fast switching between tasks also in low memory conditions, and all this since 1985...

Efficient memory handling
It doesn't need tons of memory. The OS is stored in a 512 KB ROM; to run it doesn't need anything over 512 kB. With 4 MB, you can do almost anything you like. It has linear memory space. No 640 kB limit. No base memory. No upper memory. No hi memory. No expanded memory. No extended memory. No separate graphics memory. No separate cache memory. Just memory. Ok, you've got chip and fast memory, but that's much better than all those different kinds of memory needed in other computers.

Asynchronous Floppy Access
Read, write, copy, format, while you can work on.

Hardware supported data decompression, HAM Graphics Mode
In last consequence, you can imagine it as memory saving, hardware supported data decompression.

Screen Concept
Every program can open an own 'screen' when necessary with custom resolution and/or color choice, or put differently: with optimization for speed, memory use, or color display, respectively. You can drag screens down like rollos to expose those in the background.

Long Filenames
In its current implementation, the AMIGA file system works with 32-character long filenames, for which on low-level even 127 characters are reserved. Filenames are allowed starting with '.' like under UNIX or include multiple extensions: Archive.v102.tar.Z.

Three User Interfaces
Graphical User Interface (GUI) Workbench, text- or commandline-oriented Shell (CLI), comparable with UNIX Shells and AREXX the intercommunication language. ARexx is available in AmigaOS as a system-wide macro language and a means for communication of programs among each other.

Localization
AmigaOS 3.1 or its graphical user interface Workbench can get switched among 10 different languages providing full localization through a preferences editor, and all this without re-installation of the operating system! Workbench offers this localization mechanism also for applications programs for these languages: Dansk, Deutsch, English, Español, Français, Italiano, Nederland, Norsk, Português, and Svenska. Localization occures on the fly. You do not need to reset your computer for switching languages.

Diskette Capacity
880 KB instead of 720 KB or in the HD floppy case even 1.76 MB instead of 1.44 MB, and all this still with longer filenames etc.

Datatypes Concept
Programs under AmigaOS can use these Datatypes system-wide to work with most different kinds of data like audio, text, graphics, animation or data formats like GIF, PCX, AVI.

Working Storage
AmigaOS shows special qualities in economic use of resources and non-existance of 640 KB barriers etc., thus a linearly useable address space. An Amiga can already work comfortably with 2 MB RAM, on the other hand an Amiga 4000 can get equipped nowadays with RAM of more than 1 GB!

Alternative Operating Systems
Aside from AmigaOS, Amigas also can be run under different UNIX derivatives like LINUX, NetBSD, Minix. Further operating systems through Emulation of following computers:

   VIC-20    C-64    Apple-II    MSX 8-Bit Computer    Sinclair Spectrum    Sinclair QL    Oric-1    Nintendo Gameboy    Atari ST    Apple Macintosh

These all work as pure software solutions, of course also multitasking among each other.

MS-DOS and also MS-Windows can also get emulated by software on comparably powerful Amiga models, but it makes more sense to use a PC Bridgeboard - as available since 1987 as hardware expansion cards.

Video Compatibility
The Amiga is video compatible from start for simple use with TVs, for professional video presentations, or for video editing and/or video titling in home or professional quality.

Programmable Videologics Chips
Practically freely programmable from video compatible to ergonomic displays; in normal, overscanned, or (through 'draggable' screens) mixed form.

Software Situation
Unique through a comfortable price niveau and an unbelievably big offer in the Shareware or Free Software area.

Stereo Sound
4-channel stereo sound standard, expandable through expansion cards, but they are not needed to provide sound at all.


Some common questions and answers to them:

What is the Amiga?
The Amiga is a unique computer platform with its own architecture which is optimized for graphics and general Multimedia applications. It is built on the Motorola 680x0 processor family.

What Amiga models are currently available?
The flagship is the Amiga 4000T with a 68040 or 68060 processor. It comes in a tower case and offers many expansion options via plug-in boards or inside mountable drives. The 32-bit processor works at a clock speed of 25 MHz or 50 MHz.

The Amiga 1200 is a compact home computer, which has all its electronics built into the keyboard case. Still it offers a 32-bit 68EC020 processor with a 32-bit data bus and 14 MHz clock speed, 2 MB RAM, a full keyboard, and provision to mount a 2.5" harddisk drive inside.

The Amiga CD³² is the first 32-bit game console of the world. It is built on top of the A1200 technology and offers a double-speed, multisession CD drive.

