Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cbmvax!higgin
From: higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom MKT)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Taking the plunge
Message-ID: <5817@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 26 Jan 89 20:13:33 GMT
References: <7277@louie.udel.EDU>
Reply-To: higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom MKT)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 81

In article <7277@louie.udel.EDU> jwhitman@almsa-1.arpa (Jerry Whitman) writes:
[the man wants an Amiga! But has some questions based on his AT experience]
$1 - Does the bridgeboard environment give full functionality with VGA
$adaptors?

Yes, alternative display adaptors can be used with the Bridgeboard.  However,
since the display adaptor will provide a second video signal (in addition to
the normal Amiga output), the signal being fed to the monitor will either have
to be switched between the two sources or two monitors will be required.

$2 - Can a multi-sync monitor be reasonably rigged so it can be switched
$between a VGA card and Ami's RGB?  I do not need the cost of two hi-res
$monitors?

See above.  I'm sure you wouldn't find an "off the shelf" VGA/Amiga
switching box.  This would be a "project."

$3 - Is there any good clue to when an AT bridgeboard will show up, and a
$proposed price bracket?

We have not announced either details officially yet, sorry.

$4 - Can the bridgeboard see Ami's expanded memory or would I need extra
$memory specifically for it?  I am concerned how large spread-sheets and
$data-bases would function here.

The Bridgeboard has 1Mb of RAM standard and cannot use Amiga memory as
standard (!) PC memory (EMS, etc) but you could use it as a RAM drive.

$Concerning the HD element of the A2000HD.  (Auto-boot is mandatory!!)

Our A2000HD is autobooting, and the AT Bridgeboard software allows
autobooting by the Bridgeboard off the Amiga Hard Drive.

$1 - Is that configuration available only in 20 MB?

The A2000HD has a 40Mb drive.  If you wanted a different drive, you
would have to purchase an A2000, A2090A (or other controller) and a
hard drive of your choice.

$2 - Is it more cost effective to go the HD route or to add my own to a stock
$A2000? 

I think you will find our A2000HD to be attractively priced.

$3 - What is considered appropriate/required/minimum partitioning between the
$Ami and the bridgeboard? (ratio, percent, cyl, etc).

Depends entirely on your uses for each.  Lotus files tend not to be that
massive, but dBase files might be huge.  Amiga graphics can take up LOTS of
space if that's your intended use.  So partitioning is definitely dependent
on the applications you will run under each environment.

$4 - Can both environs access the same files?

Not at the same time, but data can be moved from DOS to DOS.  While PC and
Amiga files can share the same hard drive, all of the PC files are stored in
what appears as a single file to AmigaDOS.  Files can be moved from AmigaDOS
to MS-DOS using supplied AREAD/AWRITE utilities.

$One last off the wall question.  Which, if any, nulti-syncs will also
$directly accept input from a VCR to allow direct viewing of pre-recorded
$video materials.

I've never seen a multisync that accepted a composite input as well, except
for the monster Mitsubishi we have (37" screen, 2 composite, 1 RGB inputs).
This will CRUSH the Amiga 2000 :-)  It weighs around 500 pounds I think!!

$Thanks for your patience for this rambling, but when you can only have one
$ya gotta make sure its the right one.  Any light anyone can shed on any of
$these questions, plus anything else I should consider will be GREATLY
$appreciated.  My E-Mail is JWHITMAN@ALMSA-1.ARPA.

I have no idea how to email to that spaghetti, so that's why the answers
are on the net.  Hope no-one minds.

$Jerry Whitman
$USAMC-CSDA
$St.Louis MO

	Paul.