greg@cica.cica.indiana.edu (Gregory TRAVIS) (11/06/90)
Ok, here's the scenario: Apparently Commodore HAS acknowledged that the A2091 controller card is defective. I believe this because I called Commodore tech support who said "Your dealer doesn't have the ROMS? They were just sent out." I then called my dealer and asked about the ROM upgrade/problems with the A2091. At that time they knew NOTHING about the problems or upgrades. That was in early September. Another poster, apparently the chairman of Commodore, claims the "fix", including ROM replacements, has been out since June of 1990. Last month (early October) I went to an Amiga dealer in NYC (forgot the name, but they're on the upper east side, around 83rd and Lexington). They didn't know anything 'bout no stinking fix. Today I called several dealers/repair places in Indianapolis (biggest city close to me). Tune in, dear readers, and be amazed at their responses: November 5th, 1990: C P U, Inc. 317-377-3677, authorized dealer where I bought my machine: Greg: "Do you have the new ROMs for the A2091 controller?" C P U: "Not yet. Don't know when we will." MICROCOMPUTERS, Inc. 317-291-8882, authorized dealer: Greg: "Do you have the new ROMs for the A2091 controller? Apparently they're up to version 6.1. There is a tech note out about it" MICROCOMPUTERS, Inc.: "No, not yet." Amiga Computer Center, 317-849-1889: Greg: (see above) Amiga Computer Center: "Huh?" Called some service centers also, in the hope that someone might treat this as a "repair." Comma-Door Service Center, 317-926-5358: Greg: (see above) Comma-Door: "No." Bill Kellar's Computer Services, 317-897-2619: Greg: (see above, plus some additional explanation about what the symptoms of the problem are, etc.) Bill: "I don't know anything about that, Sir." It would be great if Commodore would come out with a multitasking Amiga. -- Gregory R. Travis Indiana University, Bloomington IN 47405 greg@cica.cica.indiana.edu Center for Innovative Computer Applications If it calls itself science, it's not. Like Computer X, and Decision X
bscott@isis.cs.du.edu (Ben Scott) (11/07/90)
OK, just double-checking, but ROMs for the 2091 and A-590 are identical, right? 'Cause I have an opportunity to get a pair of 6.1 ROMs from a 2091 to replace the 4.whatever ROMs in my 590. Secondly, a question for all you informed hardware types out there. For reasons which I won't bother to go into now, I may have to deal with the addition to my system of a 1 gigabyte WORM drive. (poor me...) I would like some basic information on it so I can prepare for it. For example, how big is something like this likely to be? (I don't know the brand name or anything yet, just that it's a 1 gig SCSI WORM removable media drive) How much is the media likely to cost? (I heard $20/disk but that sounds ridiculously low) How is delete implemented? (I know you don't get the space back but surely there's some way to make files show up no longer. The only ways I can think of that would work all would seem to require implementation at the DOS level rather than at the drive, though) And of course, barring any SCSI implementation differences, will this work all right with my A-590? I do know that without WB2.0 I'll need to either get a lot more memory than my 3 (soon to be 4) megs or not mount the whole disk at once, but other than holding a bitmap that big in memory, is there any general problems with WORM drives and AmigaDOS? It's just that I've never heard of a specific case of that combination being tried. Also, how much is this drive worth? Like the above questions, I'm open to guesses and speculation if marked as such since I know I haven't given a lot of info to go on. Also note that the mail stoppage mentioned in my .sig should be ended within 24 more hours so if you wait a bit you won't need to use the special trick address. . <<<<Infinite K>>>> -- ** NOTE: My mail feed is currently down; one POSSIBLE address which MIGHT ** ** work is bscott%isis.cs.du.edu@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu, but no guarantees... ** |FIDO point address 1:104/421.2, bscott@isis.cs.du.edu, or BBS (303)424-9831| |"Sometimes you just gotta look the potato of injustice right in the eye..."|
lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) (11/07/90)
