To back track; if the reader is not aware. Motorola and IBM formed an alliance to produce a new CPU for the '90s and beyond. Along with the Power PC processor they also drafted specification for the so-called 'CHRP' or Common Hardware Reference Platform. This was recently renamed the Power PC Platform. The idea is similar to the standard of 80x86 based Pcs in that the user can buy whatever brand of motherboard computer they like and then add cards and expansions as required. The software for the platform should still function quite happily (in theory) if everything follows the rules. Cheap parts Most computer hardware experts agree that the days are numbered for the custom chip set approach to computer development. The idea is that it's far more cost effective to purchase computer components off-the-shelf than to research and develop an entirely new non-standard chip set. In the past, of course, computers like the Amiga benefited from custom hardware (it graphics and sound hardware allowed it to become the number one games machine of the early 90s), but these days ; there's such a market of high specification cheap parts that this j approach no longer makes sense, i So the idea is that the Amiga, as we know it. Will move away from being an actual proprietary maehine. Instead it will be an operating system running on a Power PC Platform. Many Amiga users might gasp in horror at this I revelation but there are big advantages. The PPC chip is far cheaper and far faster than the 68060. The , PPC Platform uses a PCI bus for expansion. Graphics cards with | specification in excess of even the CyberVision 64 can be bought for far less expense. Any number of graphics and sound cards could be bought for a fraction of I what custom Zorro cards cost for the Amiga. Fortunately the small Amiga presence on the Motorola stand was not the only place Amiga Technologies were on display. The huge Escom construction also played host to Amiga Technologies but this time the crowd was shoulder to shoulder. Here again the Amiga Walker was on display and we were able to speak with Heinz Wrobel, one of the key players in the Walker Project. "Project Walker" - The new Amiga revealed! Amiga Technologies stressed that the Walker is a low end machine. This is music to many people's ears considering its basic specification includes a 40MHz 68EC030, 6MB (2 Chip + 4 Fast). HD floppy drive, hard drive, quad speed CD-ROM drive and a real time clock as standard. Now Amiga Technologies have announced that the big-box Amiga is now the base Amiga. In one example, by including a detachable keyboard and support for non Amiga specific keyboards, AT have told us all that the Amiga is going up market to finally compete with Pcs whilst also starting the move to standard parts.