What is ARexx?
ARexx is a programming language that has become a part of the AmigaOS. It is optimized to support the exchange of data and commands between different programs. As soon as a program has an "ARexx port",and this is now considered decent behaviour, it is remotely controllable. Several application programs can thus be linked together to form powerful integrated applications.

Why are there no integrated software packages for the Amiga?
Because you don't need them. With integrated packages, you too often find that the components are not as powerful as single programs normally are for the given task. On the Amiga, thanks to its multitasking and to ARexx, you can use specialized, separate programs that are optmized for their application and still can cooperate to bundle their potentials.

What are the Amiga Custom Chips?
In the first Amiga, the A1000, the chips "Agnus", "Paula", and "Denise" did the hard work. They together build a specialized multiprocessor system that takes much time-critical load off of the main processor. This includes the plain display of image informations, 4-channel sound output, floppy control, general DMA control, and much more. In the newest Amigas you find the "AGA chipset", which consists besides "Paula" of the advanced chips named "Alice" (for Agnus) and "Lisa" (for Denise).

What is the Copper?
Copper is the short name for a "Coprocessor" which is integrated into the Amiga custom chips. It makes possible fast action games, unbelievable color effects, and that you can drag down a screen partially on the Amiga display and thus show several screens at once. Technically, the Copper is a highly specialized microprocessor which knows only three different commands, but can process these extremely fast and efficiently. It provides the ability to change e.g. graphics mode, color values, or sprite definitions somewhere at a well defined location within the screen, to display more different action on one screen simultaneously.

What is the Blitter?
Blitter is the short name for another graphics coprocessor which is part of the Amiga custom chips. With it you can copy rectangular image parts extremely fast to other areas. During this, you can take up to three source data areas and perform logical operations on them. This allows e.g. to define certain color values of the copied object as transparent, thus not modifying the destination area. As an add-on, the Blitter also can draw lines and fill areas fast. All in all it serves to provide extremely fast, animated graphics that can be designed especially realistic.

Are there alternatives to the Amiga graphics chips?
Yes, several vendors offer today own graphics cards for the Amiga. The integration of these cards into the operating system still uses inofficial and not standardized ways, but the experiences are already very good. It is worked on a standard for operating system integration of such cards named RTG.

Is the Amiga MS-DOS® or PC compatible?
Not directly. The Amiga is in first line an own world with its own philosophy. Thanks to its flexibility though there are several ways to achieve MS-DOS® compatibility: With the current AmigaOS versions you can read and write disks directly in MS-DOS® format to grant easy data exchange. For low demands on processing speed there are software MS-DOS® emulators that fake a whole compatible PC purely in software and allow to run standard DOS applications. For higher demands there are hardware emulators containing an own PC processor, thus offering full working speed.

Is the Amiga Macintosh® compatible?
Yes, there are two hardware emulators available which include the special Macintosh® floppy and network hardware. And there is also one brilliant software-only emulator. The Macintosh® operating system is loaded and executed like on a normal Macintosh®. This transforms the Amiga into an almost native Macintosh® without loss of speed.

What is the Zorro bus?
The Zorro bus is the standard for expansion cards on the bigger Amiga models from the Amiga 2000 up. Here it was the Zorro-II bus which is 16 bits wide. The Zorro-III bus was introduced with the Amiga 3000. It is 32 bits wide and one of the fastest bus systems currently on the market. It's also downwards compatible with the Zorro-II bus. One of the main features of Zorro bus is Autoconfig.

What is Autoconfig?
On other computer systems you have to configure cards manually via "jumpers" or DIP switches for certain address areas or interrupt numbers. This is very tedious and in practice, it needs deep knowledge of the system to avoid conflicts among different cards used simultaneously. The Autoconfig mechanism of the Amiga system automatizes this procedure totally, so that the user never has to bother with such details. Expanding an Amiga system thus is extremely simple and without problems.

Can you network an Amiga?
Of course, the Amiga line of computers can also be used in networks. The multitasking AmigaOS even makes this a relatively easy task. Worldwide you can get connections for Novell®, DECNet®, AppleTalk®, TCP/IP, plus several peer-to-peer networks. So connecting to PC compatibles or Apple Macintoshes® is no problem. The best performance is achieved through Ethernet or Arcnet boards. In the lower performance range for private users or classrooms there are also solutions. Commodore has developed the SANA-II standard for network hardware drivers, so that the networking software Envoy works with every hardware. In UNIX nets, e.g. at universities, Amigas work together with workstations of various brands.

