Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!pacbell!pacbell.com!ames!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!ufqtp!sutherla
From: sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu (Scott Sutherland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Got to see an A3000 yesterday, and ......
Message-ID: <1024@orange9.qtp.ufl.edu>
Date: 3 Jun 90 20:48:03 GMT
Reply-To: sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu (Scott Sutherland)
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Florida Quantum Theory Project
Lines: 62


	I went to Orange Park, FL (the closest location of an
authorized Amiga dealer) and I got to see and use an A3000.  
I knew it was supposed to be small, but !!!   However, in 
playing around with it, I ran into a few questions.

1) I ran NewTek's Demo Reel III.  Everything worked fine until
   the demo got to the Dynamic Hires picture of the close up
   of a man's face.  This picture was ALL messed up.  There was
   no discernible image, but the colors did appear correct.  It
   was as if the synchronization between each scan line was off.
   Or, perhaps more clearly, as if each scanline was shifted
   w.r.t. the others.  What gives????


2) There is a close gadget on the WB window.  According to the 
   store owner, you have to close all other windows before closing
   the WB window.  Also, I asked him if a CLI is left after the WB
   is closed.  He said no, if you close the WB screen, the machine 
   "locks you out" (no response to mouse or keyboard input) and you
   have to reboot.  Now, I realize that this is NOT the final WB 2.0,
   but I would like to know what is going on here.

3) I have heard that the first A3000 units will allow the user to choose
   between WB 1.3 and 2.0 (both on HD).  I have a couple of questions
   regarding this.  How do you choose?  When I booted up the system, I 
   was always put in 2.0.  Do you have to use a trick similar to that used
   by the 2620/2630 when they switch between the '020('030) and the '000??
   In other words, to get WB 1.3, do I reboot, hold down the mouse buttons
   (or some other key(s) on the keyboard) and then get an options screen?
   Another question revolves around memory.  I have heard that these first
   A3000 units, in order to have the ability to access WB 1.3, give up
   512K of RAM.  Well, when I booted up the A3000 (off the HD), the
   total RAM count was something like 820K of CHIP (I assume the rest of
   the 1 Meg was used for the 640x400x2 display (and icons, etc...), and
   280K of FAST.  Now, with 2 Megs of RAM in the system, if the WB 1.3
   option takes up 512K, then I would expect this latter number to be 
   close to 450K or even 500K.  Now, I realize that in my vanilla A2000
   I have one Meg but get only 900K after booting (870K or so with WB
   1.3), but the A3000 seems to take up almost 200K of FAST RAM over and
   above the 512K for the optional WB loading capability.  Now, my 
   questions here are:  Why does it take 512K to have this optional 
   ability to run WB 1.3 if WB 1.3 is located on the HD??  Why does this
   become available again when the final 2.0 ROMs are installed?  And
   where does this 200K or so of ADDITIONAL FAST RAM go upon booting up?
   It was very disappointing to have only 1.1 Meg of RAM in a 2 Meg.
   machine.  Is this due to, at least in part, to the presence of a 
   HD?  I know that when I used an A2000HD for a while, with a 
   Xetec controller and 40 Mb Seagate, I got only 720K of RAM available
   to me after startup.  Why does the presence of a HD necessitate the
   using of so much RAM?  

Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Also, if I buy an A3000 now (I know
that they won't be shipping for a month or so) without the 2.0 ROMS and
then decide to upgrade when these ROM chips are ready, will it cost me
extra, or is it covered in the 1 year warrantee???


Thanks,

Scott Sutherland
sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu