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From: pochron@cat52.cs.wisc.edu (David Pochron)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: Few questions/observations about the A3000
Summary: I wouldn't keep KickStart on disk if I were you...
Keywords: KS 2.0
Message-ID: <1991Apr24.172714.462@daffy.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 24 Apr 91 17:27:14 GMT
References: <1991Apr22.184252.10274@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> <1991Apr23.143421.17738@javelin.sim.es.com>
Sender: news@daffy.cs.wisc.edu (The News)
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 47

In article <1991Apr23.143421.17738@javelin.sim.es.com> blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com writes:
>No disadvantages that I can see, except you give up 512K of RAM to the
>Kickstart image that's loaded from disk. The advantages to the current
>setup is you can upgrade the OS from a floppy, without having to open
>the case. Since RAM is cheap, and RAM is faster than ROM, I plan to stay
>with the disk-based Kickstart myself.

Unless I am mistaken, I don't think Commodore will be releasing a disk-based
final version of Kickstart this time around.  Considering the only machines
that *need* a disk based version of KS are the 1000's, and CBM has yet to give
the green light for 2.0 support on it, (that is, though it is possible (now
even) for 2.0 to run on the 1000's, CBM has to officially "sanction" it) I
wouldn't hold my breath for a disk-based version of KS, except for any further
pre-releases.  (You could use them, if you don't mind using slightly buggy,
gamma versions.)

Furthermore, unless you have a pre-3000 Amiga with a faster CPU & 32 bit RAM,
there is no speed difference between running KS in ROM and running KS in RAM!
(I thought this was all discussed in c.s.a.h several months ago about ROM vs
RAM...)

Also, it is highly unlikely that CBM will continue to release KS 2.0
upgrades on disk after the ROM's are out.  If any changes are made, they will
be done through SetPatch.

I hope I am not sounding too harsh, but I just don't see any advantage to using
up 512K of precious RAM on the 3000's, + HD space, (or waiting for KS to load
from floppy, (arg!)) just to have KS in RAM when there won't be any need to.
(And again, any disk-based version is bound to not be as up-to-date as the
final ROM version will be.)

As for 2000 owners with 68020/30's, (like me) having SetCPU just download
the OS from ROM into 32 bit RAM is much easier than having an image of it out
on disk.  If I need to use 1.3, SetCPU provides that feature already...



>Blaine Gardner @ Evans & Sutherland  580 Arapeen Drive, SLC, Utah 84108
>blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com                               BIX: blaine_g
>DoD #46           My other motorcycle is a Quadracer.            FJ1200


-- 

          David M. Pochron   | Transparent DWV pipe:  For the man who wants to
                             |                        see it all...
pochron@garfield.cs.wisc.edu | (If you don't know what DWV is, get a life! :-)