What do Amiga and Multimedia have in common?
Much. The Amiga traditionally offers everything you need to combine computer graphics, animations, and film sequences with synchroneous sound, plus the ability to control external devices like laserdisc players, all of this under interactive control of the user. This is what multimedia really means. The above mentioned IFF standard has contributed its share to the easiness of this integration of different data types. On the Amiga platform this is daily business since day one and has matured since 1985 continuously, so that one can choose today from a broad palette of professional software for this field. At the days of 1985, this just was not yet called "Multimedia", but it was already heavily in use.

What makes the Amiga specially suited for Multimedia?
The built-in video compatibility is the hardware base. As these capabilities exist since the very first Amiga days of 1985, a broad palette of software evolved, covering all aspects of video applications. An equally rich offer for hardware add-ons got developed, from cheap devices for the video amateur up to professional equipment for TV studios. Thus many TV stations today use Amigas and often deliver all the graphics for the show. When speaking of "graphics" here, not only still images are meant: Especially animations, graphics in motion, is one of the strengths of the Amiga. There is a wide range of animation software packages available. But besides graphics, the Amiga also has its strengths in sound. Its 4-channel 8-bit DMA sound offers good quality for all entertainment or semiprofessional applications.

Can you use the Amiga for Virtual Reality?
Yes, and it's done already in a big scale. Virtual Reality uses multimedia methods plus additional sensors and display devices. Thanks to its fast multitasking OS, the Amiga is especially suited to process these masses of data. Several commercial Virtual Reality game arcades are built on Amiga technology. A new product are the "i-glasses!", which connect directly to the Amiga 1200.

Can the Amiga work with CD-ROM's?
Besides the models CDTV and CD³², that already come with CD-ROM drives factory-installed, also the other Amigas can be equipped with such drives. Normally you just add a SCSI host adaptor to your Amiga (the A3000 already comes with one) and connect a SCSI CD-ROM drive. Driver software also for Kodak PhotoCD's is available on the market. Beginning with OS release 3.1, the Amiga comes ready with CD support. Some companies are already planning to offer interfaces to connect the Amiga CD³² as a peripheral device to other Amigas or even totally different computers.

Are there Multimedia Authoring Systems for the Amiga?
To create Multimedia applications, be it passive presentations or interactive informational or educational systems, there are authoring systems like AmigaVision Professional, Scala, CanDo, and several others more. Scala Infochannel even allows you to maintain a remote-controlled, nation-wide net of information kiosks, you can keep them up to date via modem. Or with AmigaVision, you can control a Laserdisc player and overlay its output with that of the Amiga (per genlock) to combine their features to even more attractivity.

What is Kickstart?
Kickstart on the Amiga is the part of the operating system that contains the central, life-important part. Normally it resides in ROM chips, but on the A1000 it was loaded from a floppy, and certain versions of the A3000 load it from harddisk.

What is Workbench?
Workbench is the name of the graphics work environment that resembles a bureau desk or the workbench of a craftsman. Here you can manipulate files with your mouse, or use tools, i.e. start programs. There is no artificial separation imposed between these two activities. The location of the files in the directory tree of their data volume is directly visible and not artificially hidden.

What are Datatypes?
Datatypes are a new mechanism that was introduced with AmigaOS 3.0. It enables application programs to directly recognize what sort of data a certain file contains, be it graphics, music, text, or other types. Accordingly there is now only one program needed to display (or play) all these types of files. Other programs then call on the Datatypes to automatically recognize and interpret these files. Datatypes are another element that shows the object oriented character of AmigaOS, as it's considered state of the art for current operating systems.

What is the IFF standard?
IFF stands for "Interchange File Format" and defines a data format for storage and exchange of data between different programs. All Amiga applications support this standard, so that data like image files can be processed without problems by several programs after one another. But IFF covers not only graphics, also sound data, text, and configuration data are stored in IFF format.

What Operating System does the Amiga use?
The Amiga uses AmigaOS, a unique OS with special advantages. It's extremely compact and still powerful and thus especially fast. It was the first operating system with Multitasking and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) in color for the mass market.

AmigaOS is modularly designed and consists primarily of function libraries. It can get expanded with other libraries at any time, very easily and system compliant. So AmigaOS is also extremely flexible.

AmigaOS had time to mature for over 10 years now. During this time there were several version upgrades with big enhancements of its functionality. But still AmigaOS grew faster with every new version because of increased efficiency!

