Subject: WOA Toronto_Day1
From: Stephen Bowie <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 9 Dec 1995 09:25:41 -0500

WOA Report ONE-for the Lightwave Mailing List:  
(Ground Zero, Toronto-Dec.8/95) 

This little missive is intended to be an appetizer, a brief
recounting of the barest highlights from the WOA-Toronto.  Remember my
comment a few days back that I hoped my ISP didn't go down this weekend? 
Guess what??  I am typing this in Final Writer, saving it as ascii, and
uploading through my old Freenet connection! Murphy's Law continues to
hold sway.......  Anyhow, more detail will follow.  

After arriving home past midnight, and a few hours sleep, I just want to 
honor my commitment to you guys, have a major caffeine hit, and get back 
over there!  

Thus, a few snippets (please bear in mind that time does not permit 
direct quotes, and the paraphrase versions are mine):  

Being left entirely alone for about 20 minutes with Petro Tyshenko 
(general mgr. Amiga Tech.) and only one other person (rep. from 
MICROVITEK, the Brit co. doing the AT monitors-note 17" hires broad multiscan to be out in a few months) was a golden
opportunity; We were the first three to arrive for the pre-show developers
keynote address :) - I also had two other brief chats with him on the show
floor later....this guy is amazing!  Intelligent, personable, surprisingly
open, and thoroughly worn out...he has done wonders in a matter of a few
months- from empty boxes and an office with no chairs in the office in May
of this year, through a 1000 whirlwind meetings, something like nine major
shows in the last few months in Europe and N. America, to today having
SOLD 35k out of 48k 1200's built, plus 4000T's on the shelf, 060 version
expected in February/March 96 (BTW, I am impressed with these guys as
people who firmly intend to deliver, and if not perfectly on-time it will
sure not be their fault). The 060 will use their own cpu board, and not
the Cyberstorm as previously rumoured. BTW, they have sold ( by
commitment, I suppose) 1k 4000T's in US and CAN, and have a target of just
1000 more before year end.

I could (and may!) fill several mag. articles just on the basis of this 
discussion ,so will just mention that he spoke of having continuing 
discussions with NewTek; he exhibited what I would describe as almost 
fondness for Tim Jennison, and indicated that he felt that the strength 
of the people and product at NewTek was sufficient to carry them through 
what has been a difficult time for them (facing steep competition, 
funding shortages, and growing impatience).  I put the suggestion to him 
that it might be a thought for Manfred Schmidt (Escom CEO) to 'help' 
matters along by throwing a few (million) at NT for a share of the 
co.(shades of Victor Kiam), with a view to helping them both to
market and ensuring they'll be around to produce a Toaster for the
PowerAmiga!  He listened thoughtfully, and said he would take the
suggestion back to Germany, but I had the feeling that (while he could see
sense in this idea) he would probably as soon shake free another few mill.
for his own (AT) development and staffing. A later post will comment on
the contact between AT and Apple!  

4.0 (or 4.1??) LW for Amiga is here (display only), and NewTek has had 
the courtesy to present it in an Amiga only booth..though I really 
wouldn't mind just a glimpse of what the speedier platforms would do!  I 
didn't get much of a look at it, but will to-day.  The NewTek rep (name 
of "Bubba"...are you kidding me?) wanted me to pass on this note re: 
Flyer HD's! Certain revisions of Seagate and Quantum (I think, sorry 
can't find it in my notes at the moment, I'l check this again) HDs 
qualify for a 'firmware' update...some of the Barracuda 2 and 4 gig 
drives are in this group, and the 9 gig Elite I believe. NewTek has the 
details and should be contacted to confirm whether your drive is 
affected, and 'update' details.  It sounded to me that it might actually 
involve a return, so after I clarify it, check it out! 

Also here are:  

Phase 5, with a 'developer's version' of the first PPC 604
Risc card for the Amiga, as well as other 'Cyber' products...will check
them out to-day.  

Draco Systems, functional 060 'Amiga clone ' tower, very
nice looking! On board clot for a DEC 275 mhz RISC co-processor, running
MovieShop 3.0 beta 26, final due possibly late winter.  Closer look at
this version to-day too, most obvious difference is more colour in the
GUI, stamps on the timeline...  Also coming from Draco look for a DEC
Alpha accelerator board for all Amiga's with a Zorro slot!  

Broadcaster Elite, looks very good, completely YUV (Betacam) internally, 
unlike other non-linear systems (according to them, anyway)....again 
closer look to follow.  

Cinema4D- new (in English) RayTracer/Modeler...just had time for
a glance, nice clean interface....one LW user who works for Wonder
Computers here told me he had tried an earlier (German) version, and found
it combined many of the nicest features of both LW and Real3D, incl. good
IK, and that it comes with a good skeleton object to use it on!  

Scala MM400 NTSC is out, upgrade very reasonable, still an astonishingly good
program, a must have, period!  

Many other exhibitors, incl. DKB....missing ( sadly, perhaps due to 
combination of the short time leading to the show, as well as other 
pressing commitments, were Nova and Questar....wish you
were here!) I've got to 'clean up' and get back to 'the trenches'....more
news tonight.  

Regards, Steve
[email-masked]