#A2386 Questions
13 messages in this thread
John,
You may already have the answers you need, but here are some more.
1. You need a separate VGA card, plus a 1950/60 monitor. Best bet is a combo
card that combines VGA with extra ports, etc. Dave Cinege at EMC sells one for
$200.
2. No drives included. (The 386 BB was really designed with the 3000 in mind,
and was supposed to make use of the Amiga drive.)
3. Don't know yet, but I'd have no reason to doubt it.
4. The BB shares the Amiga parallel port fine, but not the serial port. More
precisely, it uses the PTR: device, wherever that happens to be, but not
modems.
5. Yes.
6. I'm thinking of putting together an "upgrade" manual containing all coverage
in CROSSINGS of upgrades that concern Bridgeboards–both upgrading Bridgeboards
and upgrading accelerators, memory, etc., that affect the running of the BB.
What do people think? Is there a market for this?
Marion
CROSSINGS
Newsletter for the Bridgeboard, etc.
I think there is — especially with all the people taking advantage of the
BB special. There seems to be quite a few little odds and ends of
information specific to the BB that just aren't covered anywhere else. You
could include a disk with helpful cross-platform software like Graphics
Workshop.
You should call on Don Curtis for a few articles. What a whiz he iz. 😎
Good luck.
…..Nancy
From Edmonton, AB, Canada
"Is there a market for this?"
Yes! Please do it! Maybe give it away with new subscriptions and/or
renewals to CROSSINGS and offer it as a separate sale?
Marion,
With the price on these 386 BB falling so fast, there are going to be a
LOT of people buying them that never even considered it befor (I know I am
one!). An idea for a stoy (line) would be something for all the
amigaphiles setting up thier first MsDos machine with windows, desqview
and whatever other software necessities are needed to operate smoothly in
the clone world. I am already lost with IRQ's, extended/expanded ram,
interupts ect. A step by step Windows instalation would be welcome as
would the benefits/detriments of DOS 6.0.
I think you are about to see a tremedous expansion in subscriptions to
your newsletter. 🙂
…Steve
====>>> Motorola 68030 Inside <<<====
Steve,
Don't forget that there are TWO DOS 6.0's. Obviously, you know about
the one from Microsoft, but I am running DRDOS 6.0 from what used to be
DRI, the owners of CP/M. Novell bought DRI which is now NDSG. The CIS GO
words are NDSG and DRFORUM. Each will get you to the same place!
Sincerely,
(Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless
'Perfessor Fearless' from the Rocket City!
via AutoPilot 1.03a
Gayle,
What does DrDos have to offer over MSDOS and desqview? I do not need
anymore headaches with autoexec.bats and config.sys's and the like. After
6 years of the Amiga I don't know why anyone wants to deal with all this
mess…How could this machine and OS have caught on with the general
populace with the elegance of autoconfig and a WYSIWYG OS of the amiga?
It befuddles my little mind! I do not have big plans for my brodgeboard
yet, mostly windows (don't ask why) and a few of the low end CAD programs.
I have heard of DrDos but what is it in laymens terms and what does it do
better? Thanks for bring the subject up, it has been one of the ???? in
the back of my mind for a while.
…Steve
====>>> Motorola 68030 Inside <<<====
Steve,
Steven D. Kapplin 70055,1021 also runs DRDOS 6 on his bridgeboard.
Also, it has its own forum on NDSG where you would get a better 'sales
job.' Anyway, DRDOS is an operating system (OS) competing with Microsoft.
Now if you already have MSDOS 5.0 set up and don't need password or hard
disk compression, then you probably don't need to upgrade.
If you have anything earlier than MSDOS 5.0, then you should upgrade to
one of the DOS 6.0's, either MSDOS 6.0 or DRDOS 6.0.
DRDOS 6.0 is compatible with MSDOS 3.3. It has a version of SuperStor
with it that does work with the bridgeboard. I used it successfully on my
MAKEAB file on the Amiga harddrive until I got a hardcard for the PC side.
Addstor, the company that makes and owns SuperStor, gave us DRDOS owners
a price rebate on SuperStor PRO (which is not bundled with DRDOS although
the April 13 issue of PC Magazine erroneously says it is on page 114 or
thereabouts).
I don't think that I would mislead you, but I THINK DESQVIEW will run.
Shall I post a message in NDSG? Or would you prefer to ask yourself?
Anyway, there are already rumors about DR or Novell DOS 7. They like
to stay one version ahead of Microsoft. Supposedly, it would incorporate
netware and/or multi-tasking.
