From: mlelstv@specklec.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de (Michael van Elst)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Is it silly to buy a
Date: 11 Oct 92 14:28:39 GMT
Organization: Max-Planck-Institut f"ur Radioastronomie

In <OD.6badnetOA92-901-302p0_51350a64@piraya.bad.se> Roger_Nordin@atb.bbs.bad.se (Roger Nordin) writes:
>> 25Mhz 68040 on a replacable module.
>Can be added to the A3000, at a total cost less than the A4000.

Barely, and you get only the 040 for that price and no AGA.

>o Fast and flexible SCSI host adaptor that interfaces with a wide range of 
>devices, such as more than two harddisks, tape streamers, flopticals, CD-ROMs, 
>WORM drives, scanners and more.

... until January where it gets an even faster and more flexible SCSI-II
controller.

>o Flicker fixer that allows the wast array of applications that use Hires/
>Interlace to output a non-lace video signal suitable for other applications 
>than just video work, such as DTP, word processign, programming or just about 
>anything else than video work.

Which isn't needed as the 'wast array of applications that use Hires/Interlace'
get a nice non-interlaced DblPAL or DblNTSC screen.

>If you add a SCSI and/or a flicker fixer, then you are left with three or just 
>two Zorro III slots. The A3000 have all four slots free, as these functions 
>are located right on the motherboard.

You are left with 3 free lots but have a better SCSI controller.

>AmigaOS Release3 can be added, no problems. With a 25Mhz '040 board, an A3000 
>is still much cheaper than the A4000 -- and it has all the above features, too!

Nope. An A3000 + 040 board is more expensive and lacks the nice new AGA
screen modes (mostly the 640x512 HAM8/DblPAL mode and 1280x512 HAM8/interlace).

>The only thing missing is the extra colours and the update speed in some of 
>the screen modes (of which you seldom use anyways, considering that the A3000 
>has got a flickerfixer, which allows at least 724*568, which is about what you 
>can comfortably view on an 14" monitor).

And you get (nearly) the same resolution on the A4000.

>is the 2Mb CHIP RAM limit. The A4000 introduces screen resolutions which 
>consumes four times as much memory, but does not offer any more CHIP RAM to 
>store those four times a large screens in. I never run out of CHIP RAM on my 

Fascinating, as you said above that you will usually not use 256 color
displays and prefer 4 color applications.

>not much left, but it's enough. But what about if I started using an A4000? 
>Then I would probably be using more flashier colours in most places, thus 
>eating up much much more CHIP RAM.

Why would you do that ? To impress friends with 256 color icons ?

>When the A4000 comes with 8Mb CHIP RAM and on-board SCSI host adaptor, then I 
>will admit it's an "obvious upgrade" as compared to an A3000. By that time, 
>more applications might have surfaced that supports Double-PAL screen 
>resolution, too, making that approach to a flicker free display more useful.

You should read the documentation.... DblPAL works fine for old programs.

Regards,
-- 
Michael van Elst
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