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1. Answer to the Question about Internet Access with A500+ (by Dirk Wenk)

Into the Internet with the A500+ ... Nothing is impossible! :) But you need minimum 2 MB RAM and lots of patience. A harddisk is an advantage.

At first connect the modem to the A500.

Then install a TCP/IP stack. When using Miami you can save some memory by setting the configuration to not load the GUI when started! Only the control panel should be opened. Unfortunately I do not know anything about the situation when using any other TCP/IP stack. Demo version of TCP/IP stacks can be downloaded from the Aminet or copied off a CD. In any case an alternative serial device should be used, e.g. baudbandit or 8n1, but even with those the A500 will soon be overstrained. Anyway, you should stay below 38400 bps!

Programs for email, irc, news etc. will offer no difficulties (besides the fact that the memory will grow low). With browsers it appears completely different:

1. The 68000 CPU simply is too slow and

2. all those pictures and texts require too much memory.

The best solution is to use a text browser like e.g. Lynx.

Only with 4 MB of RAM or more could a graphics browser like AWeb, Voyager or IBrowse can be suggested.

What else? Oh yes ... If you want to equip the A500+ with a 68010/12 Mhz CPU ... I still have a spare one ;). Amounts to appr. 10% more power and you may transfer Vbr to fast RAM (if you have it). With additional genuine Fast-RAM the system will deliver appr. 1.5 Mips (standard 0.89 Mips).

If you have 3 to 4 floppy-disk drives you may do without harddisk!

1. Disk:	Workbench
2. Disk:	With TCP/IP stack + extra libraries
3. Disk:	With programs. The programs should best be packed.
	Powerpacker or as well the qite old but effective
	disk-expander programs are well suited.

Email can be done on a completely Web-based service. Unfortunately more and more suppliers have converted their site from HTML to Java or JavaScript, so that they are no longer usable by an Amiga. That means, watch out when choosing the correct email account!

Follow these steps for lots of fun when surfing.

Dirk Wenk <dw@teleservice.com>