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Editor's Notes

Greetings, all, and a belated welcome to 1998.

In addition, welcome to our special Amiga 4000 Tower review issue. As promised, I put together a multi-part story in an attempt to provide the most comprehensive look possible at the current top-of-the-line Amiga. This rather massive undertaking, which you'll see listed by section in the Table of Contents below, delayed this issue a bit, but I finally pulled it all together, and I hope you find the results worthwhile.

I'd like to make a few general notes about AM: contrary to appearances, we have not become a bimonthly magazine. That is, at least not permanently. Since late summer, I have not had a lot of extra time, and it has been difficult to maintain a fairly regular publishing schedule. I fully intend, however, to go back to single-month issues as soon as possible. In addition, for those who have attempted to contact me by e-mail, I apologize for the extremely long delay; I'm somewhat behind on that front, but if I received your message, I will reply accordingly. Please be patient, however, because I currently have to make an hour's trip every week just to access my primary mail account. I hope to change this in the near future.

But back on the subject of this issue, in addition to the A4000T review, I would like to draw your attention to a reader poll we are beginning this month. It concerns the subject of Amigas and America Online, an issue you may have seen raised periodically in AM in recent months. Contributing Editor Paul Somerfeldt thought it would be beneficial to get feedback from the Amiga community on this subject; if enough people respond, we might actually be able to influence things. For more information, see the poll below in the Table of Contents. It will run throughout the year, but prompt entries will help the most.

Anyway, without further delay, following are the contents of the December 1997-January 1998 issue of The Amiga Monitor: Volume 2, Issues 5 and 6.

Michael Webb
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5-6, DECEMBER 1997-JANUARY 1998

NEWS AND EDITORIAL

The Sam Report: Amiga Online? - Revisited
By Sam Ormes
A look back at a recent editorial, and some reaction, on the subject of Amiga and AOL.

Life Is...
By Paul Somerfeldt
A message about simply finding what's suitable for the situation at hand, in computers and in life.

My Amiga Year
By Steve Duff
A look back over a year's time as a new member of the Amiga community, how things have changed, and what the future may bring.

AM Reader Poll: Amiga and America Online?
By Paul Somerfeldt
You've seen the editorials. Now it's your turn to offer your opinions on this subject. Should America Online be made available to Amiga users? Would Amiga users benefit, or even want to use AOL? Every vote counts, so if you have an opinion, please take a look at this survey!

SPECIAL FEATURE REVIEW: THE AMIGA 4000 TOWER

By Michael Webb

Introduction
About the current top-of-the-line Amiga, why we have it for review, and why we are featuring it in this way.
First Impressions: What's Good
Positive aspects that revealed themselves through initial setup and use.
First Impressions: What's Not So Good
Things that could have been done better.
Structural Issues
All about how the A4000T is built, both inside and out.
The Monitor
To be useful, a computer needs...a monitor! Amigas have always had special display needs, but now more than ever, there are some very important decisions to be made in buying a monitor for an Amiga.
The Processor
What could be more central to a computer than the Central Processing Unit? In this era, the Motorola 68060 stands proudly at the top of its class, but the world is leaving it behind. Or is it...?
The Custom Chipset
The CPU may be "central" by name and by function, but we haven't truly examined a new Amiga under the hood until we've looked at the hardware at the heart of the system.

What's Unique
Specific aspects of the A4000T that you won't find in any, or most, other Amigas.
Lingering Problems
Those little gremlins that just won't go away...
Expansion and Future Considerations
Things to think about when expanding an Amiga, particularly a new one like the A4000T, in the Gateway 2000 era; and what we are seeing in regards to current and emerging standards.

Lists and Quantitative Reports

Performance Numbers
Comparative information obtained from several benchmark programs on several Amigas.
Discussion of Performance Numbers
Some information about the tests performed in the above-listed Performance Numbers article, including why various tests and configurations were chosen, and what the results mean.
Purchasing Costs
As the now-popular expression goes, "Show me the money!" Here are the prices behind this A4000T, and everything that went into it.
Summary of Complaints
A categorized list of various types of grievances concerning the A4000T.
What's Good, in Summary
Another categorized list, this time about the A4000T's positive aspects.

Summary and Conclusion

What it all Means
The conclusion to our Special Feature Review of the Amiga 4000 Tower.

REVIEWS

Legacy
By Steve Duff
Steve Duff takes a look at Amiga journalism's latest foray into a new medium, in this case the video magazine from Jason Compton and company at Amiga Report.

SPOTLIGHT ON GAMES AND ENTERTAINMENT

Final Odyssey: Theseus Versus the Minotaur
By Anthony Becker
A well-done, traditional role-playing game that runs on nearly all Amigas.

DEPARTMENTS

Just For Fun
By Kyle Webb and Michael Webb
In reference (and deference) to a time-honored organization, we take a sarcastic, fun, and even somewhat sincere little stab at the world's largest online service, and, well, you'll see...

The Tone Byte
By Anthony Becker
Tone takes a quick looks at a number of current Amiga products and issues.

Lame Humor Department
By Kyle Webb
A satirical, sarcastic, sardonic, and sometimes downright silly look at affairs in the Amiga community, and life in general...also known as The Amiga Monitor's comic page.

The Amiga Monitor: 1996-1998, Excelsior Digital Publishing
The Amiga Monitor's home site is at URL:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/HomePages/MikeWebb/