Toaster Comparisons

by Dick Estel

Users of the Commodore Amiga are excited these days about the Video Toaster.  This product allows
the control of video and graphic effects, such as wipes, dissolves and other visual magic.  Before the
arrival of the Toaster, equipment to accomplish these tasks was priced in the range of $10,000 and up. 
The toaster costs around $1500.
   
As a Commodore 64/128 user, I cannot use the Video Toaster, but I have achieved good results for
several years with the Toastmaster toaster.  I thought a comparison would be useful.
   
Probably the biggest advantage of the Toastmaster is that it does not have to be connected to a
computer.  In fact, it is a stand alone device which accomplishes its work without peripherals or even
software (unless you call bread software).
   
The Toastmaster allows control of the visual appearance and texture of the final product, with a range
from soft light brown to board-hard black.  When it was new, the Toastmaster had an automatic
control for this, and when the program had finished its work, the finished product popped out magically.
   
Due to wear and tear and old age, my Toastmaster has lost its popping ability, and currently requires
the placement of a heavy object on the up/down lever in order to avoid premature ejection.  This also
necessitates intensive manual controls (watching it like a hawk) to prevent undesirable results.
   
While it is true that the Video Toaster produces a wider range of colors and effects than the
Toastmaster, the latter costs only one percent of what one has to pay for the VT.  Overall I am satisfied
with my toaster, and although it won't connect to my Commodore, I am confident that one of our
technical experts could build an interface for me.

(Circa 1990, From The Interface, newsletter of Fresno Commodore User Group, via the Commodore
Information Center http://home.att.net/~rmestel/commodore.html)