Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!motcid!king From: king@cell.mot.COM (Steven King) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Amiga 500 hard drives (esp. Supra and GVP) Message-ID: <447@grape3.UUCP> Date: 28 Nov 89 23:42:47 GMT References: <418@grape3.UUCP> <704@godot.psc.edu> Organization: Motorola Inc. - Cellular Infrastructure Div., Arlington Heights, IL 60004 Lines: 79 I promised a summary, so here it be. In my original question I was looking for a hard drive for my A500. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ah the lure of magazine Ads.... The Supra Ads don't show the A500 controller at all. They are showing the drive case, which doesn't even connect to your A500. The Supra Controller is a case that has the front sloped to match the curve of the A500 case. No it won't get in your way. -The A500 SCSI controller gets its power from the external drive along with the SCSI through it's totally nonstandard 37pin D connector -The RAM card plugs into the SCSI controller, and eats up too much current for the A500's supply, so it needs the drive power supply. I have the Supra with 2M/RAM. The RAM works fine, but the controller seems defective, I'll have to call their customer service, and arrange to send it back :-( . The GVP (especially its new incarnation with autoboot standard, and up to 4M RAMlooks pretty nice. Their Ads also never show you something. They never show their power supply which has a case just like the A500s. I have no idea of how the Trumpcard500, Synergy500 or Xetec Fastrack, compare. I personally think the Commodore A590 would be the way to go, unless CMI's multiport board/SCSI for the A500 appears, or MASTs Infinity machine comes out with support for a math coprocessor (Its not in their vapor-drawings). -Ed Berger eberger@b.psc.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am typing this on my Amiga 500 with a GVP Impact 500 with 40meg quantum drive. It does not interfere with my typing. I have had no problems with it since setup. Here are my gripes: quality control - the autoboot/memory daughterboard fell out of its socket during shipping. I put it back in place myself and everything is fine, autoboots great (i run noclick and never have to put a disk in the drive to quiet the clicking - I tossed my external 3 1/2 drive to the closet as it is not needed. noise - the fan is loud (i am used to it now) when I first installed i was irritated by the fan noise as I had gotten used to leaving my quiet fanless 500 on for weeks on end. Since the machine is in my bedroom and the fan makes noise I can't do this anymore. speed - I kinda wish I waited and bought the smaller commodore a590 hard disk. Although the hard disk it comes with sucks the controller is the best on the market by far and when money starts to roll in I could replace the drive it came with by a CDC WREN V or something reasonable :-) although I am so busy about the only thing I use my amiga 500 for is as a terminal to the suns, vaxen, and DECstations at work. Jeff Webber / U of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies path: uunet!mimsy!jsw phone (301)-454-7687 jsw@lorax.umiacs.umd.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have a GVP Impact, 40 Meg and am very happy with it. The newer versions of the GVP have a few additional features that mine does not, like the RAM/ Autoboot module already installed at no extra cost. You can put up to 4Meg of RAM on the new one which should suffice. When I went looking for my hard drive space was a big consideration and the GVP takes up much less space than the Supra so I got it. Since then I have had no problems and have been very happy with it and have even convinced others to buy them on my recommendation. Tim Harris ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for everyone's help! I ordered the GVP Impact 500 w/40Meg Quantum drive last Friday; hopefully it will arrive soon. -- ---------------------------------------------------+--------------------------- I'm very good at giving directions, especially if | Steve King (708) 991-8056 I'm giving them to myself, 'cause I know what I'm | ...uunet!motcid!king talking about. | ...ddsw1!palnet!stevek