Flexible, compact, fast - the attributes of a really modern operating system.

What's special about the multitasking of the AmigaOS?
AmigaOS features preemptive multitasking. This means a program does not need to be explicitly designed for multitasking and still it works effectively together with many others simultaneously. The reaction on user actions is instantaneous, the mouse cursor follows the mouse moves without a delay.

What are the hardware demands of AmigaOS?
AmigaOS is extremely efficient in regards of memory amount and computing time. With only 1 or 2 MB RAM, you already can work with several full-blown application programs in multitasking, without any noticeable delays. Also on your harddisk, AmigaOS and typical applications need relatively little space.

Is AmigaOS a "Realtime OS"?
Theoretically no, practically yes. For a so-called "realtime OS" you must be able to guarantee maximal reaction times after external signals. For AmigaOS such guarantees are not given, but on the other hand it's so efficient and fast in reaction that it is already used in many realtime control applications in the industry.

Is AmigaOS "Object Oriented"?
The Amiga Operating System was created in a time when "OO" was not yet a hype term. But it is state of the art and incorporates many ideas from object oriented design philosophies. This is one of the reasons why the OS is so compact, efficient, and simultaneously flexible.

Is the Amiga Operating System 16-bit or 32-bit?
The AmigaOS is since its first days (1985) a 32-bit OS, thanks to the internal 32-bit architecture of the Motorola microprocessors. Also every application software is thus 32-bit. So you do not need a completely new set of operating system and application software to exploit the 32-bit features of the current processor generation, it happens automatically.

What programming languages are available?
There are assemblers, C, C++, Pascal, Modula 2, Oberon, Fortran, Basic compilers, and several special or unique languages like BCPL, E, scheme, Cluster, ARexx, Lisp, or Prolog. The biggest part of the AmigaOS is written in C, the time-critical parts in assembler. For most languages there are well-reputated commercial compiler packages, but also Public Domain or Shareware versions that make it easier for beginners in the Amiga programming world. Programmers are supported by system documentation in book form, the ROM Kernel Manuals, and in electronic form on floppy or CD with Autodocs, Includes, Tools, and examples.

What's so special with Motorola microprocessors?
The Amiga uses microprocessors of the 680x0 family by Motorola, where the x stands for the ciphers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 currently. Already the first member of this family is internally structured with 32-bit width, though it appears more as a 16-bit type externally. This processor family is especially flexible to program and offers the programmer many possibilities to optimize his software. Key words for the expert are "flat memory model without limiting segmentation", a big number of internal, really general-purpose registers, and a "nearly orthogonal command set".

What is the Amiga philosophy?
In short it's freedom and flexibility. The Amiga does not dictate down to the last detail what the user or programmer has to do, nor how to do it. There are always several approaches possible. The user has for example the choice between the standard graphical user interface, "Workbench", and a comfortable Shell with a command line interface -- whichever he/she finds more convenient. For the programmer, it's similar. He also has choices how to do it and is not forced into a certain direction. This is what gives Amiga programs a special lively touch.

Motto: Everyone who has a video recorder needs an AMIGA, the one who has a video camera, the more!

What does it mean that the Amiga is "video compatible"?
Every Amiga comes standard with the ability to work with graphics modes and deflection frequencies that are identical to those of TV. Other computers need special add-on hardware to achieve this. On the Amiga, it follows that also every normal Amiga software is able to work in these modes, while you again need special software versions on other platforms.

What does it mean that the Amiga is "genlockable"?
When working together with other video equipment, it's important that these devices are tightly synchronized with each other. Every Amiga offers the capability to get synchronized to an external video clock. An external Interface, called Genlock, generates this clock for the Amiga and additionally takes the Amiga-generated graphics signal and overlays it on another video signal. This way you can e.g. create a film title on the Amiga that can be blended over an introduction scene of your last holiday video.

How do I create titles for my holiday video?
In the most simple step with an AMIGA 1200, you don't need any additional hardware, just a video cable from the "CVBS" or "Composite" output of the A1200 to the video recorder, plus cinch cables for the audio connection. On the AMIGA, you can then choose among very different sorts of software:

- A simple drawing program helps you in creating nice backgrounds with   texts put in front of them. - Better drawing programs offer also animation generation, so that you can   have title lines flying and rotating into the picture. - With so-called title generators you can create professional scroll texts   or otherwise designed text pages. - With presentation programs like e.g. Scala you can create similar effects   and produce whole shows.

