#A4000 mem source?
21 messages in this thread
I got an Amiga 4000/030 last week. It comes with 2 meg chip and 2 meg fast
RAM. I need to upgrade it to 8 or 16 megs, so I need to find a good price and
supplier on the 4 meg SIMMs used in the A4000.
I'd like to get a batch quickly and cheaply… if someone can point me to a
mail-order place that carries them, I'd appreciate it. Also, I'd like to get
an FPU for it, too. They just drop in, right? Would I benefit from adding a
faster crystal for the FPU? (I'll be using this as a Toaster 4000
workstation.)
I'd like to add to John's questions, since I might be in the market for a
power-up 4000/030 machine.
* Can you use a PGA FPU with the 4000/030? I have two…a 25 mhz, and a
50mhz (now installed on my A2000 accelerator). Love to use the faster FPU
with the 4k/030.
* Can a *real* '030 be subbed into the 4k/030 without hassle? I've heard
some reports of surface mounted CPU's, and some of socketed CPU's. How
are they shipping now?
* Does the 4000 series benefit from special-mode RAM (like the A3000 did
with paged-mode (I think that those were it))…can 1meg x 32/36 SIMMS be
found as burst mode, or anything else like that?
* Is there an advantage to using anything faster than 70/80ns RAM with
either the '040 or '030 machine?
Thanks!
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
John,
I am dissappointed that you are not even going to attempt to find an Amiga
dealer to help you.
Mail Order is the undoing of the Amiga.
-mark=
Otto Pilot Engaged..
I did my good deed by purchasing a system from a real live dealer. I've never
done that before, to be truthful. All the other systems came direct from CBM.
If the dealer would have had any memory in stock, I would have bought it that
instant – but they didn't. Does buying a system direct from CBM "hurt" the
Amiga, too?
I did call around to get the best price on memory. I ended up saving about $20
a chip. The dealer *told me* I might as well buy it mail order – I'd get a
better price. He's no dummy, either.
Mail order is the undoing of the Amiga? No, I don't think so. Any market needs
mail order. The Amiga market attracts a lot of users with slim wallets. They
*like* calling around to a half-dozen 800 numbers to save $5 on a software
package, then pay $15 for overnight shipping.
John,
Take a look at this month's Amiga World. I direct you to the Creative
Computers advertisement. They are showing the A4000/040 at $2499. That
is ummm, under dealer cost. I stand by my argument that mail order is
destroying the Amiga market.
By the way, before you tell me that Creative is just using the Power Up
promotion for the A2000 to sell at that price, let me tell you that
according to Commodore dealers must purchase the A4000/040s at regular
dealer price and then turn in manual covers with CPU serial numbers to get
a credit at Commodore for the difference between the Power Up dealer cost,
and the regular dealer cost. I don't think Creative is doing that, do
you?
I realize that your comment about memory etc. doesn't really apply to this
specific complaint I am making about Amiga mail order, but I am pointing
out that distribution of Amiga products is the key to the ongoing survival
of the Amiga. If an Amiga dealer can't sell you peripherals, memory etc.,
to make up for the margins lost on hardware–there will be no dealers.
No dealers equates to no new Amiga owners.
-mark=
Otto Pilot Engaged..
Mark,
for those of us that HAVE no dealers, mail order is the only way to go.
You would think that a county that has three quarters of a million, plus,
people would have one dealer. WE don't. Heck, we don't even have anyone
that carries Amiga software anymore now that Sofware, Etc. has pulled out
of the market.
I used to buy, even mail order, strictly from Amiga dealers which
explains why so much of my hardware and software came from Jackson Hole,
WY. Unfortunately, this is no longer possible. We are a diverse
community geographically and if there are no dealers, there are no sales
except to the mail order firms. Furthermore, factor in that geographical
dispersion with a small community, and the US Amiga community is very
small by way of comparision, and it is a wonder that some dealers survive
and thrive. Simple economics.
I have done my part to support dealers as best I can. The economics
seems to limit the survivability of dealerships. When I order my A4000,
it will have to be through a mail order place such as Creative. I have no
other choice.
Brian
Brian,
Last I checked there were 2 Amiga dealers in San Diego county. One was
Warner something or other (I forget — never went there) and the other is
S.I.G.H. in Ramona, owned by Clark Williams. While S.I.G.H. is a bit
difficult to find (on main street, upstairs from the drug store, entrance
is a stairway in back), it is a full featured store with highly
knowledgable people.
Hmmm, in rereading your message, you didn't say which county you're now
in. If you're back in Riverside I have no idea about dealers there. But
if still in SDC check out Clark's store.
-sja
Steve,
I am not in San Diego, but in Riverside, and the situation is dismal.
Not that it really matters anymore. Take care.
Brian
I don't think it's Creative's "fault" that they have low prices. I don't think
it's Creative's "fault" that they successfully negotiated a magic deal with
Commodore. Commodore has a long sordid history of dumping product at prices to
special mail order companies at lower than regular channel price, and they also
have a long history of dumping product at lower prices to help the bottom line
for quarterly reports. I think your argument is with CBM's practices, not
"mail order". It would be quite easy for CBm to have strict, well-enforced
prices within the dealer channel. They don't.
I agree with you–the argument is with Commodore.
No one is going to change the way Commodore does business. No one is
going to eliminate mail order, there are many who have depend on it.
My point to all of the readers out there is that peripherals, memory and
software is an Amiga Dealer's life blood. In general, an Amiga Dealer
can't make money on the hardware via the retail channel anymore.
-mark=
Otto Pilot Engaged..
>Mail Order is the undoing of the Amiga.<
Mark,
I sympathize with your dilemma, really, but please, the consumer DRIVES
the market. Mail Order is _not_ the undoing of the Amiga. CBM is (and will
be) the undoing (or the success) of the Amiga. THEY chose how to go (or
not go) to market.
Please believe me, I do lay a lot of the blame at Commodore's feet.
However, those who truly care about the future of Amiga should remember
their corner Amiga store (if they still have one) as every dollar does
count.
Thanks for your comments.
-mark=
Otto Pilot Engaged..
Mark, I do my best to support my local dealer, but many times, they just
don't have the HW in stock and once I put something on backorder and it
took them two months to get it in! I always go to my dealer first, and
when they don't have it, I go mail-order.
-Jonathan
>…those who truly care about the future of Amiga should remember
their corner Amiga store (if they still have one) as every dollar
does count. <
Mark,
Thanks for taking my comments as inteneded… I agree with you. And I'll
go a step further and say that any Amiga dealer that has been around for
awhile has probably done what you folks have: searched out a market for
the Amiga where you can provide value-added service, and worked closely
with your consumers to help them get the most for their $$. It's just not
possible to hang out a shingle and declare that you are a full service
dealer… unless you are selling Ginsu knives & Topsy-Tail. <g>
Oh… btw,: >…should remember their corner Amiga store (if they
still have one)…<
ROFL uh, huh <sigh> so many 'corners', so few dealers!
Depends on the dealer. I have a dealer that 1) _refused_ to give me a firm
quote on a 1200 with 85MB hard drive (one day later Purchased from
Computability) and 2) put my MBX-1200z order on eternal backorder
(Purchased from DeVine computers, First MO place with it IN STOCK).
This dealer can't seem to fill my HW desires in adequate time, but I
bought AsimCDFS from them, AmigaDOS 2.1, and whatever other software I
needed in the last 4 months. They're not bad people, it's just that I
often know more of what's happening in the Amiga world than they do just
from lurking here and on FIDONET.
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/
Brian,
I see you bought from Devine computers. They're somewhere around here in
my neck of the woods — northern Delaware. I keep calling them asking for
a HD floppy drive and keep getting the "another two weeks and we'll have
them" reply. BTW no sales tax in Delaware. What neck of the "woods" do you
hail?
Chris
Vallejo, CA. Shipping a DOA monitor back to them was NOT cheap.
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/
Brian,
I guess I'm lucky. I've never purchased anything mail order and as long
as I have an excellent local dealer I won't. My dealer stays on top of
things, always has the "latest and greatest" in stock, always willing to
special order those esoteric items that he would normally not stock, and
follows up with after sales support. He now stocks 750-800 unique Amiga
titles. From what's been said here I would have to conclude that his type
of full service dealership is in the minority.
-sja
4 M x 8 SIMM Module 80ns…………………………. 149.00
4 x 8 SIMM Module 60ns…………………………… 160.00
Source:
SAFE HARBOR COMPUTERS
2120 E. MORELAND BLVD, STE. L
WAUKESHA, WI 53186
To place an order: 800-544-6599
Information and Service: 414 548-8125
. . . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot