WCS RAM/DISK?
4 messages in this thread
Don,
A couple of days ago you left a message to Kerry Person about the WCS in the
Amy, (it has already scrolled).
What my questions deal with are; 1) I wonder what everyones feelings about
having the WCS are NOW after having their systems for awhile, do they like/hate
it? Remember the complaining about it months ago. I myself have gotten used to
waiting for the system to boot-up, kind of a settling in period. 2) Is there
any rumors about someone producing a second source Operating System?
For my own opinion, I hope that CBM keeps the system in the WCS. It
definately makes OS upgrades alot easier than if it were in ROM. That of course
is assuming that your local computer store has gotten the "enhancment" package
in <grin>. Sid
Sid,
I personaly like the WCS method of OS, after all, it only takes about
10-15 seconds the first time you turn the machine on, after that it might as
well be in ROM, because the warm-start is exactly what it would be if OS were
in ROM. Obviously, the 2nd advantage became apparent with the release of 1.2
(or 1.1 for that fact for those of us who had 1.0) in that the OS can be
changed very simply, and inexpensively.
There is a message thread on the system now about a company releasing
the OS in ROM and then somehow using the WCS RAM for expansion RAM. I'm not
sure how they intend on doing this since the WCS daughter board plugs into 1 of
the ROM sockets….but I suppose that particular problem can be take care of by
adding a socket somehow to plug the WCS board into the separate socket.
Don
Actually, the daughterboard plugs into sockets normally occupied by 2 PALs, 2
buffer chips, 2 TTL chips, plus 2 extra connectors added for the daughterboard
specifically. Doesn't directly interfere with the ROM sockets. Of course, I'm
just about certain that you'd have to go about reprogramming the PALs on the
top of the daughterboard. At least the Amiga DOCs claim that to use ROM some
rethinking here would be necessary. Maybe they're selling a daughterboard for
the daughterboard. The PALs certainly aren't socketed, so it'd be a real mess
for the average user to try to pull 'em. Once done, though, it would be a
simple matter to relocate the WCS RAM as usable Fast memory, probably sticking
it up in that famous $C00000 area would be the best thing to do. Especially if
you're going to the trouble of redoing the PAL logic anyway. -Dave
Hazy,
Humm…..I'll have to look at my Amiga's insides again, it seems to me
that the daughterboard on mine plugs into 1 socket only. Did they change the
design part way thru (mine is a developer's machine) or is my memory faulty
(very possible).
Don