Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cmcl2!sbcs!ameristar!rick
From: rick@ameristar (Rick Spanbauer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: CAN I USE the originial AMIGA for something?
Keywords: amiga1000,upgrade
Message-ID: <1990Jul10.234032.1809@ameristar>
Date: 10 Jul 90 23:40:32 GMT
References: <2697404b-25ffcomp.sys.amiga@vpnet.chi.il.us>
Organization: Ameristar Technology, Inc
Lines: 39

In article <2697404b-25ffcomp.sys.amiga@vpnet.chi.il.us> topgun@vpnet.chi.il.us (robert white) writes:
>I have the original Amiga,I believe it's called the 1000 model.
>  I haven't used it in years. I thought that even though the
>new models use much more memory and this first model is largely
>outmoded there still ought to be some usefulness left in it.
>  I went to my local AMIGA store and asked them what I would need to
>do in order to use the computer to communicate with online services
>and so forth. They told me that there is so little memory on this model
>that it's useless. They suggested I dump it since it would cost way
>too much to try and upgrade it.
>   Are they accurate? What would I neeed to do to be able to use it
>to get services such as Compuserve and various BBS.
>   Thanks....

I have a suggestion along these lines.  Let me say first that this
is not a solution to everyones problem, so no flames please.  One
way you can help both yourself and the cause of the Amiga is to
donate your old iron as it becomes excessed.  I gave my A1000 to
my brother in law; the result is that he is now tuned into the
Amiga and is out buying software/hardware from "brother" developers.
So far, he has purchased $1K worth of stuff - thus, giving up a machine 
that would have otherwise gathered dust instead generated sales for others
in the Amiga community.  And perhaps a sale down the line for CBM
if things follow their natural course.  When the time comes I plan
to give up my A2?00 gear to the pre-school my kid attends that is (believe 
it or not) still using PETs.  That way I get a tax writeoff as well as 
giving Amiga exposure to many potential customers.  If you're a student 
living on a stipend checks, my suggestion probably isn't for you.  If you're 
a developer who leverages purchases off business income, consider the 
strategy.  Its better than hanging onto your machine on the off chance 
it will wind up on Captain Kirks desk in the year 2200 ;-).  I used to 
keep old computers as trophys, but with a new model every two years and 
being sixteen years into the field it gets a bit ridiculous to keep them all. 

					Rick Spanbauer
					Ameristar

PS.  The one machine I do hang onto is my Altair 8800.  If I had a copy
of the original RE 8008 machine I would keep that too :-)