CompuServe Thread

#A600 PCMCIA here!

23 messages in this thread
#73686From: pat beaulieuOct 17, 1992 1:56 AM
Another new product came out this week! 2MB and 4MB PCMCIA ram cards for the Amiga 600!! You have to see it to believe it! A 4MB expansion the size of a credit card!! Real nice… easy to install! Autoconfig. The ones we received from our distributor are from New Media Corporation… they are the first FAST ram expansion now available for the Amiga 600. With the internal 1MB expansion it makes the A600 complete with 2MB chip, 4 MB fast, 4MB internal HD and 2.0 ks… real nice machine at a reasonnable price! Still have to test the speed performance of this FAST ram.
#73696From: Paul GerhardtOct 17, 1992 7:56 AM
What is the going price on the 2MB and 4MB PCMCIA ram cards? …AutoPilot Engaged… -Paul-
#73762From: pat beaulieuOct 18, 1992 6:45 AM
Here in canadian $ the price is about $325 for the 2MB card and $495 for the 4MB card.
#73781From: Paul GerhardtOct 18, 1992 3:20 PM
Thanks for the information. …AutoPilot Engaged… -Paul-
#73724From: Brian CowanOct 17, 1992 1:00 PM
I wish C= Had put more than one PCMIA card slot on board. PCMIA 2.0 lets you add things like netowrk adapters to systems…. // Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot….. \X/
#73772From: Steve Bennett/SYSOPOct 18, 1992 11:42 AM
Hmmn… Brings up an interesting thought… I wonder if it's possible to make a box which plugs into a PCMCIA slot and turns it into multiple PCMCIA slots… As PCMCIA cards become more available and cheaper, I can see people wanting more than one PCMCIA card in their machine… –>Steve Bennett
#73776From: Michael GerardOct 18, 1992 1:08 PM
Ah.. you mean like an external scsi port would have done? 😉
#73818From: Jonathan HirschmanOct 18, 1992 11:04 PM
Michael, Nope, PCMIA is more versatile than external SCSI. When was the last time you saw a SCSI modem, anyway (of course, it would be a great idea…why haven't the MacFolk done this?) Jonathan, via AutoPilot // Only Amiga makes \\// it possible…
#73889From: Ron LegroOct 19, 1992 9:28 PM
I suppose someone will develop a "multifunction" PCMIA card at some point.
#73948From: Jonathan HirschmanOct 20, 1992 11:20 AM
Ron, How much can you stuff on a PCMIA card, anyway? Jonathan
#73976From: Steve Bennett/SYSOPOct 20, 1992 4:11 PM
It could be used like that, yes… <grin> Actually, however, I was more concerned about hooking multiple expansions like a RAM expansion and a ROM card containing software (which I expect will become fairly common once Amigas with PCMCIA slots become more common…). Or even a RAM expansion and a (ahem) SCSI adapter card together… <grin> –>Steve Bennett
#74059From: Michael GerardOct 21, 1992 9:36 AM
(how do you spell 'ooo' as in "who"?) anyway… ooooooo!! glimmer of the near future? 🙂 'course, I caould just imagine what a credit card sized ram-card/scsi-bus card would look like… and it's not a pretty picture.
