Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!cbmvax!grr
From: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Silly B2000 trivia
Message-ID: <3586@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 7 Apr 88 10:53:50 GMT
References: <784@esunix.UUCP>
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Distribution: na
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 43
Keywords: 1.2a, stickers, ugly kludges

In article <784@esunix.UUCP> blgardne@esunix.UUCP (Blaine Gardner) writes:
> 
> First off, there is a new Kickstart ROM in the later machines (1.2a ?).
> Remember the five finger trick that produces a single finger salute?
> Well the shift-shift-alt-alt-fkey-insert-a-disk gag no longer produces
> the message "Amiga, we made it, they f**ked it up." Now it says "Still a
> champion."

Same ROMs but there's some trickery going on to inhibit the embarrassing
messages...

> The machine has a C= key instead of a Left-Amiga. BOO, HISS! If
> Commodore will provide a part number for a Left-Amiga key, I know quite
> a few people that want to order one.  No :-) here, I'm serious.

Most of the newer keyboards with the large function keys have the C=.
 
> Also, there is this incredibly ugly blob on the mouse cable next to
> the DB9 connector. It's about 0.5" in diameter and 1.5" long. White heat
> shrink over something round and hard, with a cable tie on one end.
> What the heck is this here for? Surge protection on the mouse??? 
> Will anything break when I cut it off after my warranty expires?

It's to insure that the system doesn't violate the FCC limits.  Infernal
electrons love to crawl out the mouse cable.  If you remove it, watch
out for grey vans with little ratating antennae.  It's just a couple
ferrite cores.

> Other nits: The clock was gaining about 7 minutes a week, I've tweaked
> it down to about a minute a week, and it will get another tweak the next
> time the case is open. I was going to set it up with a frequency
> counter, but when the reference signal is 1 Hz, and the bottom end on
> your freq counter is 5 Hz, there's not much you can do. (Is it possible
> to use the oscillator frequency to setup the clock, instead of pin one
> on the clock chip?)

You need a special non-loading capacitive probe to keep from shifting
the crystal frequency.  Tweaking, or measuring the period of the reference
signal is probably the best you can do...
-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {uunet|ihnp4|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@uunet.uu.net
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)