#Query from WP50 IBM user
16 messages in this thread
Ron,
Thanks for the info and the advice. I am not very familiar with the expansion
capability of the 2000. And I assume from your message that there is a 2500?
Can I add a bridgecard to a 2000 directly? I also want to add a hard disk
that, I understand, may be shared by the IBM board. Is there enough room and
power on the 2000 and, dollar for dollar, which is the biggest bang for the
buck – upgrade the 1000 with an exansion chassis or buy a 2000?
Also, you mention the microsoft mouse interface actually uses the Amiga mouse.
Is that true as far as all DOS mouse-driven software is concerned? More
generally, how compatible is compatible for the bridgecard
Thanks again, Randall
Randall,
The A2500 is an A2000 with an included 40 Meg HD and the A2620 co
processor card (68020) with 2 Meg of 32 bit RAM on the card (4 Meg max on the
card).
Yes, a BridgeBoard can be added to an A2000. Right now, there is only
the A2088 bridgeboard (8088 processor running at 4.77MHz). In the future there
will be a bridgeboard with an 80286 chip running at a higher speed.
Yes, right now, with the bridgeboard you can share a HD mounted on
either side with the other side.
The bridgeboard is fully compatible…that is, if it'll run on a clone,
it'll run on the bridgeboard.
The mouse useage isn't available yet, that will come with the upgrade
software to link the bridge and the Amiga sides.
The A2000 is your best bet…200w power supply vs 90w on the A1000 and
built in buffered slots.
Don
Thanks, Don. Good stuff, right to the point. Randall
There are, if I understand correctly, a few versions of the 2500, which is
really means there are some preconfigured versions of the 2000 – all really the
same base machine plus add ons. Yes, the 2000 can take the existing xt type
bridge, or the upcoming at type. HD's can be shared between the 2 sides,
though separate hd's are better in many cases. I think a 2000 in the long run
gives much better bang for the buck. As for the mouse on the IBM side, it is
my understanding that any software that can use the microsoft mouse should use
this. As for compatibility, most IBM software works correctly.
Ron
Ron,
The use of the Mouse on the IBM side isn't available yet, it's to come
in the next update of the JANUS software.
Don
The 80286 board isn't, at least as far as I know, available yet either. Are
you saying that even the 8088 board will add mouse support with the new
software?
Ron
Ron,
Yes
Don
Ron, what do you mean, "a few versions of the 2500"? A 2500 is an Amiga 2000
with a 2620 card + 2M of 32 bit memory, a 2090A, and a 40M hard disk. I don't
understand the difference you were making.
Betty
I seem to remember a 2500hd, ux, and maybe one other version. Maybe I remember
wrong. They are, as I stated, all Amiga's with certain options included in the
package.
Ron
Ron,
Let's clarify that…of course they were all Amigas…10 years from now
the Amiga A5000 (or whatever) will be an Amiga.
The A2500 series (HD, UX and AT) are ALL A2000's with various add-on
boards included with the package. The base machine is no different that what
you could buy a year ago.
Don
That's true – I think you got this out of context. When I mentioned that there
a few different 2500's someone said there was only one, which of course is not
true.
Ron
Currently, for sale, in the US, NOW, there is only 1 2500.
-sja
Ron,
Right now, the 2500 is available. It comes with a hard disk, but not as an
option – it just has it. It is a 2000 with 40M hard disk, 2090A, and 2620 with
2Meg of 32-bit memory. This can be increased to 4M. But there is only one
version, currently.
The UX is the forthcoming Unix machine, which will be based on the 2000 also.
I think it is to have an 80M harddisk, 2090A, and some different cards,
including the Unix operating system, but I don't recall all of them.
Anyway, thanks for the explanation. There are usually options, but I guess I
didn't consider those to be the same as different versions of the machine.
Betty
Betty,
Though not out yet, there are a few configurations of the 2500 planned. One
will have an 80 meg HD, another will have Unix, and another, the '286 Bridge
card. I think they will all be called 2500s, with a different suffix.
-larry
But Larry – all of those are just 2500s with different options, aren't they?
Not really different versions of the machine. Well, maybe the Unix machine
will be. Certainly the bridgeboard is an addon that does not make the machine
a different version.
Or maybe the question is – just what constitutes a different version.
Or maybe it doesn't make enough difference for us to argue about it.
🙂
Betty
Betty,
Well, I look at it this way. If it is a 'bundled' machine, sold with the
extras, and has a price for the bundle, and even has a different designator,
then it is definitely either a variation or a different model. I am of mixed
feelings as to whether to even call an Amiga with a Bridge the same machine as
an unpolluted one.
-larry