New PCI board for A1200: Mediator 1200 TX

[AMC258]

Maybe I'm wrong, but my guess is that they didn't bother to engineer DMA because the Meditator was intended to host a PPC processor board, and it would only use the system's existing processor/memory to bridge the gap until the PPC board was available.

[AMC258]

A1200 expansion bus, so no busboard will ever have DMA.

That doesn't entirely explain why the other Meditators don't DMA.  And, maybe they will never have DMA to the host system, but they obviously have DMA to the video card, and could theoretically have DMA to a memory board, or, a processor board with memory.

They are out of production.

Maybe we won't see the Shark as it was promised for that reason (keep in mind just because production stopped doesn't mean it can't be started again if it is profitable).  But, what's to say someone isn't working on a different design?

[AMC258]

No, but ROHS compliance does.

That is why RoHS, along with all other socialist obligations are bad.  Plain and simple.  Bad.

Who would be the customers?

Anyone that wants to run OS4 and doesn't have an AmigaOne.  I'd buy two of them today if they came available.

A few hundred Amiga users.

Profit is profit.  If you can prove you will profit, you can get the resources to do anything.  Less buyers simply means the price goes up.  We have plenty of evidence that the people that would buy such a thing have no problem spending a few extra dollars.  Now, finding the sweet spot between making a profit and not turning away buyers....

I'd love to be proved wrong

I have been looking forward to the release of a new PPC board since the announcement of OS4 Classic.  I am not banking on it, because, well, I haven't been under a boing-ball shaped rock for the past 15 years.  So, I have nothing to lose by looking forward to it.  I have my hope.  It's all I have, but I have it.  I lost all hope of running OS4 some time in 2002.  Well, now I run OS4.

Here, I'll bet you $1USD that we get a new PPC board for 'Classic' Amigas before the end of the year.  Now I have something to lose