Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!knuth!mjbtn!raider!elgamy!elg From: elg@elgamy.RAIDERNET.COM (Eric Lee Green) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: looking for advice / information Message-ID: <00671420662@elgamy.RAIDERNET.COM> Date: 12 Apr 91 01:44:22 GMT References: <10047@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> Organization: Eric's Amiga 2000 @ Home Lines: 136 From article <10047@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, by asg@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Bruce Varney): > 1) I currently have a 286. How well will my software run on an Amiga > a) with the software emulater --------cost? Software emulator is free, and slow. > b) with the AT emulator board --------cost? The AT "emulator" board is actually a complete AT on a plug-in circuit card. Including floppy disk controller and fake "video chip", etc. Completely compatible, except for those software products that don't have an option to use the BIOS for hard drive access (since the BIOS has been patched to allow auto-booting the AT emulator off of the Amiga's hard drive). > 1.1) is the amiga 3000ux faster than a 486-33MHz? (rated at 14.5 MIPS) CPU speed is slower. I/O speed is *MUCH* faster. The Amiga 3000's Zorro III I/O bus will go the full speed of the CPU, meaning that the limit becomes how fast the drive will go, rather than the 8 or 10 or 12mhz 16-bit bus in a PC. For Unix, this means that basically you will get better performance in many cases, because Unix is very I/O dependent. Note that Unix kernals on the '386/'486 class machines do not generally do DMA, they hand-copy the data from the I/O controller... since the AT-class machines don't have a fast bus or fast DMA controller, that's about the only way to do it. But this burns up CPU cycles that could be better used for computing. > 2) I have heard that when the 040 comes out, it will be easy to put it > in the 3000ux, and that it will cost around $1000. I have also heard > that it will be easy to make a few mods to make the 040 see the 030 > and use it to process in parralell. Comments? '040 will be cheap. Using the '030 in parallel won't, because it would require major kernal changes. > 3) Can the amiga even emulate VGA software? You mean with the PC Bridgeboard? No, you'd have to add a VGA card to the IBM bus to get VGA with the BridgeBoard. Standard Amiga resolutions are similar to standard VGA, but not as big of a palette. Higher resolutions require the TIGA card for color, or the Hedley monitor (forget the number) for high-resolution monochrome. > 4) Can the amiga access it's 3.5 drive for dos software? Yes. > 5) How good is the Amiga SVR4 software? Good. Very complete. Includes "X" and a windowing system, as well as all the networking software, etc. > 6) I have heard price quotes at $4000, and $4900 for the > Amiga3000ux with 5M ram, 100M HD, and the OS included. > which is correct? You probably would want to immediately add more RAM and hard drive. A 9mb Amiga3000ux with 200mb drive is usable. The base model is only barely usable. Note that dealers are independent entities, free to price as they wish. Shope for the best value. > 6.4) 5.25 drice? Cost? Comes with the Bridgeboard. But you'd have to get an Amiga 3000T (tower case version) to fit it into the 3000. There's no space for it in the "slimline" 3000. > 6.5) Extra disk space? How much cna I get? How much does it cost? Amiga takes standard SCSI hard drives. 200mb 3 1/2" drives are selling for around $700-$800 nowdays, 360mb at around $1500. If you're really feeling outrageous, a full-height Fujitsu 5 1/4" 1.2 gigabyte drive can be yours for the low low cost of around $3600. (The Fujitsu would have to be in an external case, of course). > 6.6) Tape backup? How much? SCSI. Basically Mac tape backup units. Around $400-$500. > 7) what is a genloc? Cost? Allows overlaying an Amiga screen on top of video output. E.g., adding titles to your home movies. (Or doing full professional titling in a video studio... e.g., most cable TV companies are using Amigas to do this nowdays). > 8) any CD-rom stuff for the amiga? Cost? Yes. A variety of stuff. CDTV titles will run on the Amiga, for one thing. CD-rom's are around $600? > 9) and Midi interface stuff for the Amiga? Cost? Cheap. Maybe $40/$50. Basically consists of a couple of bus buffers hung off the RS232 port (which was designed for MIDI in the first place). > 10) Input interface for VHs? Cost? Scanners? Cost? All sorts. > 11) Is there anything an Amiga cannot do? Spreadsheets. Databases are okay, though clumsy, but Amiga spreadsheets stink. The Amiga has some decent word processors. Doesn't have that great of accounting software, though. > Part B - I am going to be starting a computer buisiness with some > friends this summer. I am going to make more money (I am a Co-op > student) than I expected this year, and will have paid quite alot > in income tax. Will I be able to deduct some portion (an approx how much?) > of the purchase price for tax purposes? Risky. If you use the computer 100% for the business, you can depreciate it. You can take a lump-sum depreciation up to a certain amount, and past that, it has to be depreciated according to the IRS's depreciation tables. But you better darn well have every minute of computer usage documented and billed to a client, or you won't have a leg to stand on when the IRS audits you. If it's not used 100% for the business, you can depreciate the percentage that is used, I believe... but note that this is still risky, and you better have darn good documentation. As always, talking to a competent tax expert (accountant etc.) is advisable in this as in all other tax matters. The IRS doesn't play. When the IRS comes into town you're assumed guilty until you prove you're innocent, and in the meantime they've seized your house and checking account. "Taxpayer's rights" is an oxymoron. -- Eric Lee Green (318) 984-1820 P.O. Box 92191 Lafayette, LA 70509 elg@elgamy.RAIDERNET.COM uunet!mjbtn!raider!elgamy!elg Looking for a job... tips, leads appreciated... inquire within...