Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!sri-spam!mordor!lll-tis!lll-lcc!pyramid!hplabs!well!ewhac
From: ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: New User Seeks the Straight Dope on the A500
Keywords: Disk drives, Memory Expansions, PD software and prices
Message-ID: <5224@well.UUCP>
Date: 12 Feb 88 20:22:36 GMT
References: <1326@edison.GE.COM>
Reply-To: ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab)
Organization: Boing Boom Tschak
Lines: 45

In article <1326@edison.GE.COM> mfs@edison.GE.COM (Crispy @ Fried Brains and Snow Shoes) writes:
>2) Memory vs Disk - Many folks said the A500 is a dog without another
>   disk drive.  Just as many said it was a dog without at least 1Meg.
>   Memory is cheaper (at least the 1/2 meg expansion ~$140) but not by
>   much.  (disk drive is ~$195) So which should come first?

	The disk drive.  While you can survive just nicely with 512K of RAM,
you *cannot* survive with a single drive.  Some will claim that you can copy
most of WorkBench into RAM disk with 1 meg, and have a useable system.  They
are wrong.  (I love blanket statements, don't you?  Let's see if I can
justify it.)

	First off, in order to copy all of WorkBench into RAM, you'll need a
minimum of 1.5 megs.  The 500 can only be internally expanded to 1 meg.
Second, if your machine crashes, you have to reload your RAM disk when
re-booting.  This is a major drag.  Even with VD0: (which isn't guaranteed
to work in the 500's expansion RAM), it's still a drag.

	The other side of the coin is that, if you have two drives, life
immediately becomes much easier.  Disk copying becomes easier.  Re-boots
will be more pleasant, since you won't need to reload a RAM disk.

	I survived with 512K and 2 drives for the longest time.  A lot of my
early stuff was developed on a 512K system.  Much of the existing software
base will work in 512K.

	Having extra memory is nice, but in my humble opinion, having the
second drive is mandatory.

> Also, are there internal expansion RAMS with more than a 1/2 meg?
> How much do these go for ?
>
	Yes, there are.  I would stay away from them, as they make
unreasonable demands on the 500's power supply.  Memory that clips onto the
side, or an expansion cage, is the way to go for memory expansion beyond 1
meg.  There are beefier power supplies available for the 500, but you're
still better off with external memory or an expansion cage.

	This is just me talking, remember....

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Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape	ihnp4!ptsfa -\
 \_ -_		Recumbent Bikes:	      dual ---> !{well,unicom}!ewhac
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