Perhaps Kapplin and some of the others will also comment!
Sincerely,
(Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless
'Perfessor Fearless' from the Rocket City!
P.S. I think I'll go ahead and ask in NDSG about DESQVIEW. Now I'm
curious.
via AutoPilot 1.03a
Gayle,
DesqView will run on the BB, but since DRDOS has it's own task switcher
there is no need for DesqView. Furthermore, if one uses windows there isn't
much use for either task switcher because Windows handles that itself.
Steve,
Thanks for the input. I guess I didn't need to post that message on
the NDSG forum after all. Oh well, maybe I'll pick up some good rumors or
something.
BTW, I got a GVP G-Force 030. It configures around the BB DMA and has
the full 68030 (with MMU) and FPU 68882. Eventually I'll get around to
modifying my user-startup to switch some stuff to the 1 Meg of 32-bit RAM
that came with it. I got the 25 MHZ board.
I'm waiting for my teenage son to play an arcade game on it!
( [:-> evil grin )
Keep the lovebugs out of your radiator!
Sincerely,
(Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless
'Perfessor Fearless' from the Rocket City!
via AutoPilot 1.03a
Gayle,
In most cases that I'm aware of, you need do nothing more than boot up
the system and anything that can go into the 32 bit ram will go there without
your attending to it. Dos 2.x does this automatically, I believe. However,
you will need much more than 1 meg. If you want any real advantage from the
faster ram you need to install as much as you can. The OS usually pools ram to
the system so that the fastest ram is available first. That means most of your
1 meg of 32 bit ram will get used before you load any applications. Thus, your
applications will still be using the slower 16 bit ram. To get better graphic
speed you also want to use CPU to load Kickstart into 32 bit ram. That will
eat up 512k right there! So, you can see that you really need to populate the
board with more ram. At least 4 meg.
Gayle,
Thanx for the explanation of DrDos! I am currently using MsDos 5.0,
and seem to have somewhat of a handle on it finally. I previously owned
(still do, ya want to buy it CHEAP!) an XT bridgeboard that saw very
little use, I may have booted it 25 times in 3 years. I just seem to have
a hard time understanding all the problems with TSR's, hi and low memory
ect. 5.0 seems to handle this more or less transparently. I have heard
numerous horror stories about MsDos 6.0, so I think I will wait a bit
untill I am more familiar with DOS in general before I go upgrading the OS
I have now. My immediate plans for the BB are windows, AutoSketch, and
Design Cad 3D. I have in the back of my mind of Superbase for Windows
(the reason for windows) but that will come after my pocket book rebounds
some! I also plan on playing with trying to learn some `C' with it, as
3rd party books and help is a lot more prevelent in the PC world than in
Amigaland. Anyway, what I am getting at is in your opinion would I need
DrDOS? Would it make my life easier trying to learn what life is like on
the other side, or would it just me more confusion to jumble the ole brain
cells?
Thanx for any and all input!
…Steve
====>>> Motorola 68030 Inside <<<====
Steve,
Since you have MSDOS 5.0, I doubt that upgrading to either DOS would
help you unless you want hard drive data compression which can be had
directly from either Addstor (SuperStor PRO) or Stacker. DRDOS does have
password protection and optional login password; however, a good lock and
key will be of better service and less confusing and less troubleprone.
Besides, if you have Norton Utilities, an upgrade to MSDOS 6.0 would
necessitate an upgrade of Norton Utilities.
You are better off waiting for a more substantial advantage. According
the rumors on the NDSG forum, the sequel to DRDOS 6.0 may or may not come
out in August. It will possibly have some netware capability and/or
possibly multi-tasking as opposed to task switching. But this is all
speculative.
As for the XT bridgeboard, I am already on my second one. (My dealer
still has the first one which broke!) How much did you say you would pay
me to take it off your hands! :-> Anyway, I have a 386 bridgeboard on
order from Safe Harbor. Thanks anyway.
Sincerely,
(Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless
'Perfessor Fearless' from the Rocket City!
via AutoPilot 1.03a
Gayle,
Thank your for your thoughtful response! I do think I will pass on
DrDos, it would probably only confuse me more!
I couldn't wait on Safe Harbor and ordered mine from Dave Cinenge of
Elite Microsystems, good service, recieved it 3 days later, he seems to
hang out by the phone and was there everytime I called with helpful
suggestions. I also just today, ordered his multi I/O board which on
paper seems a good value.
Again thanx for the advices!
…Steve
====>>> Motorola 68030 Inside <<<====