eephdma@prism.gatech.EDU (mark shewmaker) (04/17/91)
In article <20543@cbmvax.commodore.com> drysdale@cbmvax.commodore.com (Scott Drysdale) writes: >In article <1991Apr10.002547.18565@sbcs.sunysb.edu> dtiberio@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) writes: >> I know that people have used the Bridgeboard in a3000's by removing the >>back plate. Is this true, and are there any other incompatibilities? How >"removing the back plate?" that's the toaster, not the bridgeboard. [Explanations of slot placement differences and consequences deleted.] >once more, here's what you have to do if you run a bridgeboard under ks/wb >2.0 on a machine with a data cache (a 3000, for example): [Definition of data cache problem and solutions deleted.] Does the data cache 'problem', and the difference in slot orientations, account for all the known difficulties in getting a bridgeboard to work properly in a 3000? (When it would otherwise have worked just fine in a vanilla 2000.) And now for a completely different bridgeboard question: I have only a fuzzy idea about just what exactly the Janus library is responsible for, or rather, how far its responsibility extends. I know that it lets the two sides of the resultant machine's brain communicate, so to speak. (With the Amiga of course being the fun and creative side, and the PC clone being the boring and unimaginative side. :) ) Anyway, as I understand it, the janus.library is responsible for the fact that the Amiga and clone sides of the machine can (unscrupulously) share each others hard drives. Ok, now I have seen an ad for something called "Bridgecard Commander +", or something along those lines, that is a hardware device which allows the Amiga and clone sides of the machine to share each other's disk drives. The fact that this ad exists, and from recent discussion net discussions, and in fact dealer discussions, (Amiga dealers, not drug dealers :) ), leads me to realize that the Amiga and clone floppy drives are in fact exclusively Amiga or clone floppy drives! So the first question is "Does this device work well?" (My local dealer <smirk> knew nothing of this device.) The second question is "Why in the world is such a device even necessary." I mean I'm not expecting the amiga side to read/write IBM disks, Crossdoss/MSH style, nor am I expecting the clone side to access AmigaDos formatted disks. I would simply expect, as a matter of course, that if Janus lets a HD partition on an Amiga side of the machine be accessed as C: by the clone side of the machine, and lets the Amiga side of the machine access a partion on the clone HD as, say, TheDarkSide:, then it would be easy for a floppy drive on the Amiga side to be accessable by the clone, too. It just seems that a driver could pass all the required "step the head to here..." info from the bridgeboard to the Amiga hardware and its drive, and be a very simple driver at that. (Two things: One: I know next to nothing about drivers, so I am likely to be very wrong as to the difficulty. Two: No, I do _not_ expect to be able to stick an Amiga disk into a drive connected to the bridgeboard, just the other way around.) Any explanations would be appreciated. (These are probably very naive questions. I am trying to persuade a friend, who would otherwise buy a PS/2, to buy an Amiga and a Bridgeboard instead. I guess I really haven't been keeping up with Bridgeboard stuff--It just never occured to me that I might have any reason whatsoever to have done so. Sorta embarrassing, really, seeing as most people's first question about a computer is: "Is it IBM compatable?" Anyway, I'm sorry if I'm bringing up already fully discussed questions. Also, please forgive my 2 AM attempts at humor.) >> David Tiberio SUNY Stony Brook 2-3481 AMIGA DDD-MEN Tomas Arce > --Scotty >-- >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >Scott Drysdale Software Engineer >Commodore Amiga Inc. UUCP {allegra|burdvax|rutgers|ihnp4}!cbmvax!drysdale > PHONE - yes. >"Have you hugged your hog today?" >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= --- -- mark shewmaker Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 uucp: ...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!prism!eephdma ARPA: eephdma@prism.gatech.edu
guy@ns.network.com (Guy D'Andrea) (04/17/91)
In article <26484@hydra.gatech.EDU> eephdma@prism.gatech.EDU (mark shewmaker) writes: >In article <20543@cbmvax.commodore.com> drysdale@cbmvax.commodore.com (Scott Drysdale) writes: >>In article <1991Apr10.002547.18565@sbcs.sunysb.edu> dtiberio@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) writes: > >And now for a completely different bridgeboard question: > >Ok, now I have seen an ad for something called "Bridgecard Commander +", or >something along those lines, that is a hardware device which allows the Amiga >and clone sides of the machine to share each other's disk drives. The fact >that this ad exists, and from recent discussion net discussions, and in fact >dealer discussions, (Amiga dealers, not drug dealers :) ), leads me to realize >that the Amiga and clone floppy drives are in fact exclusively Amiga or clone >floppy drives! > >So the first question is "Does this device work well?" > Good Question!? >The second question is "Why in the world is such a device even necessary." > Well I can think of a few reasons. One being that if you have a 3.5" MSDOS disk that you would like to read, write, run, etc.. directly from your Bridge- board, and all you have is one internal 3.5" Amiga drive. rather than using CrossDos and then sending the file over to the Bridgeboard and THEN running it. Secondly, the AT Bridgeboard has no external connector for an external floppy drive so again this item would make it handy to use what drive you already own! If this Bridgecard Commander+ didn't cost so much I'd buy it. I've called for info but never received anything. They say it is some hardware and cable but I'm willing to bet NOT MUCH! >(These are probably very naive questions. I am trying to persuade a friend, >who would otherwise buy a PS/2, to buy an Amiga and a Bridgeboard instead. > >mark shewmaker >Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 >uucp: ...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!prism!eephdma >ARPA: eephdma@prism.gatech.edu Well I DO like and use my Bridgeboard but if your friend needs MSDOS-abilty I suggest he just buys one. The Amiga+Bridgeboard cost ($) is more than a good MSDOS clone and is not as easily expanable. On the other hand, if like me, you just need the MSDOS ability because of work or school uses them but you rather own an AMIGA then the Amiga + BB is a good thing. I love my setup.. MSDOS, MAC, and AMIGA all in one!!! -- Guy Dandrea, Network Systems Corp. // guy@nsco.network.com #129.191.1.1 \\ // 7600 Boone Ave No, Mpls. MN 55428 \X/ 1-800-328-9108 Fax:(612)424-1736 "Me and my Amiga...anything is possible?"