Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!uunet!cbmvax!daveh From: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: A3000 Keywords: 3000 Message-ID: <21196@cbmvax.commodore.com> Date: 3 May 91 03:43:23 GMT References: Reply-To: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA Lines: 85 In article moore@iastate.edu (Moore Brian Joseph) writes: > - Is the 3000's display interlaced? You have your choice of 15kHz (NTSC) or 31kHz (VGA compatible) outputs. The NTSC output, on the standard Amiga 23 pin DB connector, is NTSC for all display modes except the new ECS 640x480x2 and 684x960x2. The latter is interlaced, and only weird monitors are likely to display it, since most VGA type monitors don't typically handle interlace. All the other modes are normal Amiga from that port. On the 31KHz port, all traditional Amiga modes are scan converted (either line or frame doubled, depending on whether they use 200 or 400 lines) to deliver non-interlaced VGA compatible output. The new ECS modes work on this port too, althrough the 1280x400 type modes can't be correctly scan converted. >What's the monitor most often used, and is it VGA compatible? Well, I usually use Moniterm/A2024 (Hedley Hires) monitors. When I need color, I use the C= 1950, which is a multiscanning monitor than handles VGA and NTSC resolutions. > - Can I still run WB 1.3 if 2.0 doesn't meet my needs? Right now, you can select the OS at cold boot time. Eventually, you may want 2.0 in ROM, but via the MMU, it'll always be possible to load 1.3 in via a SetCPU type program, assuming you have that on disk somewhere. Probably more trouble than it's worth, though; I'm using a latter-day 2.0x internal release, and if I did find anything that didn't run under it, I would throw that program away (or complain for an upgrade) rather than boot into 1.3. > - What HD controller is in the 3000? If its the A2091, will its problems be > corrected? The A3000 has a full 32 bit DMA driven hard disk controller. It has a faint family resemblence to the DMAC on the A2091, though it's many times faster. It uses the same WD SCSI controller as the A2091, but at least as of release 2.02, there are no software problems with it. A2091 problems are fixed in the Rev 6.6 ROMs for that board. > - How much RAM can I put on the motherboard? 18MB, 16MB of Fast RAM, 2MB of Chip RAM. > - How well does the Bridgeboard work on the 3000. You have to either disable the data cache on the 68030, or run an MMU tool (such as the latest Enforcer) that knows about the BridgeCard, at present. This is because the Zorro II bus doesn't have provision to run shared memory coprocessor type devices in cachable expansion space. >Are there many slots for this purpose. Not in the desktop A3000. There are two AT slots, which at best gives you room for one AT bus card. The A3000T has the same basic slot configuration as the A2000 (with the addition of the Video Slot as a Zorro bus extension, as we had planned since way, way, back, and of course that the 3000 slots are all Zorro III rather than Zorro II). >Does the ATOnce work on the 3000? I think the ATOnce requires a 68000 bus, which the A3000 does not have. Unless it can live somehow as a Zorro II card, it cannot work in the A3000. > - (How well) does AMAX work with the 3000? The current Mac OS can't support all the A3000's memory, it is limited to 24 bit addressing. I think clever MMU tricks get you most of it. Perhaps AMAX will be able to use the rest of the A3000's memory when System 7 ships? >Also are there plans for a faster BridgeBoard (SX maybe) in the works. 8 MHz >doesn't thrill me. Nothing announced yet. Frankly, a BridgeCard in an A3000 is kind of like a bringing a parachute with you on the Space Shuttle. Sure, you may find use for it, but you'd really rather not. I guess if you're stuck using MS-DOS, you have to think of those things. I have on in my office A2500, which I did use once about two months ago. It won't ever be transported to any of my A3000s, though I might find room for it in a "T". > / Brian J. Moore / moore@iastate.edu / -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy "That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight" -R.E.M.