jwhitman@almsa-1.arpa (Jerry Whitman) (01/25/89)
I am about to take the plunge and acquire my own system, but there are a few (would you believe several) issues I must resolve. I am fully in love with the Amiga and have been since it came out. I recommended it to my son who is a CS major. We enjoyed his A1000 a lot until they (he and the A1000) moved away to UMC. I need no convincing that the Amiga is a fun machine, especially for one who likes to tinker on the edge of technology. So you ask, where is the problem? Here it is! I want a system that is both a fun environment to tinker with when time permits as well as a business oriented tool for doing more mundane "work?" functions. I spend a good deal of my day with a pumped up Z-248 (AT equivelant) with 2.5M, hard disk, EGA/VGA, etc and a bodacious array of software to perform most functions in mny different ways. For any equivelant functions I would do at home I would expect the same power/function. My wife wants to use a computer strictly to accomplish 'house-hold management' tasks with little or (preferably) no computerese required. Even the mouse environment caused some adverse reaction. The environment on my Z-248 would suit her fine. It would appear I could do all the necessary things with just a good(?) AT Clone, but then I would not have a lot of the 'icing' that Amiga provides. I particularly became addicted to the ability to multi-tasking, the good graphic environment and the icon/mouse enviroment. Putting these together it would seem I am asking for a A200HD with an AT style bridge-board. I realize the AT board is not out yet (RSN!!), but a have a couple questions concerning that path: 1 - Does the bridgeboard environment give full functionality with VGA adaptors? 2 - Can a multi-sync monitor be reasonably rigged so it can be switched between a VGA card and Ami's RGB? I do not need the cost of two hi-res monitors? 3 - Is there any good clue to when an AT bridgeboard will show up, and a proposed price bracket? 4 - Can the bridgeboard see Ami's expanded memory or would I need extra memory specifically for it? I am concerned how large spread-sheets and data-bases would function here. Concerning the HD element of the A2000HD. (Auto-boot is mandatory!!) 1 - Is that configuration available only in 20 MB? 2 - Is it more cost effective to go the HD route or to add my own to a stock A2000? 3 - What is considered appropriate/required/minimum partitioning between the Ami and the bridgeboard? (ratio, percent, cyl, etc). 4 - Can both environs access the same files? One last off the wall question. Which, if any, nulti-syncs will also directly accept input from a VCR to allow direct viewing of pre-recorded video materials. This would be a nice spin-off since we wish to convert a large library of slides and home movies to video tape before age gets them, and we do not have and do not want a TV (even though it might be cheaper). Thanks for your patience for this rambling, but when you can only have one ya gotta make sure its the right one. Any light anyone can shed on any of these questions, plus anything else I should consider will be GREATLY appreciated. My E-Mail is JWHITMAN@ALMSA-1.ARPA. Thanks for all the good info this group has distributed!!!!! Jerry Whitman USAMC-CSDA St.Louis MO
higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom MKT) (01/27/89)
In article <7277@louie.udel.EDU> jwhitman@almsa-1.arpa (Jerry Whitman) writes:
[the man wants an Amiga! But has some questions based on his AT experience]
$1 - Does the bridgeboard environment give full functionality with VGA
$adaptors?
Yes, alternative display adaptors can be used with the Bridgeboard. However,
since the display adaptor will provide a second video signal (in addition to
the normal Amiga output), the signal being fed to the monitor will either have
to be switched between the two sources or two monitors will be required.
$2 - Can a multi-sync monitor be reasonably rigged so it can be switched
$between a VGA card and Ami's RGB? I do not need the cost of two hi-res
$monitors?
See above. I'm sure you wouldn't find an "off the shelf" VGA/Amiga
switching box. This would be a "project."
$3 - Is there any good clue to when an AT bridgeboard will show up, and a
$proposed price bracket?
We have not announced either details officially yet, sorry.
$4 - Can the bridgeboard see Ami's expanded memory or would I need extra
$memory specifically for it? I am concerned how large spread-sheets and
$data-bases would function here.
The Bridgeboard has 1Mb of RAM standard and cannot use Amiga memory as
standard (!) PC memory (EMS, etc) but you could use it as a RAM drive.
$Concerning the HD element of the A2000HD. (Auto-boot is mandatory!!)
Our A2000HD is autobooting, and the AT Bridgeboard software allows
autobooting by the Bridgeboard off the Amiga Hard Drive.
$1 - Is that configuration available only in 20 MB?
The A2000HD has a 40Mb drive. If you wanted a different drive, you
would have to purchase an A2000, A2090A (or other controller) and a
hard drive of your choice.
$2 - Is it more cost effective to go the HD route or to add my own to a stock
$A2000?
I think you will find our A2000HD to be attractively priced.
$3 - What is considered appropriate/required/minimum partitioning between the
$Ami and the bridgeboard? (ratio, percent, cyl, etc).
Depends entirely on your uses for each. Lotus files tend not to be that
massive, but dBase files might be huge. Amiga graphics can take up LOTS of
space if that's your intended use. So partitioning is definitely dependent
on the applications you will run under each environment.
$4 - Can both environs access the same files?
