Pentium vs. Amiga

        The Pentium - the Optimum
        -------------------------

 It's winter again, and some days before Christmas people begin
 to talk about what equipment they're buying for their computers.
 One person buys the fabulous 486 DX-2-66, another one his beloved
 Pentium. But there's always someone that must exaggerate. It's
 Sven, himself user of a 486 SX-25 and an Amiga 500+, who wants
 to buy a Pentium 75 at Vobis. Some people may think: why does he
 need a Pentium, his 486 isn't that bad at all!
 That's what I asked him, and do you know what he answered me:
 "I want to view those AVI videos on those CD-Roms."
 But that's just half the mess. He's an Amiga fan. Yeah, there are
 Amiga fans in this world. And the background of his Windows bears
 a screenshot of Amiga's OS3.1! (Isn't that cruel? Imagine you had
 a Windows screenshot on your Workbench...) But let's go on:

 Sven:"AVI videos are that cool! You really imagine you were
       sitting in front of a TV-set!"

 Me:  "Don't you think you are using the wrong computer? An
       Amiga 1200 or A4000 has been capable of such stuff for years.
       And what does Vobis provide you with besides?

 Sven:"Yes, the PC has a graphics board and a CD-ROM"

 Me:  "Double or Quadro?"

 Sven:"No, double speed of course. But there are two programs
       on CD within that package."

 Me:  "Don't you think that price is much too high for that
       stuff?"

 Sven:"No! Isn't an Amiga that expensive either?"

 Me:  "Nice. But let's take a look at an A1200. It's fantastic
       what abilities this box for 500$ (Amiga Magic packet) provides
       you with. And to view videos, an Amiga is much better. And
       you can even view AVI videos (that must work with some kind
       of player, eh?)"

 A third person comes, his name is Tobias.

 Tobi:"Hey, what are you talking about?"

 Me:  "Sven wants to buy a new computer to watch his AVI videos."

 Tobi:"I see!"

 Tobias leaves us...

 Sven:"But an Amiga isn't that good for such a job. It's a game box,
        and Oil Imperium is a real nice game!"

 Me:  "Sven, you want to process graphics on your computer?"

 Sven:"Yes!"

 Me:  "Have you ever seen SeaQuest, Jurassic Park or Babylon 5
       on TV?"

 Sven:"Of course."

 Me:  "Don't they have nice graphics?"

 Sven:"Yeah, real cool. SeaQuest DSV has good graphics, but Jurassic
       Park is almost reality!"

 Me:  "Yeah, that's computer graphics. Didn't they do it very well
       using that tiny Amiga?"

 Sven:"Amiga?????????????"

 Me:  "Of course, it's all done using an Amiga 4000. Compared to PC
        it's quite nice, isn't it?"

 Sven:"That graphics has never been made by any Amiga!"

 Me:  "Of course it has. And when an Amiga is able to do that, it
        also must be able to show those dumb AVI videos?"

 Sven:pauses two minutes...
      "Okay, you're right. I'll think about the Pentium again, if
       an Amiga really is that good."

 Me:  "Sven, you don't have much money as a trainee. Don't you think
       you should be careful with wasting your money?"

 Sven:"I think I'll go to Allkauf and get some information on Amiga
       and so on..."


 And this was the end of our talk. I believe that Sven (of course that
 name has been changed here, he insisted in it) doesn't know a thing
 about PC or Amiga and just thinks of his AVI videos, whereas a TV-Set
 is much more suitable of doing such work. So a good computer doesn't
 mean you know a thing or two about it.
 I'm looking forward to what he'll buy...