LVN@PSUVMA.BITNET (02/12/88)
is there a version of the 2000 that is completely (or close to it) software com
patible w/ the 1000/500? if there is, what should i look for before purchasing
one?
daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (02/17/88)
> is there a version of the 2000 that is completely (or close to it) software com > patible w/ the 1000/500? if there is, what should i look for before purchasing > one? All A2000s are completely software compatible with the A1000 and A500. Unfortunately, not all software is compatible with the A500, A1000, or A2000. All three machines use exactly the same ROM code (though the A1000 uses a section of write protected RAM that emulates ROM), and the hardware is almost identical (it IS identical, from a software prespective, between A500 and A2000). The main problems that show up are with software that doesn't correctly handle expanded memory. The A1000 and A500, out of the box, don't have any expanded memory, while the A2000 does. So some buggy software will work OK on A1000s and A500s, while not on the A2000. If you were to add memory to the A1000 or A500, the same problems would arise. There were some early versions of the A2000 keyboard that didn't work with a few software packages. These keyboards were slower in some operations than the original A1000 keyboard, but they did meet the PUBLISHED Amiga specification on keyboards. Unfortunately, these few software packages (all bypassing the Amiga's operating system), didn't bother to meet the spec on keyboards. That's the one real incompatibility with the A2000, even though it's due to a bug in application software, not the A2000 proper. AND it's a moot point, since this older keyboard hasn't been made for several months. The current A2000 keyboard is electronically the same as the A500 keyboard. -- Dave Haynie "The B2000 Guy" Commodore-Amiga "The Crew That Never Rests" {ihnp4|uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: D-DAVE H BIX: hazy "I can't relax, 'cause I'm a Boinger!"