bayers@hub.cs.jmu.edu (brian ayers) (01/06/91)
ia4@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu (Imran Anwar) writes: >Not long ago I read in a magazinelike KEYBOARD that Dave Small had developed >a board for Mega machines that would hook up to Apple Midi intrface and >allow Mac Midi s/ware to be run under the GCR. Is that available? >Imran Anwar The board that you're thinking of is the MegaTalk board, I just got the Gadgets newsletter describing it and does it sound nice! The only downer is that you have to have a Mega ST for it (until they come out with the other version, heh). It has two of the LocalTalk din-8 ports and a SCSI port that has been tested to work with Mac MIDI devices, scanners, and even the Apple CD-ROM works apparently! Makes me wish I had a Mega. Their list price is $299.95 and will be available by March '91 (they have to get it to pass FCC inspection because of the added ports.) The newsletter hints at a 1040/520 version of it in the future (as well as for the 68030 SST board!) but I can imagine all kinds of problems that that will cause, like weak power supplies, heat buildup, and major hacking on the plastic case of your ST. In case you haven't heard, Gadgets has also finished the 68030 board for the Megas, but the installation won't be as easy for the MegaTalk board, which just plugs into a Mega slot. It requires yanking your 68000, soldering in a socket and pluggin their board into the socket (and if you just order the board by itself, you get to plug in the 68030, SIMMs, and 68882 yourself!) Freedom of press also pushes me toward revealing the prices as well (it's not like I'm giving away trade secrets or anything) - SST board by itself: $599.00 (That's with no '030) option A.) 16 Mhz 68030: $200.00 option B.) 16 Mhz 68030, 4 1Meg SIMMs (80ns): $460.00 option C.) 33 Mhz 68030, 68882, 4 1Meg SIMMs: $800.00 Of course, you will need to buy SIMMs, since the memory in your ST is too slow for the 68030, the board will take up to 8 of them. If you ask me (which of course you didn't, heh), option C is the only way to go, if I had a Mega I would seriously think about scrounging for the $1,400 (sure beats $3,000-$4,000 doesn't it?) You still don't have the VME bus or super monitors of the TT, but coupled with the MegaTalk board, you've got networking and SCSI! The SST board won't ship until April '91. I am in no way affliliated with Gadgets by Small, just a proud owner of the Spectre GCR. JT Internet: bayers@hub.cs.jmu.edu or help_jt@vax1.acs.jmu.edu