jwabik@uc.msc.umn.edu (Jeff Wabik) (09/04/90)
I've owned an Amiga for years, but, having millions of dollars worth of toys to play with at work, I haven't used it for much more than a vt100 for the last few years.. In tune with this, my "keeping up" with this rampant-running newsgroup has dwindled to 0.. I'm at a point now where I'd like to start to use my machine (an A1000) again. I've gotten back into the swing of how to use the thing, but, I'm sickened by the fact that my two-floppy 512K system is a total performance pig. I need to expand. My subscription to AmigaWorld has lapsed, so I'm short on good information about what's happening in Amigaland these days. This is where you come in. 8^) I'd like to expand to at least 1MB of memory (maybe 2MB), and attach either an ST506 or SCSI hard disk. While I dont have any problems with spending money to get the hardware, I'd like to make sure that anything I buy would be upwardly portable to new Amiga systems (hopefully the ones that will run UNIX) as they become available. Help? What should I do? Is it worthwhile to bother with the 1000? Is anything upwardly compatible? Who manufactures good memory and SCSI boards? Why are they "good?" Since I probably can't keep up with the flow of this group, I'd appreciate it if you could take the time to respond via e/mail. I'm sure others have these questions, too, so I'll forward compiled responses to anyone interested. Thanks much! -Jeff -- Jeff A. Wabik E/Mail: jwabik@msc.umn.edu Minnesota Supercomputer Center AT&T: +1 612 626 0211 Minneapolis, MN FAX: +1 612 624 6550
mwm@raven.pa.dec.com (Mike (Real Amigas have keyboard garages) Meyer) (09/05/90)
In article <2505@uc.msc.umn.edu> jwabik@uc.msc.umn.edu (Jeff Wabik) writes:
I'd like to expand to at least 1MB of memory (maybe 2MB), and attach
either an ST506 or SCSI hard disk. While I dont have any problems with
spending money to get the hardware, I'd like to make sure that anything
I buy would be upwardly portable to new Amiga systems (hopefully the
ones that will run UNIX) as they become available. Help? What should
I do? Is it worthwhile to bother with the 1000? Is anything upwardly
compatible? Who manufactures good memory and SCSI boards? Why are they
"good?"
The answer is simple: buy an external expansion box. There are a
couple on the market that provide two Zorro II slots, a power supply,
and space for a hard disk. I *think* the expansion box will run about
$200 or so. Don't have prices handy, and only paid attention because I
was trying to sell mine.
Buy a SCSI disk controller. I'm not sure you can buy an ST506
controller, even if you wanted one. At least not without getting a
SCSI controller in the bargain. Such are built into the 3000, and
provided as the standard on the high-end Amigas. If you buy one from
CBM (about $300), you're pretty much guaranteed that it'll work in a
2000 running Unix. Cheap HD controllers run about $150. That's the
kind I buy, but I don't particularly want to swamp my system down.
Finally, memory boards are pretty cheap. The cheap 8meg boards run
around $150 (empty), and then take standard DIPs or SIMMs. After that,
the RAM is cheap.
When you go to run Unix, you're going to need at least a 2000, plus
SCSI disk controller & 32-bit accellerator w/MMU. With 32 bit memory,
the 16 bit memory board becomes something to strip the memory off of
and sell. The SCSI disk controller is something you can use again.
Your 32-bit memory accelerator will run you $1500 or more. Plus $1500
or so for the base 2000, and the $500 to $1000 you've spent on
ugrading the 1000 means you've spent between $3500 to $4000 for the
Unix hardware.
Street price on a 3000/25-50 is $3300 or so. If you're serious about
going to Unix, sell the 1000 now (it's depreciating fast), and buy a
3000. You'll save money, and have a much nicer machine afterwards.
Note that the 3000 comes stock with the SCSI controller & lots of
memory sockets, so anything purchased for 1000/2000 expansion is
probably wasted. If you're not serious about Unix, then you might want
to avoid the large initial splurge until you see if you're actually
going to use the Amiga.
<mike
--
The weather is here, I wish you were beautiful. Mike Meyer
My thoughts aren't too clear, but don't run away. mwm@relay.pa.dec.com
My girlfriend's a bore, my job is too dutiful. decwrl!mwm
Hell nobody's perfect, would you like to play?