tep@tots.UUCP (Tom Perrine) (08/01/90)
Well, I've decided I can't wait for my A500 floppies anymore. I ma planning to buy a 30+ Mbyte HD (with RAM expansion) for my A500. (This is to hold me over until I decide between a Sun or an A3000 next year. :-) I *think* I've narrowed the choices down to GVP, Xetec or Supra. Almost none of the local Amiga "dealers" keep these things around on the shelf, or have any knowledgable people around, so I have a few questions: 1. Which of these has the smallest "next-to-the-box" footprint? I would like to find a controller that has a small box attached to the A500, with a cable leading off to the drive box itself. 2. I definitely need FFS and full autoboot. I know this means I need 1.3 ROMS. I have a "classic A500" (very old, 4-digit serial number). Is there anything about the older boards that will preclude the use of 1.3 ROMS, (or the ECS, for that matter)? Should I take this thing apart to check the board rev? 3. GVP seems to have a reputation for bullet-proof HW. There have been recent comments about Supra problems. Xetec has been recommended on the basis of cost. At this point, I'm leaning towards GVP. Horror stories and good experiences are welcome! 4. Can I buy just a SCSI controller/RAM board expansion and add my own SCSI drive(s) from any of these vendors? I can't get a straight answer from any of their "dealers". I have access to a good supply of big SCSI drives at a reasonable price, so this would be an attractive alternative. Thanks for any help. Please respond by email, and I'll summarize. Tom Perrine (tep) |Internet: tep@tots.Logicon.COM Logicon |UUCP: nosc!hamachi!tots!tep Tactical and Training Systems Division |-or- sun!suntan!tots!tep San Diego CA |GENIE: T.PERRINE "Harried: with preschoolers" |+1 619 455 1330 Home of the _Tower Operator Training System_ as seen in the SunTech Journal.