From: talan@tension.UUCP (Dave Bicking)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: What makes OS on ROM  _WORSE_ than one on disk???
Date: 27 Aug 92 21:41:38 EST
Organization: High Tension BBS

 
>From: u894776@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (James McCoull)
>Date: 21 Aug 92 23:56:45 GMT
 
>daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) writes:
>>>Please tell me when the Amiga gets an OS, i bought mine in 1986
>>>and am still waiting for an OS.
 
>Read my statement again Dave.  In light of the line above it.
 
>>You should have read the manuals.  The OS is on those funny looking 3.5"
>>roughly squarish things that fit in the front slot of the A1000.
 
>>           But you
>>really don't want those, you want some updated ones.
 
>should only need to open the case of a computer when the hardware changes -
>no company would put a complete OS on rom inside the machine - except
>maybe in the case of machines which can almost be used without disks
>[on power up] such as the Acorn Archimedes range.  Any company that put
>a complete OS on a rom would be foolish - especially if you still needed
>much floppy disk access to get anywhere!  Also it is not good for the company
>when they release new machines - if OS development stumbles in certain areas
>..." - at this stage she started babbling way out of my league!  She was
>talking about strange things like digging a hole, and paying memory protection
 
For someone who seems to have some advanced knowledge of how an OS works,
you seem to need to learn a bit more.  First of all, the "Amighty Macintosh"
has their OS on ROM.  Second, the "Almighty Windows 3.1" is coming out with
a ROM OS.  Gee, looks like you'll be reduced to using that godlike ST
(Falcon?) OS, since it is almost the only one left on disk!
 
I would also like to note that the Windows on ROM will take a fraction of the
disk space of the disk version (obviously) and run considerably FASTER, and 
take LESS memory. 
 
You next infer that the Amiga ROM upgrade is vastly more expensive than a disk
upgrade.  Well, compare a $45 Amiga ROM to the $150 Windows package and the
equally expensive OS/2.  I can get DOS 5.0 from a computer store for "as
little as" $70.  Gee, ROMS are terrible, aren't they?  Too bad we don't NEED
at least 4 MEGS of ram just to run ONE process.  I wish I had my OS on disk!
 
>Anyway... I left the shop [after some parting shots from her,
>suggesting that people like me really ought to think about the Macintosh line
>of computers (whatever that meant!)], I was happy in spirit however because
>I new my computer had come with `OS' on disk and not ROM!
>Eventually I found my way to another computer store - I guessed
 
>...To cut a long story short...
>To my horror I found that the OS was now on ROM, and furthermore I would
>have to pay a lot of money to add new ROMS to my machine, because it did
>not have the right "connectors" on the mother/daugherboard.  Also it
>was possible to load the OS from disk, but I would have to break the law
>to do it!!!?!
 
Dude, the A1000 came out about the time the MAC 512 was in rumor stage.  Do
you even HEAR about the Mac 512?  ANYWHERE?  Be DAMN glad you can even RUN the
new Amiga Dos!  Try and run Windows or OS/2 on a standard AT - Any luck?  When
was the last time Apple or IBM offered a massive discount on their new models
to people with an Apple IIgs or IBM AT?  *Yeesh*  Give a little service, and
people bitch because they don't have the WORLD delivered at their feet!
 
>+++
>NO CARRIER
 
..And don't come back!!!
 
Dave

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Bicking
Programmed Solutions, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xref: sparky comp.sys.amiga.misc:13154 comp.sys.amiga.applications:6798