You can record all these video data directly to any video recorder.

For a second step you probably will want the title texts to appear not simply in front of some computer image, but you want to overlay them on live video images. For this you need additionally a Genlock (see above). The software will be the same as for the first step above. You can connect Genlocks to every AMIGA, especially also to the A4000T.

How else can the AMIGA help me with my holiday video?
When you want to create a video out of several original cassettes, or you want to reorder scenes from one cassette, a video editing system is appropriate. You can plan and test the order of your scenes, and finally save this sequence plan. Finally the program lets the playback recorder proceed to the right places, and lets the recording recorder start or pause, until all scenes have been recorded in the planned order. You don't necessarily need expensive special recorders, as these editing systems simply use the infrared remote control feature of the recorders.

For high-end demands there are also options for digital storing, processing and playing of videos. Such non-linear editing systems normally use Motion-JPEG or MPEG compression cards and therefore need a bigger AMIGA, like e.g. the A4000T.

If you live in a country with the NTSC video standard, you can also use the VideoToaster, a special hardware which allows to create live video effects on the fly, e.g. blending from one sequence into the following or 3-dimensional transforms of pictures.

What makes the Amiga specially suited for Multimedia?
The above dicussed video compatibility builds the hardware base. As these capabilities exist since the very first Amiga days of 1985, a broad palette of software evolved, covering all aspects of video applications. An equally rich offer for hardware add-ons got developed, from cheap devices for the video amateur up to professional equipment for TV studios. Thus many TV stations today use Amigas and often deliver all the graphics for the show. When speaking of "graphics" here, not only still images are meant: Especially animations, graphics in motion, is one of the strengths of the Amiga. There is a wide range of animation software packages available. But besides graphics, the Amiga also has its strengths in sound. Its 4-channel 8-bit DMA sound offers good quality for all entertainment or semiprofessional applications.

What are the hardware demands of AmigaOS?
AmigaOS is extremely efficient in regards of memory amount and computing time. With only 1 or 2 MB RAM, you already can work with several full-blown application programs in multitasking, without any noticeable delays. Also on your harddisk, AmigaOS and typical applications need relatively little space.

How much RAM can be handled by an Amiga?
Depending on the processor variant, you can expand the RAM up to 10 MB or theoretically up to 2 GB. As soon as it's present you can use it directly, there is no need for additional memory management software. The limit of 2 GB is valid for the Amiga models A3000 and A4000. On the mainboard of these computers you can plug in up to 18 MB RAM, and for every of the four Zorro-III bus expansion slots you can buy today cards with 256 MB capacity each. So there is already the possibility to expand the Amiga RAM to over 1 GB!

Can the Amiga work with harddisks?
Yes. All current models have a harddisk built in or have provisions to get one built in internally.

How fast is the Amiga in accessing harddisks?
So fast that a well-known harddrive manufacturer uses Amiga 3000's to test its SCSI harddrives, because this model loves fast drives and can exploit them to their maximum.


What Prominent Amiga Uses Are There?

Several modern TV serials are produced with Amigas. Examples: Seaquest DSV, where all underwater scenes are produced as Amiga animations; Babylon V, where all external views of the space ships are produced as Amiga animations; also for Jurassic Park Amiga animations were used to prepare scenes.

Several display walls in big stadiums around the world are driven by Amigas.

Many TV stations and Preview Channels use Amigas for all their graphics work.

Ship lines and hotel chains in Norway use Amigas with Scala InfoChannel for nationwide information systems.

And much more.


It's like Petro Tyschtschenko, President of Amiga Technologies GmbH, said: Ladies and Gentlemen, please be aware, the Amiga is the only computer which has a multitasking operating system that is not in alpha or beta stage. Of course, we look at our competitors. I recently went to a fair where a computer manufacturer proudly presented its new machines. I asked one of the guys at the booth to demonstrate me the multitasking abilities of his system and he replied, "Please wait a few minutes sir, as soon as this disk formatting is completed, I will show you real multitasking..." I said: "No further questions."


Most of the materials in this page were written by Dr. Peter Kittel of AT. Thank you Peter.

AMIGA is a registred trademark of Amiga Technologies/VISCorp Inc.

AMIGA, powered by:
Motorola Logo


Webpage Design by Bahman Moallem / CTools. Last Modified 25-Aug-96.
For comments, suggestions, questions E-Mail me at: bamo@algonet.se