Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!crdgw1!uunet!munnari.oz.au!yoyo.aarnet.edu.au!sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au!mbaker
From: mbaker@ucs.adelaide.edu.au (Matthew Baker)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: How many MBytes would _you_ recommend?
Message-ID: <3628@sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au>
Date: 12 Jun 91 12:31:07 GMT
References: <1991Jun11.190859.16688@uni-paderborn.de>
Organization: Information Technology Division, The University of Adelaide, AUSTRALIA
Lines: 40

From article <1991Jun11.190859.16688@uni-paderborn.de>, by marc@uni-paderborn.de (Marc Gumbold):
> In order to get all the nice stuff running, that is available 
> nowadays for the ST (I own a good ol' 1986 520 ST+),
> how much memory would you recommend me to add to my 1 MB?

Recently, I did some horrible mangulations to my ST to put two 1MB SIPs
in it. Subsequently (now with 2.5MB) I have had no problems whatsoever
with memory. I use Gcc occasionally (but usually only on small code) - 
gemini, Calamus, Uniterm, MicroEmacs etc - and (apart from trying to load
dozens of fonts into Calamus) have _never_ wished I had more memory.
I'd say that 2.5 is a reasonable point to go to. Not very expensive, either.

> ... Anything important I missed?

Apart from gemini? 8)

> I really like my ST for what it is, namely a good typewriter. 
> But I would like to be able to do some decent C hackery at home
> and have my favourite tool (Emacs) around. I know the ST is slow,
> but I can live with that. I don't have the money to replace my
> ST with a state-of-the-art ?86 AT with some Unix.

I have an old 10MHz '286 running an elderly (2.1.1) Xenix that I use as a 
'unix' machine... it does the job quite nicely... (faster than a Vax! 8)
(okay, okay, better response time :)

> Or does anyone think it's not worth it? Should I better throw
> my ST out of the window (e.g. keep on just using it as a 
> typewriter-calendar-addressbook-videogame-terminal-thingy)?

Depends. If you have a hard disk, it's worth it. If not, best buy a new
system. (not being defeatist here... and I am basing this on _my_ experience
here in Oz with astronomical prices and all.

> Any comments welcome,

Mail bounced :(

> Marc

Matthew