Not at the same time, but data can be moved from DOS to DOS. While PC and
Amiga files can share the same hard drive, all of the PC files are stored in
what appears as a single file to AmigaDOS. Files can be moved from AmigaDOS
to MS-DOS using supplied AREAD/AWRITE utilities.
$One last off the wall question. Which, if any, nulti-syncs will also
$directly accept input from a VCR to allow direct viewing of pre-recorded
$video materials.
I've never seen a multisync that accepted a composite input as well, except
for the monster Mitsubishi we have (37" screen, 2 composite, 1 RGB inputs).
This will CRUSH the Amiga 2000 :-) It weighs around 500 pounds I think!!
$Thanks for your patience for this rambling, but when you can only have one
$ya gotta make sure its the right one. Any light anyone can shed on any of
$these questions, plus anything else I should consider will be GREATLY
$appreciated. My E-Mail is JWHITMAN@ALMSA-1.ARPA.
I have no idea how to email to that spaghetti, so that's why the answers
are on the net. Hope no-one minds.
$Jerry Whitman
$USAMC-CSDA
$St.Louis MO
Paul.mikes@lakesys.UUCP (Mike Shawaluk) (01/27/89)
In article <5817@cbmvax.UUCP> higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom MKT) writes: >I've never seen a multisync that accepted a composite input as well, except >for the monster Mitsubishi we have (37" screen, 2 composite, 1 RGB inputs). >This will CRUSH the Amiga 2000 :-) It weighs around 500 pounds I think!! > A friend of mine (who doesn't have an Amiga, he's an 80X86 addict) bought a Mitsubishi DiamondScan 14" multifrequency monitor for his VGA '386 based system, and he loaned me the manual once, as I was thinking about getting one for possible down-the-road enhancements... Well, the manual indicates that they have NTSC compatibility, and even (get this) some way to synchronize an external composite video in with the displayed RGB analog-derived signal! The specs in the manual were worded somewhat poorly, and I never actually tried it, but I thought I'd mention this, in the event that it would jog someone else's memory out there, who can share with the rest of us whether or not this monitor can handle NTSC composite input. -- - Mike Shawaluk ...!uunet!marque!lakesys!mikes
elg@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Eric Green) (01/29/89)
in article <5817@cbmvax.UUCP>, higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom MKT) says: > In article <7277@louie.udel.EDU> jwhitman@almsa-1.arpa (Jerry Whitman) writes: > $2 - Is it more cost effective to go the HD route or to add my own to a stock > $A2000? > > I think you will find our A2000HD to be attractively priced. From the price list I've seen, the A2000HD is competitive but not exceptionally so. You can do better if you embark on a "do it yourself" sort of thing, buying the parts from mail-order venders. HOWEVER, for this guy, the A200HD is definitely the way to go. He'd probably choke trying to Prep a drive and copy 1.3 over to it... the HD is set up, configured, and ready to go right out of the box. Paying a dealer to do that stuff for you will bring the cost up to 2000HD territory anyhow. > $One last off the wall question. Which, if any, nulti-syncs will also > $directly accept input from a VCR to allow direct viewing of pre-recorded > $video materials. > > I've never seen a multisync that accepted a composite input as well, except > for the monster Mitsubishi we have (37" screen, 2 composite, 1 RGB inputs). > This will CRUSH the Amiga 2000 :-) It weighs around 500 pounds I think!! The Mitsubishi Diamondscan will accept a composite input. It has a BNC jack on the back, so you'd need a BNC-to-RCA adaptor. Diamondscans have been known to cause some problems when used with Amigas... hopefully that has been solved, but buy at your own risk. -- Eric Lee Green ..!{ames,decwrl,mit-eddie,osu-cis}!killer!elg Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191 Lafayette, LA 70509 Netter A: In Hell they run VMS. Netter B: No. In Hell, they run MS-DOS. And you only get 256k.
daves@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Dave Scroggins) (01/31/89)
>>$1 - Is that configuration available only in 20 MB? >The A2000HD has a 40Mb drive. If you wanted a different drive, you >would have to purchase an A2000, A2090A (or other controller) and a >hard drive of your choice. >>$2 - Is it more cost effective to go the HD route or to add my own to a stock >>$A2000? >I think you will find our A2000HD to be attractively priced. A local AMIGA store in Si. Valley offered a system with a 45 MB harddrive and a controller with room on board for an additional 1 Meg. RAM for $5.00 more than the 2000HD. (RAM chips not included with controller.) They said they would set it up as part of the cost. (Don't remember the brands of the devices right off.) This sounds like a much better system for five bucks more. The point -- shop around. Dave S.
tope@enea.se (Tommy Petersson) (01/31/89)
In article <5817@cbmvax.UUCP> higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom MKT) writes: :In article <7277@louie.udel.EDU> jwhitman@almsa-1.arpa (Jerry Whitman) writes: :[the man wants an Amiga! But has some questions based on his AT experience] .stuff deleted : :$3 - Is there any good clue to when an AT bridgeboard will show up, and a :$proposed price bracket? : :We have not announced either details officially yet, sorry. : Here in Sweden, Commodore has started shipping AT BridgeBoards. To the people ordering it in mid -87. We ordered some in March -88, so we will have to wait a while... Anyone know price and availability for '20 cards?
