[comp.sys.amiga.misc] Bomac Tower case for 2000s - Any good?

jbn35564@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (J.B. Nicholson) (04/29/91)

How is the Bomac Tower Case for the 2000?  Are there any other tower cases
available today (I'm not talking getting a 3000T, I'd like to stick to the
2000 for now, thanks :-) )?

Does the Bomac tower case require any modification of my 2000?  How many
drive bays and new things do I get with this case?

Any info is welcome on the Bomac unit or any other unit.

Thanks.

Jeff
--
jeffo@uiuc.edu

Tyler Sarna <tsarna@polar.bowdoin.edu> (04/29/91)

In article <1991Apr29.065337.1298@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> of
comp.sys.amiga.misc, "J.B. Nicholson"
<jbn35564@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> writes:

> How is the Bomac Tower Case for the 2000?  Are there any other tower cases
> available today (I'm not talking getting a 3000T, I'd like to stick to the
> 2000 for now, thanks :-) )?

There are 2 other A2000 towers. One is priced at ~$600, so I
didn't enquire further :-). The otehr is the Golem tower. It is
more expensive ($300 mail order) than the already overpriced
($239 mail order) Bomac unit. Since after two phone to Golem and
circling the reader service number and waiting months with no
answer (and I STILL have received no reply), I gave up on them
and bought the Bomac.

> Does the Bomac tower case require any modification of my 2000?  How many
> drive bays and new things do I get with this case?

No irreverible modifications are neccesary.  You remove the
cover from the 2000, unscrew the drive bay bracket, remove the
3.5" floppy(-ies) from the bracket, and then screw these things
into the bomac case.  You don't even have to remove the
motherboard from the chassis.  The 30-someodd steps to
instalation are all outlined in a photocopied manual. Read the
whole manual through slowly at least twice before even starting.
Even so, you will mess at least one thing up and have to go back
a few steps, I can garuntee.

The case gives you 5 3.5" drive bays and 3 half height 5.25"
bays (any two of which can, of course, be used as one
full-height bay). You can also order an additional power supply
for the case.

On the front of the case are two switches and 4 LED's. One
switch is hooked up to turn the supply on and off (leave the
switch on the 2000's PS on all the time). The other can be used
as an 680[23]0/68000 switch, NTSC/PAL switch, or whatever (mine
is not hooked up). One LED (red) is used as a power indicator. I
have another (green) hooked up as a HD activity light. The
remeaining two (amber and another green) can be used for
whatever you wish.

The case is well-designed, built entirely out of heavy sheet
metal (46 lbs, $16 shipping fee!). However, it is not terribly
well manufactured (some striped screws, one bent
mouseport-extension socket). I knew this before I bought (having
seen a friend's system with similar defects), so I was not
very disturbed. Apparently Bomac has gone through 3-4
manufacturers, and still hasn't found a good one.

Although it is overpriced somewhat and the mahufacturing is
poor, I am quite happy with mine and would reccomend it to
anyone seeking a tower case, as it was still the least expensive
and the only model I could get solid information about.

Disclaimer: I am related to Bomac only as a (for-the-most-part-)
satisfied customer.

--
Tyler "Ty" Sarna                         tsarna@polar.bowdoin.edu

      "I protest Captain! I am NOT a merry man!" -- Lt. Worf