#What's coming?
18 messages in this thread
I'm looking for some advice/rumors. I have an A3000 (04/16mhz, 6 RAM, 50
Mb HD). For some reason I feel the need for more RAM, more HD and more
speed. Currently the top of the Amiga line seems to be the A4000
(AmigaWorld ~$ 2299.00). I read somewhere that there will be an A4000
tower coming after the first of the year.
Is there an A5000 in sight? Should I get the current A4000 or save my
money, in case CBM goes bankrupt, and spend it on a (shudder) Apple and/or
IBM(&c.)? Anyone know about a new Motorola CPU that does all three?
Any reply would be appreciated.
Ed (via AP)
The dates for the A4000T haven't been announced as yet..so far as I
know. As for the A5000, it will be announced within days after I buy
an A4000. This happens without exception. However, I currently have
no plans to buy an A4000, having just bought an A3000T/040.
Seriously, there was talk here recently about a new chip set being
available sometime in 1994…probably later rather than earlier in
the year.
I saw the A4000T bezel plastics recently. Very nice! The drive bays are kept
behind a large clear plastic door, very sleek.
Hi John,
Any idea when we can expect to see the A4000T for sale? Do you know how many
slots and what type we can expect to see? I've been holding out for almost a
year to get one and am getting anxious and am beginning to salivate – HELP –
Steve
John,
Wouldn't it be nice if we (A4000 owners), could purchase the necessary
case (and necessary hardware, i.e. power supply, etc) to make our A4000
into T4000s?
I'd be willing to get the extra bays, mountable space for my SyQuest,
extra slots, etc for $400-$500.
I wish Commodor would offer this to present A4000 users.
(BTW I know there are additional "expansion boxes" now available for the
4000, but I'd like it all in one case.)
Patrick White
"Burning the midnight Toast"
Hi Patrick.
I sure appreciate your wish for "all in one box". However, what I don't don't
understand is why the A4000 (I have one) doesn't have more slots and bays even
for the "AT" (sorry) style case.
Did it occur to anyone to keep the same footprint and just make the thing 3 or
4 slots taller. I can only guess that Commodore wants
them to be cute and trim but as long as the slot/bay concept is the interface
with the cpu then there will always be a finite limit to the "size". For
example, my wife has a very expensive laptop with a keyboard so small it is
practically unusable.
To top it all, if you want SCSI in lieu of the IDE (urp!) you have to give up a
slot for a controller. Combine this with my toaster 4000 lapping over and
requiring the tbc card and whoops, full up. My gig is audio for video so I
accepted the modular concept a long time ago. Just about everything is a
hang-on in the audio world. I've just
stuck 'em all in a machine room (closet). Out of sight, out of…..
Ted. <ramblin'>
Ted,
I agree with you 100% concerning the A4000 and the basic case. Before I
purchased my A4000, I own (and still do) an A2000. I sure hate to give up
the 2000 with all its bays (large enough to fit my SyQuest, I might add)
and many slots. Commodore wasn't thinking here.
However, I would hate now to give up my A4000 with its 32bit CPU, AGA
graphics (never give that one up) or even just the 1.44 disk drive.
Commodore can cure our ills by making the case for the T400 available to
A4000 owners. Maybe a few letters wouldn't hurt.
BTW, I tried to mount my SyQuest 88MB removable HD in my A4000 being short
an inch or two. Sure I can add a powered case separate to my A4000, but I
want it internally installed.
A well, some ingeniuos 3rd party company will come to the recue.
Patrick White
"Burning the midnight Toast"
The A4000T uses a completely different motherboard than the A4000 does.
You *might* be able to put the (smaller) A4000 motherboard into that case
(if the screws are all in the right place), but, of course, that won't
give you more slots, and the slots that you have will still be oriented
the same way (which is likely to interfere with where the drive bays
are).
— Dale L. Larson, Intangible Assets Manufacturing
— INTERNET:dale@iam.com
I hope someone is creative enough to come up with a solution to the few
slots, few bays for the 4000, which are all in one unit…
Watch someone will……
Patrick White
"Burning the midnight Toast"
Patrick,
Since the expansion slots are all on a daughter board it would seem to
be not that difficult a project. Just design a taller expansion slot
board/back plane, a new taller metal case, and a plastic filler strip for
the front. But from a marketing standpoint could you recoup the
development costs?
…AutoPilot Engaged…
-Paul-
Paul,
Amazing Amiga Magazine use to have several different hardware projects.
With a little ingenuity someone could surely come up with a Tower 4000
project. Or if cases for the 2000 were available, put a 4000 in the 2000
case…
Just imagining…
Patrick White
"Burning the midnight Toast"
Given the problems I've already heard about with the present A4000s, like slow
speed, SCSI hassles, intermittent boots – I'd rather dump this one for the
improved version.
John,
(Knock on Wood!) I haven't had the first lick of problems with my A4000.
The earlier versions, as you probably know, had most of these problems.
I would like to get away from IDE though. I've already got IDE in my 2000
on the GVP (older version) '030 accelerator board, A3001.
I shouldn't be too difficult to design a 'placental' type extension which
could be easily attached to the A4000 case. But then I am not an
engineer.
AGA is still the greatest!!!!!
Patrick White
"Burning the midnight Toast"
Hi Patrick,
At the WOC in pasadina, there was a vender showing a tower case for the
A4000, where you take your motherboard and put it in this case, it added
an extra video slot aswell as IBM Slots. It had 11 bays and a large
powersupply. I'll try and find the flier I picked up and get thier phone
number for you.
<- James Scott ->
Automated with AutoPilot!!!! Version 1.6
James,
Thanks for the info on the WOC in Pasadina…vendor with tower case…
Do you remember a price?
The Amiga skelton sounds what I've been looking for!
Patrick White
"Burning the midnight Toast"
Ed,
Always we need more. Ya, think ya got it and the technology and
capablities just keep on cruisin'
A4000(T) sounds good (I've got a A2000).
What's gonna happen to C=? They've made it through thus far.
However, there is a new MC chip on the way, the PowerPC. Whether we'll see
it in the Amiga is a different story. Will it run 680×0 and 80×86 and
whatever else you ask it to do? Yes. It's capable.
Good luck. We'll see.
If ya got the money buy a 4000. 'course I just want to see the Amiga make
it through this though. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending) I'm not
single anymore and can't just go buy a 4000 with everything as we've other
priorities around this house. Don't we all…
Robb
'course I didn't complain when Debi wanted to buy, that 32" Sony with
everything for our 'home' Christmas present!