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From: UD140469@NDSUVM1.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Some stupid beginner questions
Message-ID: <359UD140469@NDSUVM1>
Date: Mon, 12-Oct-87 16:16:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: NDSUVM1.359UD140469
Posted: Mon Oct 12 16:16:18 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Oct-87 07:03:09 EDT
Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computer Network, Fargo, ND
Lines: 60
DISCLAIMER: Author bears full responsibility for contents of this article. 
     In case you haven't guessed from my previous two messages, I'm thinking


(strongly) about buying an Amiga 500.  Before I  absolutely finalize my
decision, I'd like to try to get some questions answered.  In an effort to cut
down on netmail, I'll post all my questions in one lump:
     
     Upgradablity:  I know the 500 has an expansion slot, but just what can be
                    done with it?  I assume that it can do what an A1000 can
                    handle (after the manufacturers make the appropriate
                    modifications to their products), but will it be able to
                    handle any of the goodies coming out for the A2000 (maybe
                    via a card-cage?)--goodies like an MMU, higher resolutions,
                    etc.
     
     More RAM or another disk:  Which do you find more useful--1 meg of RAM or
                                an external drive?
     
     RSISystems:  Has anyone ever dealt with this company before?  They have
                  the lowest price of anyone I've found ($544 for the 500 &
                  $120 for the memory upgrade).
     
     C, Modula, Pascal:  What's your favorite?  I gather that Manx and Lattice
                         are the favorite C's, but Manx seems to have a heftier
                         price (although I did see one place claiming to have
                         it at $120--can this be right?).  Are there any PD C's
                         out for the Amiga?  From the ads in Amiga World I see
                         a lot of places carrying TDI Modula--it would be nice
                         to have because I have it on my ST (should be fairly
                         portable), but how does it do on handling the Amiga
                         specific docs?  Lastly, MCC Pascal--is this as bad on
                         the Amiga as it is on the ST?
     
     Mac Disks:  Is there anyway to get the Amiga to read Mac disks (preferably
                 a non-hardware method)?  I know there's a program (DOS-2-DOS)
                 that will read IBM/ST disks, and if the Amiga could read Mac
                 disks I'd almost certainly purchase it (read them in to the
                 Amiga, write them out to an IBM/ST disk and port them over to
                 my ST's Magic Sac and run Mac software!).
     
     PD Stuff:  After buying the system and one development language, I'll have
                very little (read: $0) left over to buy any other software.
                What's a good source to get inexpensive (i.e. $3-$6 per disk)
                PD software?  I know the net's a good place to get stuff, but
                of course I need to get at least a terminal program & Kermit
                before I can get stuff off of there.
     
    Also, I'll ask my cable question again--anyone know of a place that sells a
cable that would let me hook an A500 up to an Atari SC1224 RGB monitor?  I've
found one place named KJ Computers (in CA, I think) that says they normally
keep one in stock (they're out now--I think they just make a new one when an
order comes in), but I'd like to find a place a little bit closer (also cheaper
--the guy I talked with on the phone didn't know the price of their cable, and
that makes me a little suspicious).
     
  Thanks for all the help!
     
     
   Scott Udell
   UD140469@NDSUVM1.BITNET
     
,