gil@dasys1.UUCP (Gil Winokur) (02/01/89)
In article <6954@killer.DALLAS.TX.US>, elg@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Eric Green) writes: > in article <5817@cbmvax.UUCP>, higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom MKT) says: > > I've never seen a multisync that accepted a composite input as well, except > > The Mitsubishi Diamondscan will accept a composite input. It has a BNC > jack on the back, so you'd need a BNC-to-RCA adaptor. Diamondscans > have been known to cause some problems when used with Amigas... > hopefully that has been solved, but buy at your own risk. I had a difficult time connecting my Diamondscan to my Amiga 500 when I first got them (wouldn't boot with cable in place) but after I got bought a cable (from Abel - cheap!) I have had no more problems - and the persistence is high enough to allowsage in interlace without any problems (if colors aren't real bright) What are these problems you mentioned? (I am only a satisfied customer of Mitsubishi and Abel Supply (more or lese or less with Abel) ) Gil Winokur -- Gil Winokur Big Electric Cat Public UNIX ..!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!gil
podlipec@dg.dg.com (Mark Podlipec) (02/02/89)
In article <8518@dasys1.UUCP>, gil@dasys1.UUCP (Gil Winokur) writes: > > I had a difficult time connecting my Diamondscan to my Amiga 500 when I first > got them (wouldn't boot with cable in place) but after I got bought a cable > (from Abel - cheap!) I have had no more problems - and the persistence is high Pin 2 of the RGB connector on your Amiga is an external clock enable(active low) . If the cable you hooked up grounds this pin then the amiga is expecting its sy stem clock(or rather multiple of ) to come from pin 1 of the RGB connector. I had similar problems when debugging a Genlock 1300 I bought for $50. In additi on to a bad cap in part of the Vertical sync section, it was'nt generating the 28Mhz clock that was supposed to go to pin 1 of the RGB connector. Mark Podlipec
MSPINNER@POLYGRAF.BITNET (02/03/89)
For all those interested in hooking up multiscan monitors to your Amy-- NTSC composite signals -- it's easy. Some cable companies sell such a monster for $35, but I got it for $12... Originally, since I am an Comp. Eng., I *hot* wired my I*M VGA card to the multiscan and found out all about the RGB signals, so when I got my Amy - I tested out the monitor output (I don't suggest this with your Amy or multiscan) by sticking in loose wires. Finally I got the right connections and then I asked a friend about a real cable. I have a Sony Multiscan and this cable should work with (disclaimer) most multisync monitors with the same 9-pin RGB configuration. Such a monitor blows away the A1084! Worth the bucks! Caio! Mitchell S. Spinner Undergrad at N.Y. Polytechnic U. MSPINNER@POLYGRAF
msm@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Mark Millard) (02/14/89)
What $12 cable are you referring to here? ***** msm *****
raddison@nunki.usc.edu (Richard Addison) (02/28/89)
Back on Jan-25-89 jwhitman@almsa-1.arpa (Jerry Whitman) asks: >2 - Can a multi-sync monitor be reasonably rigged so it can be switched >between a VGA card and Ami's RGB? I do not need the cost of two hi-res >monitors? ...and... >One last off the wall question. Which, if any, nulti-syncs will also >directly accept input from a VCR to allow direct viewing of pre-recorded >video materials. This would be a nice spin-off since we wish to convert a >large library of slides and home movies to video tape before age gets them, >and we do not have and do not want a TV (even though it might be cheaper). Sounds like a Mitsubishi Diamond Scan (AUM1371A) fits your bill quite nicely. It has three separate video connectors: IBM style 9-pin CGA/EGA digital RGB, a catch-all 25-pin analog RGB, and an NTSC (composite) video input. A single three position slide switch on the back selects the input. Furthermore, it is possible to control the input selection through a couple of pins on the 25-pin analog RGB connector. The monitor also supports a built-in gen-lock type function between the analog RGB and NTSC signals if the NTSC signal is _already_ synchronized with the analog RGB signal. The Diamond Scan is great for watching video tapes. Note that the 9-pin digital RGB input does not support VGA. The VGA signals have to go through the 25-pin analog RGB input. If you can settle with EGA (or a third party EGA with VGA resolution) than this monitor makes the switching between video signals easy. I know, because this is what I do. Someday I'll make it more convenient by wiring a remote switch through the 25-pin analog RGB input to select the mode. One last advantage worth noting: The image size is very flexible on the Diamond Scan, so I run my Amiga in 704 by 470 overscan most of the time (using morerows). I can hardly dream of using a standard size screen. Yeah, I'm always using interlace. But the Diamond Scan has a reasonably long persistance phosphor so that flicker is hardly noticeable. Connecting the Amiga to the Diamond Scan does require some buffering for the sync signals, but I think that has been covered in comp.sys.amiga.tech. Sorry that this is a bit long and sounds a lot like a commercial, but I am happy with this product and am in no way affiliated with Mitsubishi. Contact me through email if you need details on the cable. Richard Addison "On a clear disk you can seek forever."