A1200 Ram Again.

[Spectrome]

Hello I'm new to the forums but ive owned an Amiga A500 since 1991.

I light of getting myself back into this world for 4 channel audio tracking , And pre-ESCOM gaming I have recently purchased an Amiga 1200 with PCMCIA CF transfer bundle with EasyADF from AmigaKit, Along with a 4GB CF hard drive to replace the 200mb 2.5" HDD.

So far i have everything installed and running smoothly with being able to replace the disks which have become corrupted over the years. I am currently looking into implementing WHDLOAD on my system.

My A1200 only has the standard 2mb ram no expansions, nothing. I am looking into my options of buying an expansion card atm for Ram only maybe 4mb or 8mb. Could anyone recommend any places besides ebay so i can explore all options?

Would anyone like to offer me any advice on what would be best for my situation, i have the money but have to justify spending it as many of the cards include FPU and CPU boosts. Like i said before i'm mainly just looking to use the audio software and playing the up to the AGA/CD32 titles. while still being able to use Relokick to boot my physical original disks.

Any advice or help would be much appreciated. And thanks for being part of a fantastic community.

EDIT:

Kickstart v3.0 r39.106
Workbench v3.1

[roy bates]

there are still a few places you can get memory expansions,you can try ebay(you already know this one) and amibay try the for sale threads there.

unfortunatley no-one is making memory expansions anymore so second hand is all there is.


you could keep a look out for second hand 020 and 030 cards as these will be more compatible with older software.

also jens still makes a rather nice 030 card for a reasonable price at individuel computers caled the aca 1231 i think.

[Spectrome]

I did look into PCMCIA SRAM but was told by a friend its not worth it for an A1200 because of the speed.

I was actually considering an ACA-1231 next to a 4mb/8mb as they are considerably cheaper than a blizzard. Just have to be Quick and snag one when they come into stock

Thanks for the info. ill bookmark amibay.

[I.Did]

airey36:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/airey36/m....4&_sop=3&_sc=1

penfold_t_mole:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/penfold_t_...4&_sop=3&_sc=1

ian_houghton

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ian_hought...4&_sop=3&_sc=1

...are the guys to look for

[Spectrome]

Hehe i got my a1200 from airey36. in the meantime i've ordered a 2mb PCMCIA SRAM card for a tiny bit of Workbench wiggle room until the ACA's come into stock, as i understand I can be waiting a long while before that happens.

Thanks for all the support, nice to see so many keeping the Amiga Alive.

[fitzsteve]

Originally Posted by I.Did

airey36:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/airey36/m....4&_sop=3&_sc=1

penfold_t_mole:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/penfold_t_...4&_sop=3&_sc=1

ian_houghton

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ian_hought...4&_sop=3&_sc=1

...are the guys to look for

Their prices are outragous almost double what these cards sell for on Amibay:

http://www.amibay.com/index.php

I'm shocked people actually pay those prices from time to time, they've been relisting most of these cards without sale for a while though...

[john1979]

Originally Posted by I.Did

ian_houghton

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ian_hought...4&_sop=3&_sc=1

...are the guys to look for

I bought his A1209 memory expansion recently. If I had done some quick research on expansion prices I could've probably saved 20 to 30 quid.

Oh well, live and learn. It is a brand new item (assembled from old stock) and has a months warranty so I don't feel tooooo dirty.

[Schoenfeld]

I'll have an inexpensive memory expansion for the 1200 later this year. Clearance for this development was only given at the last investor meeting about two weeks ago. ACA1231 is selling like hotcakes because it outperforms Blizzard 1230-IV, but there's still demand for something in the lower price range. With only one low-quantity product of that type, I risk selling out too quickly.

Jens

[Retrofan]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

...ACA1231 is selling like hotcakes because it outperforms Blizzard 1230-IV, ...
Jens

Thanks for telling. I thought it was out of stock, but I've just ordered one from Vesalia

I will be selling my Amitek.

