bpendlet@esunix.UUCP (Bob Pendleton) (03/17/87)
I've heard a rumor that the reason that the A500 has its expansion bus on
the left is so that it can be plugged into an A1000. The rumor goes on to
say that the A1000 will be able to use the memory, disk, and ports of the
A500. To get even wilder, the rumor monger said that the whole thing would
then function as a shared memory multitasking multiprocessor system.
I've got to say that I don't think this sounds reasonable. But, this rumor
was being spread by an employee of a local Amiga dealer during a recent
users group meeting, and it would be so NEAT, and would allow such AMAZING
multiuser games, and open up such amazing opportunities for hacking, and ...
that I just had to ask all you folks in netland if there was even the smallest
chance that this might be true.
Reality check?
Bob Pendleton
--
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Bob Pendleton
Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
UUCP Address: {decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4,allegra}!decwrl!esunix!bpendlet
Alternate: {ihnp4,seismo}!utah-cs!utah-gr!uplherc!esunix!bpendlet
hacking code, hacking code.
sometimes happy, sometimes bored,
almost lost in a pile of spode.
tell the people "I'm only hacking code."
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I am solely responsible for what I say.
---grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) (03/18/87)
In article <14@esunix.UUCP> bpendlet@esunix.UUCP (Bob Pendleton) writes: >I've heard a rumor that the reason that the A500 has its expansion bus on >the left is so that it can be plugged into an A1000. The rumor goes on to >say that the A1000 will be able to use the memory, disk, and ports of the >A500. To get even wilder, the rumor monger said that the whole thing would >then function as a shared memory multitasking multiprocessor system. No way. I'm afraid your rumoroid has been reading too much Atari literature, or has otherwise become confused. You can try, but be sure to have an ambulance waiting to take your machines to the nearest dealer service center. More seriously, the reason the connnector was moved was the normal right-hand prejudice. The general idea was that the user would need a mouse work area directly to the right of the unit and that the right-hand side was natural for the diskette drive. The back was covered by I/O connectors, leaving the left-hand side the only viable place for expansion. A number of other issues such as height of the PC board above the desktop and casework design contributed to the idea that we really couldn't expect simple plug-in operation with existing expansion units. -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)