The Best Things Come In Small Packages

[TheDaddy]

I love the immediate refund announcement! This is pure comedy, I just imagine Apple, or Dell/Alienware or Asus doing that!

What I'll do is I'll wait for the $20,000 super-workstation...

[TheDaddy]

All none of them?  

Barry:  How many orders have we taken in last 24 hours?
Leo:  Errr... zero.
Barry:  Are you sure?
Leo:  Yep, I counted them... twice!

Funny!

The best thing is that they have announced a cut in price! A day later! It just shows you how much they believe in their product! Either that or they don't know how to price their stuff!

Let's see if I can add one...

Barry: So how much shall we sell this for? I have cut my hands to stuff it inside this damn, small case!

Leo: mmmh, dunno, let's say $1500? What do you think?

Barry: ONLY? ARE YOU MAD? What do I pay you for hey?

Leo: ok, ok...don't get angry...let me see...between $2500 and 3000? What about $3500? Come on $3500, hey, what do you think?

Barry: better...call it $3450, it looks better.

[vox]

It was the bounty wasn't it? CUSA wasn't prepared to pay it right?
It's understandable...it's a large sum of money for anyone to pay especially if they were unprepared...

Saying that don't put the downer on it yet, I still have high hopes for AROS....if the new Amiga sales kick off you never know what may happen...

The funny thing that always gets me is....given the importance of Amiga cross-compatibility with the x86 platform, why hasn't Hyperion/Amiga Inc. actually done anything about it ie. like acquire or work with AROS? It would make it so much easier from a development perspective to develop official versions of AmigaOS for the x86 platform (given now it is the dominant architecture, with portability & power). Isn't that what Apple did with NeXT? They bought it so they could do the needed work without the legal wrangles? I don't understand Hyperions logic....

CUSA counted everything is free and then it turned out they need a driver for C64x audio I believe, that was made but closed source for I believe AspireOS AROS distro. Owner asked his price which was I beleieve $2500 or so, one and a half CUSA computer worth.

Funny part is that Leo promised CUSA will fund AROS development (on AROS EXEC), but there was not a $10 aid to any AROS related bounty.

AROS wasn`t as much developed as today when AmigaOS porting started and best to my knowledge wasn`t ever considered official candidate. Apple approach could be simulated with Rosetta stone PPC translator even today if there were enough funds to licence such PPC to x86 JIT plus port of OS to x86. And CUSA promised to develop their own CommodoreOS but it turned out to be slight modification, not even in agreement and acknowledge of real distro authors.

Shame by shame to save as much as they can, and then overcharge any fool.

[vox]

Good one Darrin!

Ta Da! 4 to 6 weeks later you get their amazing new "Amiga" delivered to the 2 buyers dumb enough to buy one of these systems.  8 weeks later CUSA has to come up with a new plan to try to make money from the Commodore & Amiga names that they have purchased, because their plans so far aren't getting them anywhere and they are probably starting to realize that CUSA is loosing money too quickly and with all the bad press and lack of sales, they will soon be out of business and can't resell the only thing that they have that is worth anything, the license to use the Commodore and Amiga names.  At least let us hope that they cannot sub-lease this license that then purchased to use those names.

Exactly my 2 cents on how they emulate to be the real company via website, facebook etc. Its all market testing and build up later. Sad, because if they invested some real money in deal with some real manufacturers and larger quantities, with less profit margin, they might even get competitive and succed.

[Middleman]

It should been a mere pittance for a company that would had us believe their advertising budget was some millions of dollars. You are the second top poster on the CUSA forums, are you just a fan are some how affiliated to this company?

Yes I am indeed the same person, and yes I have heard that argument before.

However I am not affiliated with them. As I said time and again here on A.org and everywhere else I am just a customer of theirs who happen to appreciate what they do, who visits them from time to time (albeit a little overzealously) because I see they have a potent future to develop for the Amiga & Commodore community if they manage it right. And like all here I want to see Commodore & Amiga back as a great brand with great innovative products...eventually with their own engineering team to develop customized chipsets like the old days. To me the Intel platform for them is just a stepping stone....it's just the start. How other people see them (or me for that matter) is not my concern...

That said, on the subject of the new Mini I do find their recent pricing has been chaotic, and I understand the frustrations felt by folks like yourself that it doesn't seem good enough. And they have done good to listen to the community and knock off $500 off the top price. I know to some it may still not be enough...they are no Apple with thousands of retail stores dotted all over the world....but at least it's a start.

As it happens I do try to help everyone in my capacity as an Amiga & CUSA community member, by stating what I believe modern day users realistically want from the Amiga and Commodore brands. To be realistic to bring the brands and products into fruition we have to take into account to what has happened to the manufacturing of computers in the last 20 years in particular spare parts as there have been so many changes. Supplies Commodore used to use are no longer there ie. SID chips - so we have to be realistic in what the make-up of the new system should be. And we all believe Intel now is the way to go for there to be any future at all for the Amiga platform - as for the price and performance it is unbeatable. As an ideas person primarily, I've said to Barry and Leo what I really want from an Amiga i.e. new practical and powerful A500s/A1000s, and told them their pricing of the machines and the specs they offer have to be competitive to appeal to the market. I offer them ideas and solutions as to what they may be. Sometimes I see them veering off course, and I try to bring them back on track with what should be important (given my experience of 30+ years of computing and management experience). The Mini wasn't my suggestion of course, but I see why they decided to bring it out. It appeals to those who lives in tight spaces and is looking for a real alternative to a Mac Mini or HTPC for their needs. It may not appeal to all but I think they have a good strategy. I think having it Amiga branded is just the icing on the cake...

[Duce]

Middleman:  Enthusiasm is just super.  If you enjoy their products, honestly - nothing makes me happier.  You are obviously an intelligent fellow, so let me break it down to just common sense.

Now please explain to me how a 120 watt power supply unit is going to power well over 250 watts of gear in that new machine, min specs?  Are you starting to see why people get down the necks of the C-USA Bible Thumpers around here when simple facts are ignored?

Simple logic.  Use it.  The Amiga Mini is not a "start".  A 2700k all kitted out won't run off that PSU.  Period.  I know this well, just having built a new gaming PC with similar specs.  I put a 1000 watt PSU in this machine for safe measure.  It's not even functional if the PSU specs are correct.  Anyone that's ever read a "Computers for Dummies" book will tell you that.  I've used cases with the same Pico PSU's.  I had my SAM in one.  I found it weak for my tastes for my SAM 440, with one hard disk and one optical drive.

The CPU uses NINETY FIVE WATTS (+) of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY WATTS offered by the PSU.  The hard disks, optical drives, fans, wifi addons, etc do not run on warm feelings and best intentions.

[persia]

To be fair to C=USA, since they are licensing the Amiga name from Amiga Inc, they are legally bound by Amiga Inc's agreements.  Notice it is COMMODORE OS, not Amiga OS.  AROS was too close to the Hyperion/Amiga Inc settlement for comfort.

[Tripitaka]

And like all here I want to see Commodore & Amiga back as a great brand with great innovative products...eventually with their own engineering team to develop customized chipsets like the old days. To me the Intel platform for them is just a stepping stone....it's just the start.

Perhaps if they had made new "Commodore PCs" and cases whilst leaving off the Amiga logo until they had something worthy of it they could have built up some respect. Even then the PCs would need to be competitive.

[Optimus]

Middleman: Enthusiasm is just super. If you enjoy their products, honestly - nothing makes me happier. You are obviously an intelligent fellow, so let me break it down to just common sense.
 
Now please explain to me how a 120 watt power supply unit is going to power well over 250 watts of gear in that new machine, min specs? Are you starting to see why people get down the necks of the C-USA Bible Thumpers around here when simple facts are ignored?
 
Simple logic. Use it. The Amiga Mini is not a "start". A 2700k all kitted out won't run off that PSU. Period. I know this well, just having built a new gaming PC with similar specs. I put a 1000 watt PSU in this machine for safe measure. It's not even functional if the PSU specs are correct. Anyone that's ever read a "Computers for Dummies" book will tell you that. I've used cases with the same Pico PSU's. I had my SAM in one. I found it weak for my tastes for my SAM 440, with one hard disk and one optical drive.
 
The CPU uses NINETY FIVE WATTS (+) of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY WATTS offered by the PSU. The hard disks, optical drives, fans, wifi addons, etc do not run on warm feelings and best intentions.

Duce,
 
Please take this the right way, because I agree with you 100%
 
But, 95 Watt TPD is how much heat it produces, not how much electricity.  The i7 2700k actually uses way more than 95 watts at peak, so your point is twice as valid.
 
Middleman-
 
They have been talking about releasing the Amiga Mini in "about a week" for two months now.  All that we got new 2 days ago was slightly retouched photoshopped images.
 
In the last 2 months couldn't they have made one and tried it out?

[Duce]

I know, Optimus.  I'm well aware of the confusions of TDP and what they actually mean, was just citing raw numbers from Intel spec sheets to illustrate some provable data.

[vox]

because I see they have a potent future to develop for the Amiga & Commodore community if they manage it righ
.

OK. Potent future prerequisites:

How big programming team they have?
Engeneering team?
Any outsourced development?
Their own PC components factory or long term agreement with any manufacturer that would lower their prices which are over highest single buy price?
Any real new products beside C64x case?
Any real hardware or software suppport (repair, troubleshooting)
Any real partnership beside e.g. selling Tron with C64x (note no one would refuse to offer Amiga Forever or Tron to go with elses product, by partnership I mean joint development, or constant supply of product in the future).

They simply don`t indent to build team beside loudspeaking and assembling PC and only thing that differs them from local PC components vendor are higher prices and shiny name.

Just as development and strategy example, remember all the web site poor designs, photoshopped images instead of real products, specification changes and delays. They appeared at time A1 X1000 was announced, but yet much more complex X1000 design, production and software adjustment wen`t months ahead of their "Amiga".

See their team on corporate section of website, it suits PR agency better then sw or hw company. And it gives such results.

Shiny example how NOT to behave in bussiness, and maybe only similarity with some other Amiga announcements
and history turn overs.

[Optimus]

I know, Optimus. I'm well aware of the confusions of TDP and what they actually mean, was just citing raw numbers from Intel spec sheets to illustrate some provable data.

I should also note that the case manufacturer recommends a 65 watt TPD CPU, citing the lack of space for a proper heatsink for a 95+ watt CPU.  So, unless they are using a low profile server heatsink that sounds like a jet engine, it's a fail in that area is well.

[Optimus]

Well I take *some* of what I said back.  They did post a picture of the back, so we know they at least have the motherboard.  I still contend they have not tested it, because it simply cannot work.
 

[Duce]

It puzzles me why they would dick around with this in a public fashion, tbh.

If they had built even one of the 2700k Mini machines, kitted out in top end spec, they would have learned very, very quickly that PSU that comes with the case is nothing more than a doorstop.

Surely in this day and age a company wouldn't just pull components out of a "dream PC" list on a website and offer it to the market without doing at least one build?

I mean, my 12 year old niece would see the glaring contradictions and impending nightmare of that PSU with those components, and her knowledge of computer builds goes about as far as plugging her iPad into the AC outlet to charge it.

I've been terribly critical of C-USA, but the truth is I couldn't care less who buys their product at what price as long as they enjoy them.  I don't buy prebuilt PC's because it's a foolish waste of money, but for the life of me it boggles my mind how they dropped the ball on this one regarding specs and that PSU.  And don't get me started on heat issues that will occur

I hope they have a better solution that simply is not yet listed on their website to remedy this, even if it only amounts to an external power brick at least the machine would run.

[persia]

Hmmm, 4video connections, and free of the useless connections you find on the back of a lot of PCs...

[Duce]

They do not have a good track record of providing believable photos, so a C= applique on a I/O shield doesn't mean much to me.

Remember the "factory photos" debacle?  lol