paulg@tplrd.tpl.oz.au (Paul Gittings) (05/02/91)
With all the new hardware and OS that are out or coming RSN, I'm getting
a tad confused. The following points are statements that I take to be
TRUE, could somebody take the time to check them out and tell me if I'm
right or wrong. If I'm wrong could you please tell me what is correct.
NOTE: I don't expect anybody to break any non-disclosure agreements.
1) A500's produced prior to the release of the ECS can be upgraded (see 2)
to use the ECS (both Agnus and Denise).
2) Commodore only "approves" the use of 512K Chip RAM in the A500 even
if the ECS is installed. Yes, there are modifications that can be made
to get 1MEG chip RAM but Commodore does not support or approve of such
modification.
3) AmigaDOS 2.0 is not yet generally available.
4) When AmigaDOS 2.0 is generally available it will run on an A500 but will
require a 2.0 KickStart ROM.
5) The 2.0 KickStart ROM will be bigger than previous (memory size not
physical size) KickStart ROMs but will still work in an unmodified
A500.
6) AmigaDOS 2.0 does not require the ECS.
OPINION: It is my feeling that Commodore will be using the Chip memory
to differentiate between the different models. i.e.
A500 - .5MEG
A2000 - 1MEG (but there is a 3rd party product to get 2MEG)
A3000 - 2MEG
Cheers,
Paul Gittings - Telectronics Pacing Systems - Lane Cove, NSW 2066, Australia
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_ | paulg@tplrd.tpl.oz.au | What's a Welsh/Canadian
_ // Amiga users | (02) 413-6963 (voice: work)| doing in Oz? Looking for
\X/ make it happen | (02) 413-6868 (fax) | the Wizard of course!
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No matter how much I beg, Telectronics will not allow me to express any
opinions on its behalf.markv@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (05/02/91)
In article <1991May2.004708.15705@tplrd.tpl.oz.au>, paulg@tplrd.tpl.oz.au (Paul Gittings) writes: > With all the new hardware and OS that are out or coming RSN, I'm getting > a tad confused. The following points are statements that I take to be > TRUE, could somebody take the time to check them out and tell me if I'm > right or wrong. If I'm wrong could you please tell me what is correct. > NOTE: I don't expect anybody to break any non-disclosure agreements. > > 1) A500's produced prior to the release of the ECS can be upgraded (see 2) > to use the ECS (both Agnus and Denise). Yes, that's true. > 2) Commodore only "approves" the use of 512K Chip RAM in the A500 even > if the ECS is installed. Yes, there are modifications that can be made > to get 1MEG chip RAM but Commodore does not support or approve of such > modification. Funny, the instruction sheets Commodore is shipping with the ECS Denise/Agnus to developers show what to do for both memory, and PAL/NTSC flexibility on the 500 and 2000. Note the two issues. One is enabling the 2nd 512K of CHIP, which on the 2000 is a simple jumper change. The second is enabling the PAL modes in NTSC machines and vice versa which involves cutting a trace on the 2000. PS, here's a gripe to Commodore. The trace pad on my 2000 was poorly formed and impossible to cut, *plus* its tiny and smack in the middle of tons of other tiny traces. I had to have a friend with special solder gun/sucker remove the pad solder from the board completely. Most *dealers* dont have that kind of equipment. > 3) AmigaDOS 2.0 is not yet generally available. True, A3000 owners and registered developers still, sigh... > 4) When AmigaDOS 2.0 is generally available it will run on an A500 but will > require a 2.0 KickStart ROM. Yes. > 5) The 2.0 KickStart ROM will be bigger than previous (memory size not > physical size) KickStart ROMs but will still work in an unmodified > A500. Yes. The 2.0 ROM image is 512K, 1.3 is 256K. The 2000/500 sockets support 512K ROMs. The 3000 sockets support both the 2000/500 (8 bit) ROMs, plus 16 bit ROMs so the 3000 could have seperate ROMs that give a 32 bit wide ROM image. > 6) AmigaDOS 2.0 does not require the ECS. Correct. ECS *does* require 2.0 *if* you want the new modes. It will work fine under 1.3 and the old modes. > OPINION: It is my feeling that Commodore will be using the Chip memory > to differentiate between the different models. i.e. > A500 - .5MEG > A2000 - 1MEG (but there is a 3rd party product to get 2MEG) > A3000 - 2MEG I haven't seen anything that says Commodore says 1MB CHIP 500s are verboten. I would think that $500+ price and the prescence of slots and drive bays would be more than enough to differentiate the 2000 and 500. > Cheers, > Paul Gittings -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mark Gooderum Only... \ Good Cheer !!! Academic Computing Services /// \___________________________ University of Kansas /// /| __ _ Bix: mgooderum \\\ /// /__| |\/| | | _ /_\ makes it Bitnet: MARKV@UKANVAX \/\/ / | | | | |__| / \ possible... Internet: markv@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) (05/03/91)
In article <1991May2.004708.15705@tplrd.tpl.oz.au> paulg@tplrd.tpl.oz.au (Paul Gittings) writes: > >1) A500's produced prior to the release of the ECS can be upgraded (see 2) > to use the ECS (both Agnus and Denise). YES >2) Commodore only "approves" the use of 512K Chip RAM in the A500 even > if the ECS is installed. Yes, there are modifications that can be made > to get 1MEG chip RAM but Commodore does not support or approve of such > modification. Don't know about politics here. But the modification necessary include cutting of traces. So this is nothing that can be recommended to the broad public. Though it may be done properly through a good service center or an educated individual. But it can't recommended to everyone. >3) AmigaDOS 2.0 is not yet generally available. YES >4) When AmigaDOS 2.0 is generally available it will run on an A500 but will > require a 2.0 KickStart ROM. Normally yes. (There are special configurations of A500's with much Fast RAM where you could theoretically run 2.0 from there with special software, but this is not supported and considered illegal as long as the user is not a registered developer.) >5) The 2.0 KickStart ROM will be bigger than previous (memory size not > physical size) KickStart ROMs but will still work in an unmodified > A500. As far as I know, yes. (But can't swear that perhaps in very old A500's the sockets don't hold 512 KB ROMs, then a little adapter board would perhaps help.) >6) AmigaDOS 2.0 does not require the ECS. Correct. -- Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to \\ Only my personal opinions... Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk