-=========================================================================- _ __ _ <>_ __ _ || /\\ |\ /|| || / ` /\\ || Amiga Update -News and Rumors /__\\ | \ / || || || ___ /__\\ ||(A Very Occasional Newsletter) / \\_ | \/ ||_ _||_ \__// / \\_ || BACK FOR THE FUTURE || -=========================================================================- AMIGA and the Amiga logo are trademarks of Amiga Technolgies, GmbH --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 960729 V I S C O R P T A K E S O V E R A M I G A A T O L Y M P I C S T H E I N F O R M E R A V A I L A B L E From the Editor: Just a few days ago (the 23rd) we remarked that Escom, the company that saved the Amiga, was itself in need of saving. It seems it was already too late. Press reports indicate that Escom Netherlands will be bought out, Escom UK will die for lack of purchasers, and Amiga Technologies will be disbanded. The Amiga itself will continue, as expected. VIScorp will obtain full control of the computer. We have an open letter from VIScorp to the Amiga community, and a press release from them as well. While this closes the latest period of uncertainty for the Amiga, we admit to being concerned. It has now been more than two years since Commodore died. There has yet to be any continuous development of new Amiga products. This is far, far too long a period with nothing new. We hope VIScorp can get something developed, advertised and selling quickly. We feel a medium range Amiga of some sort is desperately needed. The A1200 is a terrific machine, but will not lure any potential PC or Mac users to our camp. Console style units simply won't be perceived as realistic choices any longer by folks who don't already know what an Amiga can do. The A4000T is also a terrific machine, but at over $2000 is obviously overpriced compared to the perceived value of PCs and Macs selling for far less. What's needed, in our opinion, is something like the A3000 I'm now typing on, but with newer graphics and more processing power. And it's needed soon! Also from VIScorp comes an interesting story of the Amiga's participation at the Olympics. Long time Amigans will recall the Amiga played a key role in the virtual reality mock-up used to sell Atlanta to the Olympic committee years ago. It seems the relationship didn't end there. Read all about it below. Finally, despite the uncertainty swirling about the Amiga during the last two years, a new paper Amiga publication has been bravely launched. We have information aout it in our leadoff story. Brad --------------------------------------------------------------------------- N E W A M I G A P U B L I C A T I O N ! By Brad Webb We're very pleased to inform you there's a new paper Amiga publication available. Called "The Informer", it's a new venture from Eldritch Enterprises that looks very promising. We've only had a chance to see the second issue so far but we like what we see. It's not fancy, at least not yet, but it does carry timely information for the Amiga community. We've been in contact with Editor Fletcher Haug and like his approach. He had some interesting thoughts about his newsletter: "In fact, I feel this is a very exciting time for the Amiga. I, and I suspect you also, realize the need for more amiga reporting. North America is starving for Amiga news and information. That's the reason I started The Informer, because Amigans need to know whats going on out there and, if you're not connected to the nets (and spend alot of time on them), you have only a few places to turn for limited info. Above all, I want to see the Amiga survive." We agree with that philosophy. At present, the only American paper publication is the venerable "Amazing Computing" and more power to them for being there when no one else was. We hope they endure for a long while. However, the Amiga community should have more than one paper magzine to turn to. While electronic publications such as "Amiga Update" can bring you news quickly, and we intend to continue doing that, nothing can match the depth of coverage you can get from paper publications. If you're interested in "The Informer", you can contact them at PO Box 21, Newburgh, NY 12551-0021, e-mail Fletcher.Haug@bbs.mhv.net. Phone (914) 566-4665. Subscriptions (6 issues, one year) are $12 in the US, Canada $15 US, all others $18 US. Individual copies are $2.50. The second issue was only 10 pages, but there was little advertising. We hope that changes as advertising is a magazine's life blood. We'd like to see this venture succeed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- V I S C O R P N O W O W N S A M I G A FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chicago, IL July 24, 1996 Permission Granted to Distribute without Alteration VIScorp Proceeds with Amiga Acquisition On Thursday, the 18th of July, 1996, the final contract of purchase was signed between the bankruptcy trustee solicitor, Bernhard Hembach, and the president and CEO of VIScorp, William Buck, with approval of the 'pool of banks' for the entire remaining inventory and intellectural property. Until the 18th of August, 1996, VIScorp has time to establish the necessary companies to carry on with its current business. In