nsw@cbnewsm.att.com (Neil Weinstock) (06/26/90)
In article <12950@cbmvax.commodore.com> joe@cbmvax (Joe O'Hara - Product Assurance) writes: [ ... ] >The A3000 is shipping with both 1.3 and 2.0 operating systems installed. >2.0 is the default boot mode; access to 1.3 is as you described. The >version of 2.0 which you saw on the store system was a beta-level however, >and is _not_ the same as the production machines. I thought that even the early "production" machines were going to be shipped with a non-final version of 2.0. Can you clarify what the 3000s shipped within the next couple of weeks (or whenever they start rolling off the production line) will be equipped with, i.e. a beta, gamma, omega, or "official" version of 2.0? Also, if I purchase a 3000 and want to play with programming 2.0, is there anything I can do? Will becoming a registered developer be sufficient to get the necessary materials? - Neil --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- Neil Weinstock @ AT&T Bell Labs // What was sliced bread att!edsel!nsw or nsw@edsel.att.com \X/ the greatest thing since?
seanc@pro-party.cts.com (Sean Cunningham) (06/29/90)
In-Reply-To: message from papa@pollux.usc.edu 2.0 isn't final until it's in ROM. If you go check your startup-sequence, you'll see it's still a pre-release. We also got the upgrade, which fixed a few glitches, and allowed a few software packages that didn't like the previous 2.0 to run (somewhat). On a different subject, have you received the upgraded AmigaVision that's 2.0 runable? Sean //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// UUCP: ...!crash!pnet01!pro-party!seanc | ARPA: !crash!pnet01!pro-party!seanc@nosc.mil | " Fanatics have their INET: seanc@pro-party.cts.com | dreams, wherewith they | weave a paradise for RealWorld: Sean Cunningham | a sect. " Voice: (512) 994-1602 PLINK: ce3k* | -Keats | Call C.B.A.U.G. BBS (512) 883-8351 w/SkyPix | B^) VISION GRAPHICS B^) \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
ksh@ely.cl.cam.ac.uk (Kish Shen) (01/06/91)
Hi! I am thinking of getting an Amiga 3000 with UNIX. I thought it would be a good idea to get some feedback from people before I make up my mind. I have not used an Amiga before, so some of these questions may be a bit basic. 1) How is the Amiga Unix like? Has anyone used this yet? Is it stable? 2) How compatible is the Amiga 3000 with older Amigas? From what I have seen in this newsgroup, it seems that some games are not runnable, and quite often the reason is copy protection. For games that run, do they run faster? It is not always a good idea -- you definitely don't want action games to run faster! 3) I am thinking of getting PC compatibility using the Bridge Card. When the CBM people came to our department, they claim that a 386 card is under development -- does anybody know about this? Are there people besides CBM that are making PC cards for the Amiga? How is the existing 286 card like? How compatible is it with "real" PCs? Is the standard Amiga colour monitor VGA compatible? Do I need a VGA card to get VGA output? Does anybody know if there are any problems with using these cards on the A3000? ---- Thanks for any help! Kish Shen
ken@mcnc.org (Kenneth A. Whitfield) (01/15/91)
I have the opportunity to sell my IBM 386 clone; however, I need more info on the 3000 before I make a decision. 1. What are Zorro slots ? 2. How does AMAX work ? Where do you buy it ? How much does it cost ? 3. I would also like to interface the 3000 to my VCR as an editor or titler. How expensive would this be ? 4. Does the bridgeboard come in different flavors (XT,AT,386) ? 5. I have the capability to ftp pd software off the net to a PC. How does one convert the PC format to Amiga format? 6. What are the recommended PD software packages for every Amiga owner ? 7. Which mail order companies has the best software and hardware prices ? 8. Can you have seperate partions on a hard drive for MS-DOS, AMIGA-DOS, and MAC-OS or do you need separte drives for each ? Thanks in advance ....... Please forgive me if I mailed this to the wrong group .
peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) (01/15/91)
In article <7540@alvin.mcnc.org> ken@mcnc.org (Kenneth A. Whitfield) writes: >I have the opportunity to sell my IBM 386 clone; however, I need more >info on the 3000 before I make a decision. > >1. What are Zorro slots ? They are the Amiga version of expansion slots. On the 3000 they feature a blindingly fast 32-bit bus. >4. Does the bridgeboard come in different flavors (XT,AT,386) ? To-date there is an XT and an AT version. >5. I have the capability to ftp pd software off the net to a PC. How > does one convert the PC format to Amiga format? When you have a bridgeboard, you get included with the driver software utilities to copy from the Amiga to the PC world and back. When you have a pure Amiga, there is good PD software available that allows you not only to convert the ASCII version but also the physical floppy format using plain Amiga drives. >6. What are the recommended PD software packages for every Amiga owner ? Don't know about "packages", but there is the ultimate *series* of PD disks by Fred Fish. It recently reached no. 400. >8. Can you have seperate partions on a hard drive for MS-DOS, AMIGA-DOS, > and MAC-OS or do you need separte drives for each ? Yes. Speaking of MS-DOS, you even have both choices. When you have a bridgeboard, you can use a standard (speak "cheap") filecard and install also an Amiga partition on it. If you prefer an Amiga-side HD (speak "fast") then you can define a virtual MS-DOS partition on it that is just a file for the Amiga, but a fully compatible partition for the PC side. -- Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to \\ Only my personal opinions... Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk
daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) (01/16/91)
In article <1991Jan6.040457.3959@cl.cam.ac.uk> ksh@cl.cam.ac.uk (Kish Shen) writes: >2) How compatible is the Amiga 3000 with older Amigas? From what I have seen >in this newsgroup, it seems that some games are not runnable, and quite often >the reason is copy protection. For games that run, do they run faster? It is >not always a good idea -- you definitely don't want action games to run faster! I just recently posted a blurb in one of the new groups on the compatibility issues surrounding the A3000. Most non-game software works, though there are a few exceptions. I hear tell that lots of games don't work, though apparently I don't have any of those games (I will admit I only own a few of them). There is no real problem writing a game that works, its just that more game programmers have [a] thrown out the OS, [b] considered the Amiga a big C64 and written accordingly, and [c] ignored most or all of our programming rules. When written correctly, a game will work fine. Will it go faster? Maybe. A realtime video game is the only one that matters in this context. A good one will be synched to the video display, for nice, clean, display. If, as in the case of some of the flight simulators, generation of the images is taxing the 68000 in the older machines, than the game will usually run faster on the A3000. If everything is based on the display and hardware timers, you won't notice the difference between a game on a 3000 vs. a 500, except that the mouse or joystick may be more responsive on the 3000. >Are there people besides CBM that are making PC cards for the Amiga? Yes, but to date, only things that fit in the A500 RAM Card slot or similar places. C= is the only one to make a real Bridge Card so far. >How is the existing 286 card like? How compatible is it with "real" PCs? It's a basic 8MHz AT, which is really nothing special these days. >Is the standard Amiga colour monitor VGA compatible? Do I need a VGA card to >get VGA output? The standard A3000 monitor, the 1950, is VGA compatible. The bridge card will only generate CGA and MDA compatible displays in Amiga windows, at present. You can add a VGA card, though on the A3000 that'll leave you with one slot free, since the AT card takes up two. >Does anybody know if there are any problems with using these cards on >the A3000? You have to either run some kind of MMU tool, like a special version of the Enforcer, or else turn off the data cache on the A3000 (via SetCPU V1.6 or the supplied CPU command), for correct operation of the bridge card. Since bridge memory is shared, allowing it to be cached is a no-no. >Kish Shen -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy "Don't worry, 'bout a thing. 'Cause every little thing, gonna be alright" -Bob Marley
nfs1675@dsacg3.dsac.dla.mil ( Michael S Figg) (01/22/91)
In article <220@cbmcel.UUCP>, stoller@cbmcel.UUCP (Martin S. Stoller) writes: > > BTW, followup to another group; I can't remember if programmer is written > programmer or programer (that's the trouble with knowing german AND english; > you start spelling thing wrong... or ist es ENGLISCH, I mean, is it ENGLISCH???) > Regards, > UUCP: [{(uunet|pyramid|rutgers)!cbmvax}!cbmehq!cbmcel!stoller It doesn't help knowing just English. Both programmer and programer are acceptable, atleast according to Webster's, but it usually is spelled programmer. ---Mike, -- -------- o A herd of bagels | Michael Figg DSAC-FSD | | -- oo o o escaping from a deli. | DLA Systems Automation Center | | -- ooo oo Looking for Lox in | Cols, Ohio mfigg@dsac.dla.mil -------- o o all the wrong places | CIS: 73777,360