daguru@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Da Guru) (01/19/91)
I'm technically ignorant and want to bring my A1000 up to speed. Some person mentioned have something-or-other soldered, but there may be more that I can do than just that. If you had a small amount of money (such that you couldn't just buy an A3000), what would you do with your A1000? -Nick
doctorj@ei.ecn.purdue.edu (Jeffrey W Davis) (01/19/91)
In article <11277@darkstar.ucsc.edu> daguru@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Da Guru) writes: > >I'm technically ignorant and want to bring my A1000 up to speed. >Some person mentioned have something-or-other soldered, but there >may be more that I can do than just that. If you had a small >amount of money (such that you couldn't just buy an A3000), what >would you do with your A1000? > >-Nick 'Technically ignorant' may be a problem, but not an insurmountable one. Documentation for the hacks I have done was fairly well prepared, and I feel that it covered the bases quite well. The docs are readily available and describe every aspect of building these 'hacks' so that you can see exactly what you are getting into. It's really not too bad! Here is what I have done with my A1000 to keep cost at a minimum and speed at a maximum (Yes, this requires a soldering iron) : Installed the Lucas board 68020/881 accelerator card created and sold in the public domain by Brad Fowles. The board and PAL chips cost $75. And a 68020 can be had now for approx. $20. This is running at 20 Megahertz flawlessly. Installed the Frances 32 bit 4 Meg. memory board, also sold in the public domain by Brad Fowles. The cost of this bare board and PAL chips also comes to $75. The other main costs here are the DRAM controller and the 256KX4 RAM chips. (DRAM controller was ~$40) Installed the 1 Meg. hack published in Amazing Computing a few years ago. Here, the only cost is the purchase of 16 64KX4 DRAMS. I am also running an 80 Meg. Segate ST-296N with a SupraDrive Harddrive controller. And I will make no claims to fame here... But it does work sufficiently. To sum up (what I believe to be) this system's unique features... 68020 and 68881 @ 20 Meg. 4 Megabytes of 32 bit memory 512K of Chip, 512K of Pseudo-Fast RAM (Addressed into upper 512K of chip ram space.) 4.6 times the speed of a 68000 Amiga (Rated with Speed 2.00 by Argonaut Software) Approximately 5.5 MIPS Kickstart mapped via hardware into 32 bit memory. The 32 bit memory CAN BE REMEMBERED UPON RESET. (So you can play those games out of 32bit memory) AND Kickstart will remain in 32 bit memory also. This allows for ALL of the libraries to load from 32 bit memory, even the exec.library. This system IS living up to my every expectation. I have been using this hardware for a couple of years now, so I think it's been fairly well tested. I believe that the A1000 is not DEAD, just not supported as well as I would like. I have been able to keep up with the BIG boys fairly well, and have saved quite a bit of money in the process (especially since an A1000 can be had for around $265 now). Collectors item someday? I am not with any corporation. Any similarities to systems living or dead is purely coincidental. And no flames please! The opinions contained in this article are solely my own. *********************************************************** * Jeff Davis * Relax! And get into /// * * doctorj@ei.ecn.purdue.edu * the STRESS!!! /// * * @en.ecn.purdue.edu * \\\///030 * * * -Gigahertz!- Amiga\XX/ 882 * *********************************************************** -=[ In Stereo Where Available ]=-
tbissett@nstar.rn.com (Travis Bissett) (01/25/91)
(Darn! I think I need some mailer software for my A1000...) in some msg Jeff Davis writes: > To sum up (what I believe to be) this system's unique features... > > 68020 and 68881 @ 20 Meg. > 4 Megabytes of 32 bit memory > 512K of Chip, 512K of Pseudo-Fast RAM (Addressed into upper 512K of > chip ram space.) > 4.6 times the speed of a 68000 Amiga (Rated with Speed 2.00 by > Argonaut Software) > Approximately 5.5 MIPS > Kickstart mapped via hardware into 32 bit memory. > The 32 bit memory CAN BE REMEMBERED UPON RESET. (So you can play those > games out of 32bit memory) > AND Kickstart will remain in 32 bit memory also. This allows for ALL of > the libraries to load from 32 bit memory, even the exec.library. > > This system IS living up to my every expectation. I have been using this > hardware for a couple of years now, so I think it's been fairly well > tested. > Jeff, this is exactly the kind of good news I've kept an eye out for for a couple of years already. I, too, have the 1 meg hack, and have been dying to get the Lucas/FRANCES, etc. running on my machine. But extreme penury is not the only thing that has held me back -- I've been wanting to learn of some intrepid pioneer who proved it has been done successfully at least once. Sadly, the FIDO echos just didn't locate the person of your caliber :-) and I feel so glad to finally get access to usenet! Hey, if you ever want to sell drop me a line. I can't guarantee anything but I may be interested in bidding. -- Travis Bissett -- -- internet: tbissett@nstar.rn.com internet: tbissett%nstar@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu uucp: ..!uunet!nstar.rn.com!tbissett Northern Star Communications, Notre Dame, IN USA Public Access Unix Site - 219-289-0282