#GVP 040/40
17 messages in this thread
Now that GVP's 040-40MHz is imminent, has anyone checked if CBM or dealers will
offer 4000's without processors? It would seem a shame to buy a 4000 '030 or
'040 and toss the processor card in favour of the GVP card. Come to think of
it, it would be great if one could simply buy a 4000 completely "bare" and use
GVP's card for the '040, SCSI II, and RAM. Add a hard drive and monitor and
away you go. In a perfect world…
By the way, are all SCSI hard drives compatible with SCSI II, or does changing
you SCSI interface to a SCSI II require new hard drives?
Trent Johnson ReAnimators
"By the way, are all SCSI hard drives compatible with SCSI II, or does changing
you SCSI interface to a SCSI II require new hard drives?"
Most SCSI-I devices can handle being placed on a SCSI-II bus (not WIDE) and
will continue to function properly. There are some devices that will complain,
but they are rare and I have never seen one — I've heard from customers and
vendors…
Thanks for the information on SCSI II, Gary. Trent
Trent,
I dont' think we're going to have to worry about anybody buying a 4000 040
and throwing away the 040 card. If you're going to buy a 4000 to put this
card into it'd be pretty dumb not to buy the 030 version. Since the 25 mhz
030 wouldn't add much to the price, Commodore would be dumb to ship
machines without at least that. (It's hard to sell a machine you can't
even start up.) Besides, if there was a problem with getting the machine
to work both Commodore and GVP would assume the other company was at
fault. (Ask any Toaster owner.) Without some way to return the computer to
it's stock configuration it would be VERY difficult to track down any
problems.
If you buy a 4000 030 and the GVP card perhaps you could trade the 030
processor card for a 4 meg simm for the GVP card.
Jeff,
The A4000/030 is discontinued and you can't find them anywhere.
Mark,
This is the first I've heard about the 4000 030 being discontinued.
I don't know if it's still available in Canada, but if not it sounds like
more typical Commodore planning; Rather than get people into a low cost
4000 that they can upgrade it sounds like Commodore wants people to spend
their money on 1200's and lots of aftermarket external add-ons.
THEN, when they need a more expandable machine they can move straight to a
Pentium system with plenty of slots and built by a company that wants to
sell MORE computers, not less.
Yeah, I guess that DOES sound like CBM. :^(
Jeff,
The fact is the A4000/030 wasn't selling. Commodore has a warehouse full
of them–and yet they were back ordered on A4000/040s.
Now if you were Commodore would you:
A. Leave the A4000/030s in the warehouse until Jeff is ready to buy
one?
OR
B. Build A4000/040s from the A4000/030 systems?
Considering the number of A4000/030s we sold–I think the decision they
made was the right one. I do admit that it leaves a 'hole' in the product
line. I would hope that they would drop the a4000/040s price to fill that
hole.
Time will tell.
How about selling the warehoused 4000/030's to GVP who could equip and resell
them with their new aceelerator? Of course, that might endanger CBM's sales of
25MHz 4000's. Of course, CBM could just start selling a 40 MHz 4000 stock from
the factory…
Trent
As far as I know, CBM Canada still offers 4000/030. My dealer has them for
about 2500 CDN anyway. Trent
Jeff,
I understand the A4000/030 was discontinued because they were not selling
in the US. They are still sold in Europe.
Most folks wanted the '040 version here in the states.
Who says that? They're still pretty available over here…
Ottmar Roehrig from Hamburg, Germany
Really?
I know an American distributor who wants them bad… give me a number
where I can reach someone with a stock of them.
True, Jeff. I wouldn't likely toss the 040 processor, but 030/040 or whatever,
one still has the problem of figuring out what to do with the old card. I like
your idea of some sort of trade-in offered by GVP or CBM.
In any case, I agree with Lee Stranahan's comments in the February Video
Toaster user: The 25mhz 040 4000 is slow compared to a G-force equipped 2000.
Trent
Trent,
I think any sort of a trade in would have to be done by your dealer not
GVP or Commodore. I suppose it depends how well you know your local
dealer. Of course if you want to get a good price for the processor card
your best bet is probably sitll the newspaper classified ads.
By the way, I asked my dealer about the 4000 030, and not only is it NOT
discontinued in Canada, he says it's the best selling Amiga he handles.
I can't believe there's really no interest in 030 machines in the states.
Jeff,
Well ask your dealer ot give me a call–I can't find the silly machines in
any of the distributors hands — in the US or Canada.
Mark,
If you want to find out where my dealer gets his machines call them and
ask. The store is Conti Computer Systems and the phone number is
604-734-0606. They should be able to give you the name of their
distributer.
"The 25mhz 040 4000 is slow…"
Yes. Seems like C= designed a rather slow CPU<->RAM interface, with no
improvement over the A3000 specs. Besides limiting CPU speed, it must
also limit blitter speed and aggravate DMA contention (something the GVP
board won't be able to improve, as this relates to the custom chip bus).
-Chris