rglaeser@sunc4.cs.uiuc.edu (Russell D Glaeser) (01/26/91)
I was about to buy an A3000/25-100 and had a few questions. 1) I currently own a c64 with 1541 drive and 1702 monitor. I was wondering if it were possible to connect the 1702 to the 3000, in addition to the 1950 and thus have two screens to play with. Could it be set up so different applications run on different screens? 2) What is the difference between chip ram and fast ram? 3) What are the hardware differences between the 3000/25-100 and the 3000UX? I have heard that they are significant. ie. you can't upgrade a 3000/25-100 to run UNIX. 4) Finally, I have heard of a program that will allow me to run my c64 stuff on the 3000. Does this exist? How well does it work? Is there a way to run the 1541 into the 3000 so I can load the programs? Well, that's about it. Thanks for all the help(When I get it :)) Russ Glaeser rglaeser@cs.uiuc.edu
tbissett@nstar.rn.com (Travis Bissett) (01/31/91)
rglaeser@sunc4.cs.uiuc.edu (Russell D Glaeser) writes: > I was about to buy an A3000/25-100 and had a few questions. > > 1) I currently own a c64 with 1541 drive and 1702 monitor. I was wondering > if it were possible to connect the 1702 to the 3000, in addition to the > 1950 and thus have two screens to play with. Could it be set up so > different applications run on different screens? (flips coin . . . heads!) yes, in my opinion you can hook your 1702 to your A3000. I believe that the A3000 still puts an NTSC signal out (is the 1702 composite?) or at least a hackable rgb. But I don't think you can get different pictures simultaneously on the 1702 and 1950 -- just a lesser quality picture of the same screen. > > 2) What is the difference between chip ram and fast ram? Chip ram is ram that shares its buss with the 68xx0 cpu and the Three Sisters (special chips (called Agnes, Denise, and Portia) that make the Amiga special). Normally the special chips accelerate things like grpahics and do so transparently to the cpu, because they can interleave their buss access with the cpu's. Sometimes, under real heavy loads, the "steal" buss cycles from the cpu (called buss contention) but who cares? Fast ram is merely all that ram which exists above the address space of the special chips and so are not directly accessible to them. In old Amigas fast ram is that ram above 1/2 Meg, but now it seems to be moslty that ram above 2 Megs. Good sound and graphics require lots of ram but the Amiga special chips are only 16 Bit VLSI technology (alas) trying to live in a 32 bit tomorrow. Oh well, it's still a killer computer. Even my ancient A1000 running a 68000 at 7 MHz still feels good in many things next to a 16 MHz 386 with PGA board (and that board has its own special "accelerator" (an 80186)!). > > 3) What are the hardware differences between the 3000/25-100 and the 3000UX? > I have heard that they are significant. ie. you can't upgrade a 3000/25-1 > to run UNIX. Hmmm... this is news to me. I was lead to believe that even an A2500 can be equipped to run Amix (or whatever they're calling it this month). As far as I know the A3000ux comes (will come?) standard with a 300 Meg scsi drive and high density (2 Meg?) floppies. The roomermonger said that the HD floppies were part of the reason for delay since they are needed to load the unix distribution -- but there's been some specualtion that a cd-rom distribution or even streaming tape cartridge will be possible. Don't hesitate to straighten out my "factoids" when you get the straight poop. I'm not too old yet to unlearn. > > 4) Finally, I have heard of a program that will allow me to run my c64 stuff > on the 3000. Does this exist? How well does it work? Is there a way to > run the 1541 into the 3000 so I can load the programs? > > Well, that's about it. Thanks for all the help(When I get it :)) I've seen a c64 software emulator on the boards, but i've never been tempted to try it. Supposedly one or more work tolerably well under A_DOS 1.3 (and maybe 2.0 but I odubt it for a while anyway). So they/it should work as well on an A3000. I suppose such a product has a niche value to ween a user up the curve to a higher plane of enlightenment. But, s'welp me, if I hear you're buying an A3000/25-100 just to impress your friends on how fast GeoWorks goes . . . <grrr> > > Russ Glaeser > rglaeser@cs.uiuc.edu Travis_Bissett := Cult_Amigoid(4, GearHeads); -- internet: tbissett@nstar.rn.com -or- tbissett%nstar@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu uucp: ..!uunet!nstar.rn.com!tbissett -or- ..!uunet!nstar!tbissett NSTAR Public Access 219-289-0287 - 1190 newsgroups - 1500 megabytes - 7 lines
eww@engr.ucf.edu (Mr. Eric W. Wampner) (02/05/91)
In article <omamw4w161w@nstar.rn.com> tbissett@nstar.rn.com (Travis Bissett) writes: >rglaeser@sunc4.cs.uiuc.edu (Russell D Glaeser) writes: > >> I was about to buy an A3000/25-100 and had a few questions. >> >> 1) I currently own a c64 with 1541 drive and 1702 monitor. I was wondering >> if it were possible to connect the 1702 to the 3000, in addition to the >> 1950 and thus have two screens to play with. Could it be set up so >> different applications run on different screens? > >(flips coin . . . heads!) yes, in my opinion you can hook your 1702 to your <rest of answer deleted> He forgot to mention that, no it is not possible to get the two screens to work with different applications. This would require special hardware. (IMO) >> >> 2) What is the difference between chip ram and fast ram? > <good answer deleted> >> >> 3) What are the hardware differences between the 3000/25-100 and the 3000UX? >> I have heard that they are significant. ie. you can't upgrade a 3000/25-1 >> to run UNIX. > <another good answer with interesting rumors deleted> >> >> 4) Finally, I have heard of a program that will allow me to run my c64 stuff >> on the 3000. Does this exist? How well does it work? Is there a way to >> run the 1541 into the 3000 so I can load the programs? >> >> Well, that's about it. Thanks for all the help(When I get it :)) > <a slightly biased answer deleted> Well, I have The 64 Emulator, a commercial product which came with a cord to connect to a regular 1541 or other serial device (ie printer) It works okay, but beware of commercial stuff, esp games, as they wont work due to the fact they "mess" with the drive, and require a real 64 ( I think it has to due with timing based acceleration schems) Wouldn't work with my Abbacus C compliler, that would have been great. This takes over the computer, a real bummer. This does have a good transfer program, and drive support is very good. I also have The A64 Package. I have an old version, so I can't say about more recent stuff, but this is what I would term HostageWare, you pay them, and they give you a cable which connect it to your computer. their current drive code makes them unusable without the cable, so I haven't paid. I would like to know about any upgrades there are. Good things: Large, if rather useless, manual, which you print out, Runs without wiping the OS, I am not sure if it stops the OS but at least you can run it from the harddrive. Opininions are all my own, I don't work for either group. Eric Wampner eww@heretic.engr.ucf.edu