CompuServe Thread

Hi again, I thought I would ask a few more questions. For PC emulation, can I run windows? Say I were to get the A2386.. how much memory will be available when in pc mode. Are there alot of programs and games that don't work with it? Do I have to get a sound card in order to have sound? Or is my amiga ok for sound? ect.. ok I'm running into my pervious message. HOpe to hear from someone soon 🙂 Thanks NIck

1. Well, read the messages just in the last few days on the $200.00 Bridgeboard. You can't do better (price wise) than that, although you will probably want a VGA monitor and a multifuntion card too, if you don't want to be restricted to CGA. The cards usually contain a VGA card, various ports, and an IDC interface for a separate IBM HD, although if you have enough room left on your 80 the bridgeboard will let you set up a partition just for the IBM. You *will* need a sound card, just like on a real IBM. I think the A2386 is limited to 4 Megs, but I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. Upgrades to a 486 with more memory are available through a third party, though. The compatability is high. 2. Upgrade your machine to the 2.1 operating system. You won't be sorry, as long as you don't have a lot of old games you are still playing. The improvements in functionality over 1.3 are just fantastic. I just finished upgrading a friend's A1000 (with an external, non autobooting HD) to 2.1 from 1.3, and he is *very* pleased. There are an vast number of new goodies available for the 2.04 and up operating systems which make life a LOT easier, not to mention that many features of current programs REQUIRE 2.04 or better to activate. 3. Not on a stock 2000. There are add on video boards which allow you to *display* a 16 million color picture, but they are not integrated into the operating system and do not allow the system to *run* in 16 million color mode. If THATS what you want, you will have to wait for the Amiga 5000. Although the 4000 does have a 16.8 million color palete, they cannot display that many at once. (256 colors in most modes, or the HAM8 256,000 color mode). 4. To get rid of flicker, you need a multisync monitor, such as the CBM 1960, and either a) Microway flicker fixer, b) CBM 2320 board, or c) a Flicker Free Video board. Both (a) and (b) plug into the video slot, thus preventing you from using anything else (like a Toaster) that need the slot. I haven't seen (c), but I have both (a) and (b), and I think (a) has a little sharper picture. The CBM board is the cheapest of the three, though, and it does work. Lots of luck! // -Karl \X/ Amiga and Autopilot: The *only* way to fly!

Nick, just a note to follow up on your question about bridgeboards. if you have 9 megs of autoconfigure memory, you're going to have a problem running a bridgeboard. it needs 512k of that autoconfig memory itself, so you can't run it in a full amiga. –sorry, my shift key has quit on me suddenly– marion crossings newsletter for the bridgeboard, etc.