UD140469@NDSUVM1.BITNET (10/12/87)
(strongly) about buying an Amiga 500. Before I absolutely finalize my
decision, I'd like to try to get some questions answered. In an effort to cut
down on netmail, I'll post all my questions in one lump:
Upgradablity: I know the 500 has an expansion slot, but just what can be
done with it? I assume that it can do what an A1000 can
handle (after the manufacturers make the appropriate
modifications to their products), but will it be able to
handle any of the goodies coming out for the A2000 (maybe
via a card-cage?)--goodies like an MMU, higher resolutions,
etc.
More RAM or another disk: Which do you find more useful--1 meg of RAM or
an external drive?
RSISystems: Has anyone ever dealt with this company before? They have
the lowest price of anyone I've found ($544 for the 500 &
$120 for the memory upgrade).
C, Modula, Pascal: What's your favorite? I gather that Manx and Lattice
are the favorite C's, but Manx seems to have a heftier
price (although I did see one place claiming to have
it at $120--can this be right?). Are there any PD C's
out for the Amiga? From the ads in Amiga World I see
a lot of places carrying TDI Modula--it would be nice
to have because I have it on my ST (should be fairly
portable), but how does it do on handling the Amiga
specific docs? Lastly, MCC Pascal--is this as bad on
the Amiga as it is on the ST?
Mac Disks: Is there anyway to get the Amiga to read Mac disks (preferably
a non-hardware method)? I know there's a program (DOS-2-DOS)
that will read IBM/ST disks, and if the Amiga could read Mac
disks I'd almost certainly purchase it (read them in to the
Amiga, write them out to an IBM/ST disk and port them over to
my ST's Magic Sac and run Mac software!).
PD Stuff: After buying the system and one development language, I'll have
very little (read: $0) left over to buy any other software.
What's a good source to get inexpensive (i.e. $3-$6 per disk)
PD software? I know the net's a good place to get stuff, but
of course I need to get at least a terminal program & Kermit
before I can get stuff off of there.
Also, I'll ask my cable question again--anyone know of a place that sells a
cable that would let me hook an A500 up to an Atari SC1224 RGB monitor? I've
found one place named KJ Computers (in CA, I think) that says they normally
keep one in stock (they're out now--I think they just make a new one when an
order comes in), but I'd like to find a place a little bit closer (also cheaper
--the guy I talked with on the phone didn't know the price of their cable, and
that makes me a little suspicious).
Thanks for all the help!
Scott Udell
UD140469@NDSUVM1.BITNET
,
bryce@hoser.berkeley.edu (Bryce Nesbitt) (10/14/87)
In article <359UD140469@NDSUVM1> UD140469@NDSUVM1.BITNET writes: > > Upgradablity: I know the 500 has an expansion slot, but just what can be > done with it? Anything that can be done on the A1000. This includes 68020 plugs ins, 8 Megabytes or so of memory and other goodies. It is *not* as good as the A2000 in this respect, but is servicable. I suspect that someone will come out with a Zorro II card cage for the A500. (Zorro II is the dezignation for A2000 slots). This will give you everything but the A2000's video slot and the CPU slot. More chip memory on the A500 is a drop in the chip and hit a jumper operation, as soon as the chip become available. > More RAM or another disk: Which do you find more useful--1 meg of RAM or > an external drive? The memory. Then get "VD0:" and use it like another disk drive. (VD0: is the shareware recoverable ram disk from ASDG Inc.) It's on a fish disk or three and every 2nd BBS in the country. > Lastly, MCC Pascal--is this as bad on > the Amiga as it is on the ST? Probably. Anything from Metacomco is to approched with care. (Though V11 of the Assember is not too shabby, nor is the "disasm" from the toolkit disk) > Mac Disks: Is there anyway to get the Amiga to read Mac disks (preferably > a non-hardware method)? It has been done by at least two people, in protoype. I do not know of a product you can purchase at the moment to do it, however. Try the DOS-2-DOS people. > my ST's Magic Sac and run Mac software!). Rummor mill says that Magic Sac will be available for the Amiga, and run more software as well (Due to some Amiga<->ST<->Mac hardware differences that work out better on the Amiga). Don't know if it will read Mac disks directly, but there is a good chance of it. (*Forget* about copy protection, however) > PD Stuff: After buying the system and one development language, I'll have > very little (read: $0) left over to buy any other software. > What's a good source to get inexpensive (i.e. $3-$6 per disk) > PD software? The Fred Fish library has about 102 disks. It is availabe everywhere, just bring blanks. Or if that fails, you can contact Mr. Fish himself: The per disk fee as of July 1987 is as follows: 1 to 9 disks $6 per disk 10 to 49 disks $5 per disk 50 or more $4 per disk Catalog Disk There is no duplication fee for the catalog disk. To receive the latest available catalog at any time, simply return the original disk, or send a blank disk, to: Fred Fish Catalog disk update 1346 West 10th Place Tempe, Arizona 85281 USA (602) 921-1113 (Sorry, I can only return calls collect.) Please enclose a preaddressed mailing label to affix to our return mailing envelope, and sufficient postage for 2 ounces First Class mail (currently 39 cents but sure to go up again soon). > Also, I'll ask my cable question again--anyone know of a place that sells a >cable that would let me hook an A500 up to an Atari SC1224 RGB monitor? Try CABLE TO GO 1-800-826-7904 or in OH 1-800-826-0958. |\ /| . Ack! (NAK, ENQ, SYN) {o O} . bryce@hoser.berkeley.EDU -or- ucbvax!hoser!bryce (") U "It [the Amiga] is the machine the home market has been waiting for. It's a computer without flaws." - David Seuss, President Spinnaker Software