From: skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (Skip Sauls)
Subject: Re: A4000 pictures
Organization: University of Mississippi, Dept. of Computer Science
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 05:14:49 GMT

In article <jmx1t5m@rpi.edu> danaf@rpi.edu writes:
>In article <1992Nov14.204436.324@ra.msstate.edu>, skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (Skip Sauls) writes:
>Oh, well... can't be worse than ripping apart an A2000.

Actually a bit easier.

>|> There are only two tiny screws on the rear of the case, which lifts off 
>|> instead of sliding forward as on the A2000 and A3000.  The Ethernet board 
>|> I am using
>
>Hey! My A2000 case lifts off! (See previous discussion... 8)   )

Oh, that's right, I forgot that you modified your case a bit. :-)

>|> the width of the case and is in fact smaller than the A3000's.  Due to the
>|> surface mounting, the motherboard appears much cleaner than the A3000's and
>|> looks more like something from Apple.  Some of the custom chips and gate
>   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>I'll take that as a compliment.... 

It is.  I don't mean to criticize other C= motherboards, but the A3000 looks
a bit primitive next to a Mac IIci.  I know it may not mean much, but clean
motherboards look cool to me.  Stupid, I know.  :-)

>|> the machine is very small.  Speaking of the floppy, the keyboard blocks it 
>|> unless pulled back, creating problems on shallow desks.  The rear drive 
>|> assembly is also easily removed and has enough space for another 3.5" drive

>SIGH. The blocked-keycoard thing is true? 

Yeah, unless you have a deep desk or lay the keyboard flat.

>What about that nasty undersized-bay rumour? No truth?

The bay is the same size, but the opening is very small.

>|> but not quite as bad as the one in the A2000.  There is a passthru on the
>|> power supply, something sorely lacking on previous Amigas.
>
>YES! FINALLY!
>
>(Of course, it will take Commodore 3 years to realize that they should now 
>include a free passthru-type cable with the 1960... and another 2 years for
>them to realize that removing the STANDARD cable will piss the A3000/2000 
>owners off no end...)

:-)

>I've always liked having ports on the sides. I'm left-handed, so I would have
>preferred the right side, but c'est la vie...

Hah!  The reason that having them on the side bothers me is that it prevents
one from using it as a "mini-tower".

>|> The mouse is a strange little thing resembling a bar of soap.  It is not bad,
>|> but it doesn't feel as nice as the pregnant mouse does.  The keyboard is the
>|> same as on the A3000, but it is the same refrigerator white as the A4000.
>
>COOL! Finally...
>
>I bought a bar-o-soap mouse as a replacement for my old A2000 mouse about a 
>year ago. It was called a Jin mouse or something like that. I absolutely LOVED
>the thing... unfortunately, it was only a $20 mouse and it broke after about
>a month of use... replaced it with the Commodore (version 2) mouse...
>
>So, has Commodore finally discovered the concept of the recessed mouse button?
>I can't stand those damn bulgey buttons...

Well, they are not exactly recessed, they are flush.

>|> Needless to say, the machine is very quick.  Overall, it feels faster than
>|> the A3000, but the jump is not as much as it was going from the A1000 to the
>|> A3000 was.  The 256 color modes feel about as quick as the 16 color mode on
>
>Well, going from an A1000 to an A3000 was a major, 5-year jump. This is a 
>smaller, 2-year jump....

And I'm hoping that the next jump will take 1-year.  :-)

>|> the A3000 and the 16 color modes feel faster than the 4 color mode on the
>|> A3000.  The hires sprite is a welcome change and gives the Workbench a much
>|> more professional look.  
>
>Great. If I ever get one, I can delete LacePointer!   8)

It is relaly nice, but the standard pointer is almost too small.  I'll 
have to whip up a bigger one.

>That's great. However, I still feel it was "rushed out the door" not in the 
>sense that it's not well-done or not a good machine for what it does, but in 
>the fact that Commodore is promising us all these features "Real Soon Now" that
>should have been built into the next machine. It seems that it was pushed out
>to stave off the Commodore-is-dead horrors, and doesn't do everything the
>engineers really wanted it to do.

Maybe they were listening to us after all.  :-)

>Still, I'm glad you're happy. Have fun with your new toy - but try to remember
>those little people that bother you every once in a while... if you have any.
>
>(The kids, man!!! Ok, test... say all their names, in order of age, right now..)

No kids yet, but I'm working on it...  :-)

>|> I have uploaded the file a4kpics.lha to the following sites:
>
>Thankyouthanhyouthankyou!

Hah, I am posting this after reading your message about the size...  :-)

>|> The pictures are in JPEG format, as per recommendations by others on the
>|> net.  However, I also have them in PCX 24 bit format and HAM8 format if
>|> anyone would like those.  I have a few more pics that I will scan, convert,
>|> and upload at a later date.  Also, I plan to borrow a better camera for the
>|> close-ups of the various chips.
>
>JPEG is fine. What resolutions/color-counts can we look forward to?

I converted them from 24bit PCX, didn't count the colors.  Each is 
around 500x300 to 700x500.


>/////////////////////////[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
>(718)             (212)                        (516)             (518)
>=======Amiuser============Frank R. Dana, Jr.============Doc Ami=======     
>--------My opinions rarely reflect those of any sane person,----------
>	   living, dead, or undead... that's gonna CHANGE.

Skip Sauls, Amiga Advocate
skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu

Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy