The Article below was taken from a major Australian Newspaper "The
Australia"


Amiga: plucky little pioneer comes back to take bronze


Like Elvis, the Amiga computer will always have diehard fans, reports Adrianne
Bee in San Jose
 


	THE Amiga faithful can be assured that the ageing but still-respected 
platform is not going away. VIScorp, a set-top box maker based in Chicargo, 
plans to revamp the existing Amiga technology. The goal? New set-top 
appliances, faster Amiga computers and an updated Amiga operating system. 
The Amiga computer has passed through a few hands on the journey to the 
set-top makers. Once the property of the now defunct PC pioneer Commodore, 
Amiga was sold to the German computer manufacturer Escom AG in 1995 for 
$US10 million ($12.7 million). However Escom went bankrupt, and arranged 
to sell the Amiga technology rights to VIScorp. One challenge from Eagle 
Computer Products and some financial matters later, VIScorp plans On having 
ownership of Amiga intellectual property by the middle of the month. "We 
plan to make the Amiga capable of recapturing the ground that has been taken 
away from it," the communications manager of VIScorp, Mr Jason Compton, said. 
"Within six months, we want to have an updated operating system, possibly a 
portable design and ways to make the 1200 model faster." VIScorp, by no means 
a billion-dollar corporation, plans to enlist the aid of a RISC-chip maker. 
The Commodore trademark will remain with Escom's liquidators as they continue 
to sell 1200 and 4000 model computers, mainly throughout Europe and North 
America. Mr Compton says there are between 1 million and 1.5 million Amiga 
users worldwide. The Amiga and the Apple originally arrived at the same time, 
but Commodore's financial problems kept Amiga in the slow lane. The Amiga's 
appeal lies in the simple operating system and the high-quality graphics it 
provides for monitors and television sets. "The Amiga allows a user to be more 
creative instead of Just trying to figure out how the operating system works," 
said Mr Rajah Olaguer, a salesman and service technician at Winner's Circle, 
a California  computer  distributor  that provides Amiga products for 150 
customers. Mr Olaguer remembers the 1980s, when  the Amiga boasted a 
4000-colour screen while  IBM's screen possessed a mere 60 colours. "The 
number of calls we get regarding Amigas outweighs the IBM ones," he said. 
"Customers do everything from word processing to simple video production on 
Amiga." Mr Compton outlined a new Amiga strategy to target this wide range of 
Amiga users. While Amiga will still be the choice of video production 
facilities the set-top boxes (planned to sell for  $US300-$US400) will appeal 
to the consumer who wants to surf the Net without shelling out $US1500 
desk-top computer. In January. VIScorp will unveil its first basic set-top 
box. Later that year the company will offer the VIScorp ED system, a more 
advanced set-top device that combines the TV, phone line and network service 
providers. The "new Amiga" will allow users to ride the Internet
Superhighway 
without ever leaving their favourite living room chairs. Multimedia analysts 
predict the set-top box will fare well because Amiga was originally designed 
to operate with using the TV monitor as a display. Through a standard 
television set, users can participate In voice "chat" programs. play games 
with online opponents, receive e-mail, shop and do banking. They can also 
access any online services such as CompuServe or AOL, local bulletin board 
services and WWW address. Access will be through a computer keyboard, 
touch-sensitive pen or ED microphone. While IBM and Apple rake in the 
market-share dough, Mr Compton says VIScorp will be happy to help Amiga win 
the bronze of the computer industry Olympics. of "Right now there are only 
two choices. We want to see a choice that isn't Windows or Macintosh," said 
Mr Compton "We want to be number three. " The road to number
three may be a 
long and difficult one. One where. VIScorp must repeat: "I think I can,. I 
think I can." The chief executive of VIScorp, Mr Bill Buck, pointed out that 
when his company arrived on the scene, Escom had liabilities that exceeded 
$US250 million and a dozen different banks and companies claimed to be the 
owners Amiga technology and inventory. At present, the Amlga remains an 
esoteric computer.  Edlttech International


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