[Retrofan]

Spectrome you've got two options to buy new stuff:

-To buy the best new accelerator , ACA 1231/42... Nice review with translation here: http://translate.google.es/translate...-aca-123142%2F
that "is selling like hotcakes because it outperforms Blizzard 1230-IV"...(Ebay≈220€, not talking about the ram and the age)... and Edit: Do you know what it means about their prices when they won't be available? (a couple of weeks with luck, I suposse).-

-Or to wait for the release of the not so fast, but cheaper new accelerators/ram boards that Jens will make.

In your place, just like I've just done.... I would go for the first, but if you want something cheaper, just wait.

[komprasz]

@Schoenfeld and Retrofan:
Wow, I have never tested the ACA 1231... now I am very curious... I'll try to get one...

[Retrofan]

Don't know why all the posts since yesterday have been deleted from this thread. Anyway I want to post mine again:

Spectrome if you want to buy a new Accelerator/ram board you've got two options:

-Or to buy the best new Accelerator, ACA 1231/42, that is "ACA1231 is selling like hotcakes because it outperforms Blizzard 1230-IV, but there's still demand for something in the lower price range" (this was posted yesterday by Jens, but now is deleted). Interesting review with translation here: http://translate.google.es/translate...-aca-123142%2F

-Or to wait for the not so fast but cheaper accelerators that Individual Computers will make.


In your place I would go for the first (just like I did yesterday ordering one to substitute my Amitek ramboard), but if you need something cheaper, just wait.

[Zetr0]

this thread did kinda go wayward so I am not surprised it was culled..

Well shame - it was certainly a good one to show why theres no price discussions on AmiBay!

=)


@Op

Patience is the name of the game, patience and setting yourself a budget!

[komprasz]

Thanks for the tip Zetr0!
I will take a look at the entry-level A1200 RAM expansion options in AmiBay. :-)

[Zetr0]

@komprasz

I am not saying anything about what prices people have, they are there own, they should not feel the need to justify them either.

People can either pay the asking price, haggle or just ignore it... there's no point arguing prices as there are way to many variables to consider, and thats just NEW products, older / collectable products are even more complicated to price.

at the end of the day, it comes down to two very simple things

1. What some one is willing to sell an item for
2. What some one is willing to buy an item for

when those to points meet, that is when you have a transaction.

The Amiga community is the most passionate community I know and its one I am proud to be apart of. However this passion is both a credit and at rare times to its detriment. We like to show and share our successes as well as highlight other people failures - especially if they are contrary to our point of view or standing.

It is all about a perceived injustice - the best thing to do when conversations get like that is to avoid any further commitment to it.

Just agree to disagree and try to leave it at that.



its quite funny thinking about it... I remember buying my FIRST ram card upgrade for the A1200 back in 1993/4 from it was a variant of the Amitek Hawk and it provide a 40Mhz FPU and 8MB of RAM. I paid £120 including postage back then - in today's currency that would be approximately £188, for a simple 8MB card... now, I can tell you I would only consider spending a quarter of that on one today.

using the same calculation, my Apollo 060 would cost me £549.27 if was bought today! (I only spent £375 including 32MB RAM back in 95/96)

[kipper2k]

mabbe someone will build a simple memory expansion for the A1200 for those people on low budgets

[Zetr0]

it would be nice to see a very cheap 8MB revision of 1220

an EC020@28Mhz with 8MB fast and optional async FPU - YES PLEASE!

Nice little 4MIPS munching monster =)

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by Zetr0

it would be nice to see a very cheap 8MB revision of 1220

an EC020@28Mhz with 8MB fast and optional async FPU - YES PLEASE!

Nice little 4MIPS munching monster =)

We'll talk

[komprasz]

@ Zetr0:
Agree with you 100%.

I paid $1500 USD back in the early 90s for CBM A2286 BridgeBoard and a GVP SCSI hardcard with 2MB RAM and a 50MB HD. :-(
In current US dollars, that would be around $2600!!! I kind of regretted paying that much back then, but that is a bit of the (un)famous Moore law on electronics.

@ Op & Retrofan:
I just saw an Amitek Hawk board on Ebay (item 120948497980). I don't post the link because I think it's not allowed, but you can search for it. :-)

[john1979]

Originally Posted by Zetr0

it would be nice to see a very cheap 8MB revision of 1220

an EC020@28Mhz with 8MB fast and optional async FPU - YES PLEASE!