the meantime, the business will be run with the approval of the bankruptcy trustee Hembach under the name AMICA Technologies GmbH i.K. From the 19th of August, 1996, the business will finally be run under the name, control and ownership of VIScorp. Contact: Florine Radulovic, Director of Communications, VIScorp At the Financial Relations Board: Contact: Ted Gage, General Information Contact: Bess Gallanis, Media --------------------------------------------------------------------------- O P E N L E T T E R F R O M V I S C O R P VIScorp Message: July 24, 1996 Chicago, IL July 24, 1996 An Open Message to the Amiga Community from Bill Buck, CEO, VIScorp: 1. Escom AG and Amiga Technologies GmbH are in bankruptcy and will cease to exist as corporate entities. VIScorp has reached an agreement with the Trustee for the liquidation of these companies and with the creditors of these companies for the purchase of "Amiga." There were at least eleven different banks or companies that had claims to be "owners" of the technology and/or the inventory. Escom had liabilities of over $250 million. Imagine the confusion... 2. The steps that we had to follow through the last three months were painstaking. As the situation at Escom deteriorated, we had to continually re-negotiate our purchase contract. We could not speed-up the process. Many things we wanted to begin immediately we have had to delay. The situation at Amiga and Escom were extremely troubled. This was in part because of the difficult financial and management situations at Amiga and Escom, but also because of how poorly organized the intellectual property had been under Commodore. In the course of the Commodore bankruptcy many problems developed that were never repaired. 3. The final (and last of three) purchase contract was signed on Friday, 19 July. It cannot be changed; it has been executed. The intellectual property of the former Commodore and the inventory of the former Amiga Technologies will be owned finally by VIScorp. The final paperwork will be completed in the next 30 days. During this month, VIScorp GmbH will be registered and Amiga Technologies will continue to operate temporarily in bankruptcy for VIScorp. 4. Petro Tyschtschenko and his staff will continue to operate from Germany. Raquel Velasco and Petro Tyschtschenko will be the new General Managers of Amiga, to be known as VIScorp GmbH. Al Duncan, a former General Manager of Commodore will join VIScorp to manage the sales and distribution of VIScorp and Amiga products in North America. Petro will continue to operate from Germany and manage the existing business. Raquel is looking for someone from the community to manage the re-organization of the sales and distribution in Europe. Please contact Raquel if you are the right person for this job. 5. The engineering efforts of the former Amiga Technologies and the on-going engineering of VIScorp will be combined and professionally managed. We intend to begin to implement the plans we outlined in Toulouse very shortly. 6. Please excuse our lack of communication with the community over the last months. We were severely restricted from communicating our activities. Please resend your emails to any of the VIScorp staff if they have not been answered by this letter. We simply could not answer all the emails. 7. Do not expect miracles from VIScorp, expect slow, but steady progress. Thank you for your continued support. Best Regards, Bill Buck --------------------------------------------------------------------------- T H E A M I G A , A T L A N T A , A N D O L Y M P I C S FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chicago, IL July 22, 1996 Permission Granted to Distribute without Alteration Amiga Supports The 1996 Olympic Games The 1996 Summer Olympic Games provides a unique opportunity for the Amiga to demonstrate its worldwide appeal, especially among news and media professionals from Europe and the Americas. Several US-based Amiga companies have joined forces to provide computer support to the press agencies attending the Games. A series of high-end Amigas are being placed at the heart of the media editing room for use as an onsite editing tool for video footage taken by various reporters and media producers. The Amiga will be getting some positive media coverage and a chance to demonstrate it's prowess handling complex broadcast and video graphics. Special thanks are extended to Keith Cagle, of Virtual Reality Productions, who organized the event space. VIScorp would like to thank the Amiga community for its support in this effort, especially the following companies for their contribution: Virtual Reality Productions, Keith Cagle QuickPak, Dave Zembecki New Tek, Bob Hoffman & Daneta Colbach Anti-Gravity Products, June Lavenberg DPS Micropace, Bob Wolter Contact: Florine Radulovic, Director of Communications --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amiga Update on the net: recent issues available in html format at: http://www.sharbor.com All back issues available (ASCII text only) at: http://www.globaldialog.com/AdventureCentral/AU.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1996 by Brad Webb. 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