CompuServe Thread

Amax II Experience?

11 messages in this thread
#15973From: SyndesisFeb 25, 1991 6:46 PM
I'm thinking about upgrading from Amax to AMax II. Can someone tell me about what new features I can get by doing so, if they've had any problems or tremendous success with it so far, and how much it costs?
#16077From: Rex SubaFeb 26, 1991 9:21 PM
John, Among the features that AMAX II now supports is the SetCPU (FASTROM) option for accelerators, hard disk support (from ReadySoft comes device drivers for GVP, Nexus, CBM interfaces. 3rd party makers Supra, IVS, and now Micro-Dyn [Kronos] provide files for their hd interfaces), Macintosh sound support, use of System 6.0.5. I just received my software upgrade from my Micro-Dyn for AMAX II and now plan to upgrade to the newest version. One of the best features I have noted is that after creating a recoverable ram disk in the Mac environment and then returning to the AmigaDOS environment and _then_ go back to the AMAX, everything in my RAM disk is still intact! 🙂 Rex Suba Oklahoma Amiga Computer EnthusiastS
#16097From: SyndesisFeb 27, 1991 12:39 AM
A friend – who is inclined to exaggeration and distortion – claimed the new release had color support… is that true? As for hard disk support, I can use a partition on any Amiga SCSI drive, or must I dedicate a separate drive to the task? What's this Amax hardware board I've heard about? As for the RAM disk trick, I noticed that in the older version, too. Quite tricky.
#16151From: mark matarellaFeb 27, 1991 9:20 PM
I'm curious, I have been trying to decide whether to take the A MAX plunge. You gents mentions that a ram disk set up under A MAX survived a reboot to A DOS? I work with rather large databases and have need to move these from Amiga to Mac and vice versa. Can I place a ASCII file in Ram disk under Mac emulation, reboot to A DOS, and retrieve it? ( and or vice versa? ) Thanx, Mark
#16201From: SyndesisFeb 28, 1991 7:50 AM
I wish they'd look into this! It certainly solves the problem about moving files between AMax Mac environments and AmigaDOS. Right now, I transfer files from the Amax Mac to my PC and then back again, because I found the AMax 1.0 utilities so frustratingly slow and inaccurate. I've got the Central Coast Mac-2-Dos, too, but it can't be on the machine at the same time as the AMax. If they provided a utility that could read the Mac RAM disk while back in AmigaDOS, that would be great. Right now, they don't. Somehow, it survives reboots, but it also doesn't take away available memory when you're back in AmigaDOS. I think they hide it in un-allocated memory lists, and it's quite a coincidence that it survives. If I ran a memory-intensive program, I'm sure it would disappear.
#16262From: Rex SubaMar 1, 1991 12:25 AM
John, Since we only have the _128K_ ROMS in AMAX, it would quite a trick to come up with color…. The 128K roms support only 2 colors, not exactly "color" in my book. You can indeed set up a partition but only on specific SCSI interfaces. The AMAX II+ is not yet available and I don't subscribe to the RSN mode of availability: I'll believe it when someone actually has one. ReadySoft had an extensive list of features which they sent to registered owners of AMAX 1 but I have misplaced mine. The ads, however, list most of the important features. Rex eixt
#16326From: SyndesisMar 1, 1991 8:17 PM
Wouldn't it be possible to make a 256K ROM Amax?
#16647From: Steven D. KapplinMar 5, 1991 5:14 PM
John, No. Currently AMAX only supports the 128k ROMs. Unless REadysoft redesigns for 256k ROMs, you'll have to be content with that. However, the emulation is fully Mac Plus, so anything that runs on a Plus will run under Amax. In fact it runs a little faster. If you have an accelerator Amax-II will use it. My 68020 card with 32 bit memory runs nicely in Amax-II emulation. According to a Mac PD program, Speedometer, it runs nearly 3 times faster than a Mac SE. I also have an FPU in the card and the Mac emulator uses it, too. I've tried several Mac programs which will use an FPU when available, and they both recognized it.
#16376From: Rob AllbrittonMar 2, 1991 3:11 PM
Actualy, the 128K ROMs support 8 colors, but in a way that is COMPLETELY different than ColorQuickdraw on the Mac IIs, so no one ever wrote software to take advantage of it. Rob
#16493From: Jim SakladMar 3, 1991 6:09 PM
> Rex Suba Oklahoma Amiga Computer EnthusiastS Rex – let me guess — your user group is pronounced "Okies"? . . . . . JimDoc <<via WHAP!>>
#16613From: Rex SubaMar 5, 1991 1:09 AM
No it's OACES, like Oasis……. Rex