Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!pa.dec.com!bacchus!mwm From: mwm@pa.dec.com (Mike (My Watch Has Windows) Meyer) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: A500/A1000/A2000/A2500/A3000 differences... Message-ID: Date: 3 May 91 23:42:13 GMT References: <1991May3.205436.20403@rodan.acs.syr.edu> <1489@caslon.cs.arizona.edu> Sender: news@pa.dec.com (News) Organization: Missionaria Phonibalonica Lines: 89 In-Reply-To: dave@cs.arizona.edu's message of 4 May 91 00:42:19 GMT In article <1489@caslon.cs.arizona.edu> dave@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Schaumann) writes: In article <1991May3.205436.20403@rodan.acs.syr.edu> dblee@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Dan Lee) writes: >Hi all, > >I am considering buying an Amiga. But, there are so many kinds of Amigas. Too true. I don't think so; then again, I've been helping people shop for IBM clones lately... >Can anyone tell me the differences/specs of all models of Amiga. >I am confused about different models, especially within A500/A500P. Well, the A500's are the lowest-priced models. I'm not sure what the differences between the A500 and the A500P are, but I will tell you this: The A500 is a 512K machine. Currently, it's the A500C (consumer), meaning it comes packaged with some games and a piece of productivity software of some kind. The A500P is the professional version. 1 Meg, and it comes bundled with AmigaVision. I believe (but am not sure) that the A500P is only sold through authorized dealers, whereas the A500C is only sold through people who _aren't_ authorized dealers (mostly department stores). go for a 2000/3000 unless all you want to do is play games. Because if you want to do anything else (programming, graphics/video/desktop publishing/etc) you're going to want to expand: more memory, a hard disk, maybe a flicker fixer, and what-not. And if you have a 500, you're liable to spend more in the long run than if you invest in a 2000 or 3000. Oh, bullshit. The cheapest way to get an Amiga suitable for serious work is an A500P+A590 (or similar; the A590 isn't necessarily the best buy) full of memory, and some would consider that overkill. You can buy flicker-fixers, AT cards, and 0[23]0 cards that will go inside the A500. If you really want, you can even get a Bodega Bay box and have a place for internal drives. Continuing: The A2000 is an A500P with slots and internal drive bays. Used ones may be closer to the A500C. The A2000HD is an A2000 with a SCSI disk controller and hard disk. The A2500/20 is an A2000HD with a 14Mhz 68020. The A2500/30 is an A2500/20 with a 25MHz 68030 instead of the 020. The A3000 is a different creature than the A500/1000/2000 boxes. Those are basically 16 bit systems, even if they've got an '020 or '030 in them. The A3000 is basically a 32 bit system - motherboard memory, SCSI, and bus all have 32 bit data paths. The A3000/15 is a 16MHz 030 & 881 with 2 meg of ram and a 50 meg hd (though you seem some 40s around). The A3000/25-40 is a 25MHz 030 & 882 with 2 meg of ram and a 40 meg hd. These will all be used now, as the 40 meg drive was apparently a stopgap measure. The A3000/25-50 has a 50 meg hd instead of the 40 meg, and is what you should see in the stores. The A3000/25-100 has a 100 meg hd instead of the 50, and has 5 meg of ram (though some used machines may only have 2 meg). All of the above have one empty 3 1/2" drive bay, and fewer slots than the A2000 line. The A3000 is an A3000/25-100 (I don't think it comes in any other flavor, but it's still new...) in a tower case with an A2000's worth of slots, and more space for internal drives than any other Amiga. >Also, if I get a used Amiga, will it run all softwares? And will the >future software support old Amiga? No, and no. Specifically, old machines will have varying releases of the operating system, ranging from 1.1 to 2.0x. And you can buy upgrades to 1.3 for all of them, too. This may break software you get with the machine; but it's not very likely.