| From: | Eyetech tech assistance |
| Date: | 24 Oct 2000 at 11:38:20 |
| Subject: | Re: Amiga announcing silly named things? ;) |
> Running existing software at higher speeds is exactly what is wanted
> right now. That gives time for the DE to grow.
That was what drove the design essentially
>
> It took several years for the old Amiga to build up a collection of top
> quality software. The real pity is that now it could run on a fast
> machine with good graphics, so much of it is no longer available.
>
> DynaCADD, for instance.
>
> At least Bars & Pipes is now officially available free from a normal web
> site. But will this new system handle an Amiga MIDI program properly? -
> for instance, by using the old serial port?
With 680x0 emulation on the G3/G4 (which will be a boot option from the
AmigaOne's flash ROM) the board will just look like an Amiga accelerator to
the native Amiga, will boot kickstart etc. All the old hardware will be
available - which is the real point of dooing it this way. All the PCI
resources will also be available, but will obviously need 680x0 compatible
drivers which we are not planning to write (but will give all assistance to
anyone who wants to write PD ones). More likely is that the whole process
will give an added impetus to a Classic Amiga 'emulator' under Amiga DE,
which will allow the old Amiga to be thrown away and the new PCI resources
to be used by Classic Amiga software.
>
>
> Several people on other lists have pointed out that A3000T and A4000T
> are much commoner in the US than here, and should be supported.
>
Its a physical issue. We are initially making 2 PCB designs/layouts, one for
the A1200 & one for the Towered A4000D. As the A3000 (& A4000T & A3000T
etc ) has a diffeent physical layout (ie cpu connector to card slots) in x,y
& z if you plug the
AmigaOne 4000 connector into the A3000/A3000T/A4000T cpu conector the actual
slots will all be in the wrong place. And if you make a new PCB layout you
have to
validate the trace routing actually works all over again - a big &
expensive job. The actual technology is identical, just the layout that
needs reworking.
As in the Amiga Inc press release, we will consider AmigaOne boards for
these other
platforms, depending of course on demand etc, once the AmigaOne 1200/4000
are shipping.
>
> Will your A4000 solution fit in a Power Tower, ... cases?
Yes, (and the A1200 ones also, but due to fact that one of power/elbox A1200
towers back slots does not line up with one of the the Z4 slots you will
loose a PCI slot unless you mod the case) . We will also be offering our own
compatible A1200/A4000 cases at a discount for those who have not yet
towered.
Hope this helps
Alan
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