dtiberio@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) (04/22/91)
I am dying to get a tower case for my A500. The dimensions almost exactly
match the A500 motherboard, and there is room for my floppy and hard drive.
I am interested in one of those tiny tower cases.
I see two problems.
a) the box must be empty, with no dividers (easy to overcome)
b) I need to make an external keyboard somehow, preferably an Amiga keyboard
Baby AT cases can be bought for $25. I know that some of you are interested,
so maybe we can figure this thing out. I need a detachable keyboard! I am
lazy! I want to lie on the floor or upside-down off a chair while using my
computer!
--
David Tiberio SUNY Stony Brook 2-3481 AMIGA DDD-MEN Tomas Arce
Any students from SUNY Oswego? Please let me know! :)
Un ragazzo di Casalbordino, Italia.technews@iitmax.iit.edu (K. Kadow) (04/24/91)
In article <1991Apr21.234648.6518@sbcs.sunysb.edu> dtiberio@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) writes: > > I am dying to get a tower case for my A500. The dimensions almost exactly >match the A500 motherboard, and there is room for my floppy and hard drive. >I am interested in one of those tiny tower cases. > > I see two problems. > > a) the box must be empty, with no dividers (easy to overcome) > > b) I need to make an external keyboard somehow, preferably an Amiga keyboard > > Baby AT cases can be bought for $25. I know that some of you are interested, >so maybe we can figure this thing out. I need a detachable keyboard! I am >lazy! I want to lie on the floor or upside-down off a chair while using my >computer! > >-- > David Tiberio SUNY Stony Brook 2-3481 AMIGA DDD-MEN Tomas Arce > Any students from SUNY Oswego? Please let me know! :) > Un ragazzo di Casalbordino, Italia. I've got copies of plans to make an adapter for IBM and/or AT keyboards work on the A500/1000/2000/ so that problem is easily solved... Where can you get a baby AT tower for $25??? -- Technology News- IIT`s weekly student newspaper. Subscriptions available. kadokev@iitvax.bitnet technews@iitmax.edu My employer disagrees.
dtiberio@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) (04/24/91)
In article <1991Apr24.004123.10015@iitmax.iit.edu> technews@iitmax.iit.edu (K. Kadow) writes: >In article <1991Apr21.234648.6518@sbcs.sunysb.edu> dtiberio@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) writes: >> >> Baby AT cases can be bought for $25. I know that some of you are interested, >>so maybe we can figure this thing out. I need a detachable keyboard! I am >>lazy! I want to lie on the floor or upside-down off a chair while using my >>computer! >> >>-- >> David Tiberio SUNY Stony Brook 2-3481 AMIGA DDD-MEN Tomas Arce >> Any students from SUNY Oswego? Please let me know! :) >> Un ragazzo di Casalbordino, Italia. > >I've got copies of plans to make an adapter for IBM and/or AT keyboards work >on the A500/1000/2000/ so that problem is easily solved... > >Where can you get a baby AT tower for $25??? > I* just double checked. It says $44 for the baby AT tower. The other $25 case is n AT jr (I don't know the dimensions or what they llok like anyway). >-- >Technology News- IIT`s weekly student newspaper. Subscriptions available. >kadokev@iitvax.bitnet technews@iitmax.edu > My employer disagrees. -- David Tiberio SUNY Stony Brook 2-3481 AMIGA DDD-MEN Tomas Arce Any students from SUNY Oswego? Please let me know! :) Un ragazzo di Casalbordino, Italia.
greg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Greg Harp) (04/25/91)
In article <1991Apr24.004123.10015@iitmax.iit.edu> technews@iitmax.iit.edu (K. Kadow) writes: >In article <1991Apr21.234648.6518@sbcs.sunysb.edu> dtiberio@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) writes: >> >> I am dying to get a tower case for my A500. The dimensions almost exactly >>match the A500 motherboard, and there is room for my floppy and hard drive. >>I am interested in one of those tiny tower cases. > >Where can you get a baby AT tower for $25??? Word of warning: Take a ruler or tape measure with you when shopping for a case. When just eyeballing it, a baby AT case might look big enough, but from my experience the drive mounts and power supply get in the way. The A500 motherboard is approx. 14" x 10" which is larger than the typical baby AT motherboard (12" x 9" I think). I had my motherboard in a _full-size_ AT case for a while and _that_ was a tight sqeeze. I had it mounted something like this: |-------------------| (1) A500 motherboard (expansion port pointing ||---------||------|| towards the front of the case) || || (2) || (2) 250W AT power supply || (1) ||------|| (3) Floppies mounted in 5.25" to 3.5" brackets || ||------|| || || (3) || ||---------||------|| |-------------------| Front Note that even though an AT case is huge and ugly (huger and uglier than an A2000 ;) the motherboard barely fit. I had to remove the hard drive mount (usually a 5.25" full-height drive bay situated to the left of the floppy bay) and some of the other hardware. I don't really recommend this project. I soon moved my motherboard into an aluminum (so sue me ;) box that I obtained. It's 17"x10"x3" and it just fit my motherboard along with the A1010 board and two floppies (in the upper right corner like a 2000). It's black too. Of course, after thinking I had something original I found out that a Canadian company has been making cases like that for about a year. (I think it's the same people who do the ALF controllers.) BTW, my keyboard is mounted in an old Leading Edge XT/AT keyboard case. Recasing the A500 can be fun in a sick sort of way. Just make sure you know what you are doing and you can afford to have any damage you do repaired. Try to avoid cutting cables. Instead use the proper connectors and add your longer cables to the existing ones as needed. That way you can always put it back the way it was if you get tired of it. A computer/electronics surplus is the place to shop for any parts you need, including the case. Used cases can get down to the $10 range. Of course, a new tower with a P/S can cost around $150. Good luck and don't say I didn't warn you... ;-) Greg -- Greg Harp |"I was there to match my intellect on national TV, | against a plumber and an architect, both with a PhD." greg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu| -- "I Lost on Jeopardy," Weird Al Yankovic
yorkw@stable.ecn.purdue.edu (Willis F York) (04/25/91)
greg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Greg Harp) writes: > It's black too. Of course, after thinking I had >something original I found out that a Canadian company has been making cases >like that for about a year. (I think it's the same people who do the ALF >controllers.) Huh? Elaborate on this Canadian invention? Is is a 500-> newcase + Detachable keyboard kinda thing? I've never seen any ad's about it. (Or is it a Bdoga-bay kinda thing?) How about a clear case! So ya can see ya amiga running.. :^) I want an OAK case! Just that nice, warm friendly feel. :') Can ya imagine a computer done in wood grain.. (That might look neat,) -- yorkw@ecn.purdue.edu aka Willis F York aka Squid on IRC The only thing that Apple invented is the idea to borrow Xerox-invented ideas. (Hope THIS sig don't insult anyone!) :^)
dannie@coplex.uucp (Dannie Gregoire) (04/26/91)
dtiberio@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) writes: >>> Baby AT cases can be bought for $25. I know that some of you are interested, >>>so maybe we can figure this thing out. I need a detachable keyboard! I am >>>lazy! I want to lie on the floor or upside-down off a chair while using my >>>computer! The A500 motherboard will NOT fit into a Baby AT tower case. The way the drive bays are situated in most baby at cases will prevent you from fitting it there (unless you would like to rip the case to hell). You will probably need to go with a FULL AT tower case (this is what I had to do) which runs about $130 ($160 with 230 watt power supply). As far as the keyboard goes, an A2000 keyboard will also work quite well, if you want to spend the money. Otherwise, if you are carefull, you can use the keyboard that is inside your 500 now. No sense in throwing away a perfectly good keyboard. Just slap on some cardboard to protect the compnents, solder on a 15ft phone cord, and viola -- detachable keyboard for under $5. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Dannie J. Gregoire \\\\//// dannie@coplex | | Copper Electronics Inc. ////\\\\ !uunet!coplex!dannie | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
greg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Greg Harp) (04/26/91)
In article <yorkw.672594030@stable.ecn.purdue.edu> yorkw@stable.ecn.purdue.edu (Willis F York) writes: >greg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Greg Harp) writes: >> It's black too. Of course, after thinking I had >>something original I found out that a Canadian company has been making cases >>like that for about a year. (I think it's the same people who do the ALF >>controllers.) > >Huh? Elaborate on this Canadian invention? Is is a 500-> newcase + Detachable >keyboard kinda thing? I've never seen any ad's about it. >(Or is it a Bdoga-bay kinda thing?) <Sigh> I _knew_ someone would want me to elaborate. :) Ok. I have only heard of this thing _once_ from the C= rep here. He had some photos of it he showed me when he saw my system. The beast appears to be a replacement, not an add-on like the Bodega Bay. It's a black rectangular case with a separate black keyboard case. The system in the photos had an internally-mounted ALF controller and drive. One floppy fits into the upper right corner (My setup supports _both_ floppies. Nyah. :). There was a Canadian flag in the upper left corner (how patriotic) (Mine has an authentic checkmark from my A1010 case -- Nyah again. :) The backs of the photos had "Pre'spect Technics Inc." printed on them. The C= rep said that he didn't know if they were going to market the product or not. Anyone interested can call/write Pre'spect and bug them for more info. :) This is the address I found in an AmigaWhirled ad for the ALF controller: Pre'spect Technics Inc. P.O. Box 670, Station H Montreal, Quebec H3G 2M6 Phone: (514) 954-1483 Fax: (514) 876-2869 If someone _does_ call, please post what you find out. I'm sure there are several A500 owners who would be interested. Greg -- Greg Harp |"I was there to match my intellect on national TV, | against a plumber and an architect, both with a PhD." greg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu| -- "I Lost on Jeopardy," Weird Al Yankovic
GUTEST8@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be (Ives Aerts) (04/26/91)
My experiences with this stuff:
I found this place in Germany that sold a500 keyboard cases and bought
one. I then used my A500 with the keyboard in this case for some weeks
(imagine an a500 on it's back with a cable running to the keyboard).
Next I did a bad move: I bought an a2000 case from Commodore ($$$!!!!)
and found out my hardware wouldn't fit in it. Later I bought a second
hand commodore pc-10 case from a computer junk shop in germany.
The a500 motherboard and harddrive interface fit in perfectly.
(had to apologize to my amy first for putting her in a pc-case 8^)
I've been using this setup for some time now and I'll probably
sell it when I get an A3000.
One word of warning though: I blew up two 8520's while experimenting.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ives Aerts | IBM definition SY-34378
GUTEST8@BLEKUL11.BITNET | A signature consists of sequences of
gutest8@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be | non-blank characters separated by blanks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------