RN6%WINDSOR1.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca (Blair Middleton) (07/14/90)
Hmmm...don't know what happened to this post after I mailed it the first
time, so here goes again:
Hi all, a question about the new Power PC Board that was advertised in
the August, 1990 version of AmigaWorld. This is a product put out by
a company called Pulsar (Dr. Oxide by some other name, I think) and it
enables A500 users to replace their A501 memory expansion and add a XT
8 MHZ board in their machine. It is not a bridgeboard though, as it
completely takes over the Amiga: so you either have your A500 OR the Power
PC Board.
It uses a NEC V30 Phoenix Bios and has support for the internal and external
3.5" and 5.25" drives and well as making use of the serial, parallel,
joystick and mouse ports. They say it comes with "512K RAM expansion and
512K RAM Disk"... this is the confusing part. Does anyone know exactly
what this "512K RAM Disk is? Is it memory that adds to your FAST
memory or is it used only as a RAM disk?
I also assume the HD support is not ready yet, but have been told be some
hardware types that this is only a software problem (are they right?) But
the really big question is: since I have an old machine that has since added
the Fatter Agnus chip, and uses the A501 expansion RAM as the 2nd half of
the 1 MEG CHIP memory, will the insertion of this Power PC Board STILL make
use of this or will I then have 512K CHIP? If anyone has used this, could
they let me know what they think of it; any thoughts would be
appreciated.
// R. Blair Middleton. University of Windsor
\X/ Atomic Physics Group BITNET RN6@WINDSOR1
"All views expressed are mine and not my employers"cole@anomaly.sbs.com (Cole Calistra) (07/18/90)
In article <24570@snow-white.udel.EDU> RN6%WINDSOR1.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca (Blair Middleton) writes: > [stuff deleted...] >Hi all, a question about the new Power PC Board that was advertised in >the August, 1990 version of AmigaWorld. This is a product put out by >a company called Pulsar (Dr. Oxide by some other name, I think) and it >enables A500 users to replace their A501 memory expansion and add a XT >8 MHZ board in their machine. It is not a bridgeboard though, as it >completely takes over the Amiga: so you either have your A500 OR the Power >PC Board. Ok, the above info is all correct. Yes, Pulsar is part of Oxide Industries, Inc. Which is owned by Dr. Oxide (Eric Miller). Pulsar is the distribution wing whereas CompuSave is the retail end. Rumor has it that he is going to be selling CompuSave and just keep Pulsar. >It uses a NEC V30 Phoenix Bios and has support for the internal and external >3.5" and 5.25" drives and well as making use of the serial, parallel, >joystick and mouse ports. They say it comes with "512K RAM expansion and >512K RAM Disk"... this is the confusing part. Does anyone know exactly >what this "512K RAM Disk is? Is it memory that adds to your FAST >memory or is it used only as a RAM disk? Yes, it does use all the ports available on the Amiga, UNLIKE the Bridgecard, which only uses the parallel port and gameports. That is correct about the ram, it can only be used as a VD0: kind of device, I believe. >I also assume the HD support is not ready yet, but have been told be some >hardware types that this is only a software problem (are they right?) But >the really big question is: since I have an old machine that has since added >the Fatter Agnus chip, and uses the A501 expansion RAM as the 2nd half of >the 1 MEG CHIP memory, will the insertion of this Power PC Board STILL make >use of this or will I then have 512K CHIP? If anyone has used this, could >they let me know what they think of it; any thoughts would be >appreciated. HD support is PROBABLY done by now, along with VGA support with a multisync. I am not sure how the board handles the CHIP memory. They told me that the board functions exactly like a 501, BUT has the added features. The designer is a guy in West Germany, who got his inspiration for the board from an article in Amazing Computing where Commodore said that it was impossible to get IBM Compatibility on an A500. Commodore didn't believe that it existed until we showed two Commodore reps and Harry Copperman an actual working A500 running Lotus 1-2-3 at World of Amiga in NYC. I have used the card and it does indeed run. I have run the Landmark and Norton SI tests myself and their results ARE accurate! It is a VERY nice card, and runs well. If I had a 500 I would have it in a minute. Disclaimer: I do not work for Pulsar in any capacity. I did however occupy a booth, along with a former company I worked for, that Pulsar had at World of Amiga in NYC. If you were one of the two guys who put one on reserve and paid for the card at the show, then I sold it to you, although I made no money on the sale since I was only covering for a friend of mine who DOES work for Pulsar. Got that? 8-) > // R. Blair Middleton. University of Windsor > \X/ Atomic Physics Group BITNET RN6@WINDSOR1 > "All views expressed are mine and not my employers"