#WEDGE
14 messages in this thread
Dear All,
Has anyone seen any thing latly about the WEDGE hard disk interface? I am
looking at getting a hard disk and am of course totaly lost. Is the IBM style
still the ceapest way to go? Just what is SCSI, and …. While I'm here I
would just like to comment on the AMIGA for what it is worth (0). I got an
A1000 over an A500 because it has a COLOR video out. No one will disagree about
the AMIGA's capability with video graphics and to make a machine that does not
explot that is STUPID!!! i.e. the A500 should have COLOR video out. This is
what happens when you read through all those old messages, (and you thought you
would learn something new about hard disk). Anyway a phone number to the WEDGE
people would be very help full at this point as well as recomindations for: a
Hard Disk (30Meg) and 2meg of fast ram (starting at 512K) CHEAP for an old and
crusty A1000.
Fred E. P.S. Iwork for a locked
in military IBM, is there no hope?
Fred,
I also work for the locked in military IBM (military intellegence can be a
contradiction in terms :-). Anyway, a couple of users here use the Wedge, and
seem to be happy with it, although they aren't glowing about it. There are many
options available, such as the StarDrive (which mounts as an option board on
the 2 MB StarBoard), an A590 used in reverse (i.e. you use it on the A1000 even
though it was designed for the A500), ASDG products, the Supra interface, etc.
I did look on a price list and the Wedge does come in cheaper, but again,
it's no speed demon. I'd suggest going into a dealer and trying them all and
seeing which gives the best bang for the buck for what you need, and go from
there.
Personally, I'm prejudiced in favor of the Supra.
Brian J. Bartlett
Brian,
What's their phone number? The Wedge people that is. -Don-
Don,
RSI, Richmond B.C., Canada, (604) 270-0064
Brian J. Bartlett
Brian,
For the 500 or the A1000, I am prejudiced in favor of the A590 (though I do not
have one.) It can autoboot. It passes SCSI out the back for additional
drives. It has sockets for 2M of memory, allowing one to have both added
memory and a hard drive without any bus contention. These seem to me like
pretty good reasons for choosing this one.
Betty
Betty,
Do you actually have an A590 on an A1000? I'd like to hear more about this.
Daryl.
Daryl,
No, as I said in my message, I do not have an A590. I have read many messages
from people who do, however, and they all report that it works with no
problems, other than the esthetic one of looking at the back of the drive – and
the need for a mirror behind the drive in order to see the drive light.
Betty
Betty,
actually, on my 1000, the autobooting is a non-issue, since I still have
to boot via KS. The rest are why, if I had to do it all over again, I would
get the Starboard II w/StarDrive, since it's all in one box, complete with
pass-through.
Brian J. Bartlett
My 1000 has to have KS, too – but some people have found ways around it, I am
told! ANyway, the StarboardII is a good idea, too.
Betty
Betty & Brian
Comments & Question – How do you get a A590 on a 1000? The 590 is
designed for the 500 with the buss connection on the LEFT side – On the A1000
the buss is on the right? FYI, I do not have an A590 either.
Also the Starboard II is a very good memory expansion device, but the
StarDrive is NOT an actual drive, it is a RAD type of drive. If you want to
add a HD to the Starboard, then you add the "StarDrive SCSI Module" to the SB
and that provides a db25 pin port to the back of the Starboard. You must the
add your own drive, housing, and power supply to connect to that port.
I have done this for a A1000 user and all works very well for him.
However, you must remember to power up the HD before you turn on the Amiga.
-Roy -The Wyomin' Ghost
Roy,
You mount the A590 "backwards" on the A1000. The expansion connectors
are the same on the A1000 and the A500, just reversed end to end.
Also, on the A1000, since the expansion slot is higher than on the
A500, you need to raise the A590 a bit (permanently raise it as in put a block
of wood under it) and you'll need to enlarge the hole in the plastic on the
A1000 for the connector to fit. No modification to the A1000 itself other than
the large hole in the plastic.
Don
Roy,
sorry, forgot to give it's full name. I don't use the module, since I
have a Supra interface before my Starboard (I have the option board installed
instead), but I do know that it works fine.
As for the A590, as I understand it, you have to widen the hole where the
expansion bus is and plug the A590 in backwards. You also have to put it on
some sort of raised surface, since the A500 port is lower than the one on the
A1000. Other than those modifications (whoops, forgot the mirror so you can
see the drive busy light), it does work from what I've heard. Not elegant, but
functional.
Brian J. Bartlett
Roy.
The instructions I read concerning the A590 say that you just turn it around
backwards and put it on the A1000 bus. Some say they must first remove a small
amount of the plastic case in order to get it to fit – others say it slid into
place without any cutting. Also, I understand that for the A1000 you must
slide something under the drive to raise it slightly – about the size of a
small pamphlet of some kind, I am told.
Betty