[comp.sys.amiga.hardware] Help with inherited A1000

troyb@oz.plymouth.edu (Troy Bennet) (04/04/91)

I am not sure about the proper channels for my questions.  If this is
not the correct place to ask, could someone please steer me in the
right direction?  I just subscribed to several amiga newsgroups
because I recently inherited my brother's old 1st gen A1000 circa 1984
or '85.  I am not a poweruser by any stretch but I do see the
potentials for expanding my video and photo artwork with the Amiga
family.  My question is,"Are there any A1000 compatible external
harddrives still being made?"  Also, I have an Alegra 512K Ram
expansion module that is supposedly expandable to 2 meg.  does anyone
know where I can get the Ram expansion for this Alegra unit?  One last
question (I promise), What magazine is a good source for Amiga info?~
Sorry to clutter this group with greenhorn questions, but I gotta
start somewhere?!

thanks for any help,

troyb

rich@documail.UUCP (Rich McCallister) (04/05/91)

In article <1991Apr3.182638.1817@oz.plymouth.edu> troyb@oz.plymouth.edu (Troy Bennet) writes:
>
>.... My question is,"Are there any A1000 compatible external
>harddrives still being made?"  Also, I have an Alegra 512K Ram
>expansion module that is supposedly expandable to 2 meg.  does anyone
>know where I can get the Ram expansion for this Alegra unit?  

    Xetec still makes 1000 drive systems. They are at (913)827-0685 at
2804 Arnold Road, Salina, Kansas, 67401 USA. (They also make a CD ROM drive
that can be used with the 1000.)
    A firm called ICD in Rockford, Illinois, USA, makes an IDE hard drive
kit that can be installed in a 1000. Altho they are only about 140 km from
my house, I don't have their address at the moment.
    Most Amiga 500 drive adapters can be used on the A1000!  On the 500,
Commodore moved the connector from the right side (near the mouse and joy
stick ports) to the right side. So, most 500 peripherals can be used on the
1000. However, since you must put them on the right side, and they are meant
to be on the left, you will end up looking at the back side of the adapter
box. This in itself is not a problem. However, some of the peripherals designed
for the 500, because they are "backwards" and not designed with the 1000 in
mind, will cover up the joy stick or mouse ports on the 1000. You ought to
check that before you buy, or be prepared to go into the 1000 to solder in
a new mouse port connector in the back of the 1000, or whatever.
    By the way, I understand that some 1000 peripherals will not work on the
500 simply because the 500 has a more deeply recessed connector.
    The best list I know of for all Amiga products is the "AC Guide" (or
"Amazing Computing's Guide to the Amiga" or something like that), a publication
put out a couple of times a year by Amazing Computing magazine. Many, many
1000 products can be found in there.
    Good hunting!
- Rich McCallister (rich@documail.UUCP)