#74073From: Greg GivlerOct 21, 1992 10:34 AM
I do not know if there is the bandwidth to do SCSI on a PCMCIA card. Sorry to burst a bubble. 🙂 Greg Greg Givler – CBMSER Sysop Commodore Product Assurance
#74139From: Jonathan HirschmanOct 21, 1992 10:48 PM
Greg, I would assume that if there is enough bandwidth to use PCMIA for memory, there would be enough for SCSI. Most folks expect memory to be faster than their hard drives, right? BTW, its really cool to see a real CBM person here on CIS. This is the first time I've seen CBM, in about a year of CIS'ing. Hope to see more of you. Jonathan Jonathan, via AutoPilot // Only Amiga makes \\// it possible…
#74178From: Steve AhlstromOct 22, 1992 9:34 AM
Jonathon I guess you just haven't been too observant <grin> Greg's been online here for several years. He runs the CBMSER Forum (CBM Service) forum. Also, John Weiderhirn from CATS is here 2-3 times a week (mostly in CO in the evenings). I also notice people like Jeff Porter and various CATS people online occassionally. -sja
#74690From: Greg GivlerOct 26, 1992 10:52 AM
Well I am not a hardware guy, but I did the software testing of the PCMCIA cards for the A600. I have the spec in my office and have actually read most of it. The hardware stuff was a bit above me. I have been on for about a year in CBMSER and was the SYSOP there for about a year back in 88-89. I then got the job in Product Assurance about 3 years ago and have not been on that much. Mainly because I work on things that I cannot talk about. So I think it is best to just not say nothing rather than risk my job and say the wrong thing. Greg Greg Givler – CBMSER Sysop Commodore Product Assurance
#74721From: Jonathan HirschmanOct 26, 1992 3:29 PM
Greg, Even if you prefer not to talk to us for security reasons, its always good to know that someone from C= is lurking in the background, and (hopefully) taking note of the comments s/he sees. I hope that you are working on stuff that is worth not talking about…:) Jonathan
#74141From: Steve Bennett/SYSOPOct 21, 1992 10:55 PM
Oh, I have little doubt a PCMCIA card to do SCSI could be devloped. It might be slow as you-know-where, but it could be done. Heck, if they can do a Parallel to SCSI adapter, PCMCIA ought to be a breeze. <grin> –>Steve Bennett
#74651From: Joanne DowOct 26, 1992 2:44 AM
Greg, there is always bandwidth to do SCSI even with the PCMCIA slot. If you've been around long enough you remember the way way slow Microbotics MAS_Drive_20. It used an adapter on the parallel port and got maybe floppy disk speeds. SCSI self paces using a full handshake when you are not using synchronous mode for higher speeds. {@_@}
#74691From: Greg GivlerOct 26, 1992 10:52 AM
Sorry, I bow to Joanne's expertise. I am a software guy this hardware stuff is always voodoo. Greg Greg Givler – CBMSER Sysop Commodore Product Assurance
#74744From: Paul GerhardtOct 26, 1992 5:55 PM
Greg, Sorry for drifting off the topic but I just had to take this opportunity to pass a compliment along to CBM. I am a LONG time Amiga user. Dropped my Tandy Color Computer for one of the first 1000s in the state (Does anyone else remember paying $65 for a box of those funny new 3.5" floppy disks!!). Powered up to a 2000 when they first came out and gradually upgraded it to a powerful 2500. Skipped the 3000 although I use 500s and a 3000 in school (I run a program for gifted student grades 6-8). And now I just picked up a 4000 (#000179 beat Denny Atkin by a week 😉 !) and a 600HD for my wife. For all those years the power and utility of the Amiga line has continually expanded to more than meet my increasing needs and kept me way ahead of most PC and MAC users. Just when I started worrying about all those 256 color MACs and PCs here comes the AGA machines. I'm a happy camper again! Of course there is that little problem of no SCSI on my 4000 ;). I'm limping along on a 2091 until SCSI-II comes out for the 4000. Ya think I'll have it before I'm stuffin a bird for Thanksgiving? 🙂 Or do I have to wait for Santa? 🙁 …AutoPilot Engaged… -Paul-
#74997From: Greg GivlerOct 28, 1992 12:07 PM
Well, I really can't say anything other than what has been said in other corners. I guess you'll just have to wait a little longer. 🙂 Greg Greg Givler – CBMSER Sysop Commodore Product Assurance
#74283From: Brian CowanOct 22, 1992 10:59 PM
Wafer-Scale integration…. The WHOLE CARD is a single silicon wafer…… Eeek. // Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot….. \X/