In <1990Nov6.200507.20254@isis.cs.du.edu>, bscott@isis.cs.du.edu (Ben Scott) writes: > >Secondly, a question for all you informed hardware types out there. For >reasons which I won't bother to go into now, I may have to deal with the >addition to my system of a 1 gigabyte WORM drive. (poor me...) I would >like some basic information on it so I can prepare for it. For example, >how big is something like this likely to be? Don't know about yours in particular, but I have seen several WORM drives in a 5 1/4" full height form factor. > How is delete implemented? (I know you don't >get the space back but surely there's some way to make files show up no >longer. The only ways I can think of that would work all would seem to >require implementation at the DOS level rather than at the drive, though) Don't know about delete, but you might bear in mind that _all_ operations on the drive other than strictly reading will have to be handled at a low level. The thing is, you cannot read/modify/write, which means that you cannot update various things when you put a new file onto the disk. When you write, using the 'normal' file system, the file system will complain. If it doesn't complain when it tries to write the bitmap, it certainly will complain when it tries to write the modified root block to change the date. The only way to access a WORM drive at a high level is to have a file system that understands the WORM operating methods and limitations. >Also, how much is this drive worth? Never have seen prices on new ones. 'Weird Stuff Warehouse' was selling a Maxtor WORM drive about a year ago, used, for about $800. -larry -- It is not possible to both understand and appreciate Intel CPUs. -D.Wolfskill +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | // Larry Phillips | | \X/ lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca -or- uunet!van-bc!lpami!lphillips | | COMPUSERVE: 76703,4322 -or- 76703.4322@compuserve.com | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
billsey@agora.uucp (Bill Seymour) (11/10/90)
In article <1990Nov6.200507.20254@isis.cs.du.edu> bscott@isis.UUCP (Ben Scott) writes:
:
:Secondly, a question for all you informed hardware types out there. For
:reasons which I won't bother to go into now, I may have to deal with the
:addition to my system of a 1 gigabyte WORM drive. (poor me...) I would
:like some basic information on it so I can prepare for it.
: [some deleted text]
:And of course, barring any SCSI implementation differences, will this work
:all right with my A-590? I do know that without WB2.0 I'll need to either
:get a lot more memory than my 3 (soon to be 4) megs or not mount the whole
:disk at once, but other than holding a bitmap that big in memory, is there
:any general problems with WORM drives and AmigaDOS? It's just that I've
:never heard of a specific case of that combination being tried.
To use a WORM on an Amiga would require a complete new filesystem.
As far as I know, no one has done this yet. Both OFS and FFS assume they
can use a BAM, with a WORM, you'd either have to store the BAM offdisk (ie.,
on a seperate HD) or you'd have to go completely away from a fixed root
block/BAM type directory structure. I'm afraid that hooking up the WORM to
your system is liable to be more effort than it's worth.
:Also, how much is this drive worth? Like the above questions, I'm open
:to guesses and speculation if marked as such since I know I haven't given
:a lot of info to go on. Also note that the mail stoppage mentioned in my
:.sig should be ended within 24 more hours so if you wait a bit you won't
:need to use the special trick address.
One source of surplus WORM drives I've seen shows them at about
$800... I have never really paid that much attention to WORMs, spending
my time looking for deals on read/write opticals instead. :-)
:. <<<<Infinite K>>>>
:--
:** NOTE: My mail feed is currently down; one POSSIBLE address which MIGHT **
:** work is bscott%isis.cs.du.edu@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu, but no guarantees... **
:|FIDO point address 1:104/421.2, bscott@isis.cs.du.edu, or BBS (303)424-9831|
:|"Sometimes you just gotta look the potato of injustice right in the eye..."|
--
-Bill Seymour billsey@agora
***** American People/Link Amiga Zone Hardware Specialist NES*BILL *****
Bejed, Inc. NES, Inc. Northwest Amiga Group At Home Sometimes
(503) 281-8153 (503) 246-9311 (503) 656-7393 BBS (503) 640-0842rumbo@impch.imp.com (Peter Kunz) (11/18/90)
hi am i correct in presumong the fix roms are rev. 6.1? i ordered an a2091 in june from go amigo. didn't work. five weeks later i got another one (same or new?)who cares, it worked! with rev 6.1 roms on it. this was in early august... cu pete -- Peter Kunz P.O. Box 315 4106 Therwil Switzerland rumbo@subch.imp.com voice: +4161737556