CompuServe Thread

Snake Byte

23 messages in this thread
#65911From: Vicki JacobsAug 15, 1992 1:08 AM
Dom, Alright, alright, ALRIGHT!!! It's HERE. It came today. I am elated and in shock at the same time. Argh! –now I have to drag MAX to an Amiga dealer. Oh no! I don't have an Amiga dealer. There was a shop in Woodbridge once, but they closed and moved away about 4 months ago. Grrrr! It'll be weeks before I get past this hurdle (–hummm, maybe I'll leave a message on NCAUG). Dom, I almost called you tonight, but then I don't know what you could've done except maybe clap your hands or perhaps yell at me. At this rate, I'll never get to take flying lessons. BTW, I got 30 new blank disks this week and deleted a bunch of junk from MAX –he's only 28% full now. But then, I just got DeluxePaintIV and installed that (yesterday) so it's probably up to 32% or something. Vicki ….from the last days of OS1.3 – via Whap!
#65962From: Betty Clay/SYSOPAug 15, 1992 12:24 PM
Vicki Was Stu Mitchell your dealer? Did you ever know Buck Buchanan who used to work with Stu? Buck was a retired Naval officer, and had a software business called Cardinal Software. I used to know them well – about seven or eight years ago. Betty
#66071From: Mike ToddAug 16, 1992 7:32 AM
Is that the Buck Buchanan who put together that wonderful 1541 alignment disk (by cleverly modifying a 1541 drive to write accurately mis-aligned tracks)? I certainly remember the name from Brandon. Mike (from the UK)
#66138From: Betty Clay/SYSOPAug 16, 1992 7:27 PM
The very same, Mike. Only I believe it was at Lincoln. Stu was there as well. I know that Stu has (or did have) a Commodore/Amiga store at Woodbridge, but have not heard from either of them in a very long while now.
#66095From: Vicki JacobsAug 16, 1992 1:14 PM
Betty, Don't know a Stu Mitchell. I bought my Amiga in San Diego through Warner Engineering –using the "educator's plan" –being eligible because of my association with an institution of higher education at the time. (cough, cough) Never Had the luxury of "dealer support" because I moved to VA when MAX (DH0:) was only 2 months old. And would you believe MAX was over 5 months old before I got to set him up here! My, how time flies when you're settling in. 🙁 The warranty on the bridge board –which never EVER worked– had expired by the time a technician figured out what it's problem was. Argh!!!! Anyone want a useless AT bridgeboard? =))))) The best thing that's ever happened to me concerning Amiga was meeting folks like you here on CompuServe. Vicki ……from a happy thought to a pleasant message – via Whap!
#66131From: Christopher TolmieAug 16, 1992 5:38 PM
What is wrong with the bridgeboard? Maybe I'd want it. Chris
#66193From: Vicki JacobsAug 17, 1992 1:29 AM
Yeah Chris, –it'd make nice cuff links —maybe you would have enough parts left over to make me some earings. Vicki ….from the …humm, wait a minute THAT does sound like a neat idea – via Whap!
#66139From: Betty Clay/SYSOPAug 16, 1992 7:27 PM
I'm sorry you don't have a good dealer. It can make ALL the difference. I've had from one to three of them, all good, in my area from the very beginning. I'm still making almost all of my purchases from the dealer who sold me my first Amiga in 1985. Her store just keeps getting better and better. Is the bridgeboard beyond repair? I have both and AT and an XT, and both work well. (Well, I cannot seem to make AREAD and AWRITE perform since I installed 2.04, but that's not the fault of the bridgeboard, really.) do you have a good user group in your area?
#66192From: Vicki JacobsAug 17, 1992 1:28 AM
Betty, I tried and tried to get help with the BridgeBoard -both in San Diego and here in Woodbridge. Nothing. I wrote several letters to C= about my situation and NEVER heard boo back. I am very bitter about the whole deal and I would prefer to forget it at this point –I'm just going to live w/o the "darling" little BridgeBoard (from hell) <cough, choke, growl> <clearing throat> There now … what were your saying about user groups? I belong to National Capital Amiga User Group. It is a huge group. Vicki ……from the last row, left side, next to the fan – via Whap!
#66227From: Betty Clay/SYSOPAug 17, 1992 11:59 AM
If you ever do want to work with the bridgeboard again – Don Curtis and Marion DeLand here on CIS are both *very* knowledgeable about them, and very helpful as well. There should be someone in that user group who could help, as well. At this point, though, you seem to have all you can manage with other things. Just – when you are ready, here are some other resources.
#66369From: Vicki JacobsAug 18, 1992 5:39 PM
Thanks Betty, But I seriously doubt I will ever consider giving the bridgeboard another chance. It has exasperated my affection and my purse. Vicki ….from bridgeless contentment 🙂 – via Whap!
#66492From: Mark D. ManesAug 19, 1992 7:27 PM
Vicki, I represent an Amiga dealership in Chesapeake, VA. Though it is a bit of a drive we do service many folks in and around the Northern Virginia area. Including Quanico and the University of Virginia. We do a lot of work with Bridgeboards and I am more than willing to try to help you with your troubles. We also have a very responsive relationship with Commodore so we can get help if we can't solve it. Of course, I have not seen a bridgeboard problem that could not be solved one way or the other. (I am assuming that 'WoodBridge' is the same 'Woodbridge' in Virginia. -mark= – whappity whap whap… whap whap!!
#66521From: Vicki JacobsAug 19, 1992 10:58 PM
Hello Mark, No kidding? All the way down there …on the North Carolina border? CONGRATULATIONS! Your company must be fantastic if people travel all the way from Quantico and Charlottesville to access your service. Well, I am glad to know about you. If I ever decide to change the "write inhibit" status of my attitude toward bridgeboards I'll call you. 😉 "Woodbridge", "WoodBridge" –who cares, it's not personal. (gaads! ANOTHER "bridge") Vicki ….from a little southeast of Manassas – via Whap!
#66658From: Mark D. ManesAug 21, 1992 12:17 AM
Vicki, I hate to tell you this–but we often go up *there* to service systems for UVA and Quanico. I used to live around WoodBridge and just love Prince William Forest Park. Vicki, I must have missed your posting on the bridgeboard. Just what is the beastie doing? -mark= – whappity whap whap… whap whap!!
#66677From: Pete MilesAug 21, 1992 6:04 AM
Mark, From your note to Vicky you say you do a lot of work with Bridge boards. Are you getting the new 386sx board through? Reason I ask is that I have had one on order here for several weeks. My supplier has had words with C= warehouse manager and he says not only don't they have any there is nothing on the grapevine to suggest they will be getting any in the forseeable future. Is the board defunct already or what? Pete from West Dorset in Englands West Country – via Whap!
#66762From: Mark D. ManesAug 22, 1992 12:12 AM
Pete, The only way we can get 386SX bridgeboards is to buy A3000 25/50B systems and unbundle the bridgeboard from the system. That means that their is no fancy dancy packaging for the board, nor the software. That should please Ben! (I am pulling your chain Ben!!) Commodore made it clear in their last mailing to us that the 386SX bridgeboard is only available bundled into a system. It can not be ordered seperately until January of next year. -mark= – whappity whap whap… whap whap!!
#66700From: Ron LegroAug 21, 1992 2:17 PM
Hey, Mark, I may have the proverbial "bridgeboard problem that can't be solved." My trusty A2088 went south some months back and after the usual fiddling (reseating board, etc.) I took it in to a local authorized tech (Milwaukee has TWO! Wow!). Well, he kept it for some months and did everything but rebuild the circuit board. Even de-soldered the chips at C='s advice. But no joy. This baby still gives me "can't find Library" messages. Of course, with new A2088s going for under 200 bucks (if you can find them) I'm not sure repairing it or replacing with a new one is cost-effective. But XT compatibility and the 8-bit slots are all I need. By the way, I asked the tech if C= would just sell me a new board, minus the floppy drive, as a replacement part. The answer was no. Geez. >>>> Ron Legro / Milwaukee via WHAP! "Wherever you go, there you are!"
#66763From: Mark D. ManesAug 22, 1992 12:12 AM
Ron, What else was in your A2000 besides the bridgeboard? What version of the A2000 motherboard do you have? -mark= – whappity whap whap… whap whap!!
#67049From: Ron LegroAug 24, 1992 9:30 AM
Off hand don't know my motherboard revision (would have to look inside again), but the box is only about a year old, so it must be late model. I have an A2000HD with a 52-meg Quantum on an A2091 with 2 megs for a 3-meg RAM total. Eventually added a DCTV and a CSA MegaMidget Racer with 8 megs of 32-bit RAM, and a Seagate 60-meg drive daisychained to the internal SCSI on the A2091. The Bridgeboard crapped out before the CSA add on but some time after the second hard drive came aboard. The Amiga itself has been fine except that for awhile early on I had some read-write errors that forced me to reformat the Quantum. Much later, after the A2088 died, I had to replace a dead power supply. The A2088 died once before and it was repaired, and I put in the latest ROMset, after which it worked fine for awhile. I'm using WB 2.04 and had Janus 2 pre-installed before switching from 1.3. >>>> Ron Legro / Milwaukee via WHAP! "Wherever you go, there you are!"
#66819From: KEITH YOUNGAug 22, 1992 12:46 PM
Vicki, I'm in the DC area (just outside the beltway, in Md. actually)… where/when does NCAUG meet ? Keith
#66905From: Vicki JacobsAug 23, 1992 11:29 AM
Keith, National Capital Amiga Users Group (NCAUG) meets at the Washington Gas Light Co. auditorium, 6801 Industrial Road, Springfield, VA The club has a recorded info/helpline: (301) 231-3517 They meet on Saturdays at 1pm, though I cannot tell you accurately if it is the 2nd or 3rd one of the month –they seem to shift. The have 8 different SIGs plus a Pizza SIG after the main pow wow. 🙂 They have their own EBBS but I'm not sure if giving you the number would do any good since you have to be a member to use it. Hope this helps. Vicki ….from the back row, far left – via Whap!
#66963From: KEITH YOUNGAug 23, 1992 9:06 PM
Thanks Vicki, maybe I'll pop in there some time. – Keith
#65976From: Dominick J. FontanaAug 15, 1992 2:25 PM
Vicki, Congratulations on getting 2.04! You can call anytime. I'd be glad to help you. Dom Fontana