Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!husc6!rutgers!clyde!wayback!atux01!perry
From: perry@atux01.UUCP (Perry S. Kivolowitz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Extra ram vs. hard disk
Message-ID: <511@atux01.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Aug-87 01:10:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: atux01.511
Posted: Fri Aug  7 01:10:40 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Aug-87 06:49:04 EDT
References: <18611@cca.CCA.COM> <4597@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Distribution: na
Organization: erehwon
Lines: 60
Summary: follow up info

In article <4597@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>, mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer) writes:
> (discussion about four meg being enough)

Four meg is exactly what I use. I keep about two megabytes of VD0: which
is enough to hold the entire C development environment as well as nearly
every programming tool worth having. As well  as the  source to three or
four projects that I might be working on. As well as a few spreadsheets.

Then, I throw 512 buffers at FaccII from my startup-sequence.  This con-
only another 256K. 

So, with everything I could possibley need in VD0: AND  a comfortable a-
mount of FaccII space I still have about two megabytes to spare for pro-
gram execution.

In my view, four meg  is  the ``minimum dream''  configuration. At eight
megabytes the extra space  can  be  turned  into a really effective mass
storage device.  But at  four, you can already configure a working envi-
ronment on an Amiga which gives  serious  competition  to  a single user
VAX 11/780. That's what VD0:, four meg  of ram, and Facc buy you. An ef-
fective working environment on  your Amiga. There is very little I could
do better  or  faster  on a single user VAX. (speaking completely objec-
tively as a computing professional,  I  love  my  Amiga (with the  added
goodies)).

I might also add that  more memory will  increase  the level of multipro-
gramming which  a  disk drive cannot do. Also, enough ram (and a recover-
able ram disk) will make the need for a disk less urgent (until of course
your needs outgrow your ram again).

> BUY A RACK! BUY A RACK! 

Here. Here. 

> The ASDG mini rack + an ASDG ram board fits the budget, but ASDG
> doesn't have a disk controller (yet). And I think you can only get 2
> meg at the price. I'd be tempted by it if I were in your shoes. (Hmm -
> thinking about it, I may switch to that anyway. When is your disk
> controller do out, Perry?)
> 

Let's see. The budget was $1000 for four meg? Well, a 2M plus a mini-rack-c
is $599. A  second  2M (making  four megabytes) would be $499. That gets us
within $100 of the target price. But then, you'd be taking up both slots of
the Mini-Rack  so when  you want to upgrade to the SDP (satellite disk pro-
cessor) you'd also have to upgrade racks. ummm.

Another approach is to get an 8M/2 for  899 also including the Mini-Rack-C.
This would be 899. But, then you  could later put as much as 8 megabytes on
the single memory board leaving the second slot available for the SDP.

The SPD will be out in small quantities in September. More available as time
marches forever onward. 

Perry

By the way, Mike. I now read your messages even if the topic is completely
uninteresting to me  just to see what you have as your signature. A) where
do you get this stuff. B) have  you ever  repeated any one  signature more
than once?