Nice little 4MIPS munching monster =)

That would be amazing.

[Retrofan]

I'm sorry that Jen's post was deleted too. As I've told he said "ACA1231 is selling like hotcakes because it outperforms Blizzard 1230-IV, but there's still demand for something in the lower price range", and then he was talking about his idea of making those new and cheap accelerators in the lower range, but don't know when.

@komprasz I've already bought an ACA 1231/42. I coudn't leave this opportunity pass.

[Zetr0]

Originally Posted by kipper2k

We'll talk

indeed we should


@thread
one thing I will note there is a big difference between buying for performance and buying for collection.

The ACA1230 is a great example of this, its a really good card, and despite some of its eccentricity it is a superior 030 adapter than say the blizzard in terms of speed and performance.

However, there is something about owning vintage / retro hardware - its like having an old Rolls Royce that you drive on weekends or an aged Mercedes - fun to have fun in... the ACA1231 would be the VXR - lots of fun power!

both are great, but they are essentially different from a collectors point of view.

One of the reasons I held off from buying an ACA630 was that I wanted an older model - not the Apollo 630 - those things scare the hell out of me - wondering if the next time it boots is the last time.... no I wanted the humble Apollo A620.... one day.... or I will make one.... which ever comes first lol!

[Retrofan]

Yes, but for me the ACA is a new "Classic". In fact I don't think the 1231 will be for much time for sale jeje. Edit: And have you seen the reviews?

[roy bates]

i do prefer the older cards myself,altough if i want performance i'll always go for 040 and 060 cards.(because its 68k)

i consider any cpu card that goes in an amiga as classic,apart from fpga or any other concept.


is there any way that jen's comment about new ram cards can be spliced back in please mods?

pretty please with sugar on top.

[duga]

"I'll have an inexpensive memory expansion for the 1200 later this year. Clearance for this development was only given at the last investor meeting about two weeks ago. ACA1231 is selling like hotcakes because it outperforms Blizzard 1230-IV, but there's still demand for something in the lower price range. With only one low-quantity product of that type, I risk selling out too quickly."

[roy bates]

Originally Posted by duga

"I'll have an inexpensive memory expansion for the 1200 later this year. Clearance for this development was only given at the last investor meeting about two weeks ago. ACA1231 is selling like hotcakes because it outperforms Blizzard 1230-IV, but there's still demand for something in the lower price range. With only one low-quantity product of that type, I risk selling out too quickly."

thankyou, i think this was exactly what jens quoted word for word.

[Retrofan]

Yes, it is. Duga how did you get it? I tried with Wayback but nothing.

I like his words "inexpensive".

[prowler]

Originally Posted by roy bates

is there any way that jen's comment about new ram cards can be spliced back in please mods?

pretty please with sugar on top.

Jens' post has been restored (inasmuch as it's possible to do so following the removal of other off-topic posts).

[roy bates]

Originally Posted by prowler

Jens' post has been restored (inasmuch as it's possible to do so following the removal of other off-topic posts).

thankyou prowler,that post is important to all amiga owners everywhere

[FOL]

Originally Posted by roy bates

thankyou prowler,that post is important to all amiga owners everywhere

Ahmen to that.

[Retrofan]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

...there's still demand for something in the lower price range. With only one low-quantity product of that type, I risk selling out too quickly.

Jens

In fact that's what I think a lot of people can be waiting. Not everybody can expend much money in an accelerator (we have a Crisis) , and if they could buy a new ram expansion for a cheap price, just to play WHDLoad, "nothing extrange like Doom or internet", I've seen that there is a lot of people now searching cheap ramboards like that, but is very hard to get something for less than 100 euros; and second-third hand.

What I don't know is what the price could/should be.

[kipper2k]

Anyone know where to get the edge board connectors for the A1200 or would it have to be a custom build

[Zetr0]

thats the main part of the problem my friend,

The tooling for the edge connector as well as the minimum order quantity is in the 5000 unit area the last I looked, so its a substantial investment even at $5 a piece thats $25,000!

I have found some alternatives that could be cut-down/in-to place, however its a little too hacky for a mainstream product - fine for prototypes though.

[roy bates]

Originally Posted by kipper2k

Anyone know where to get the edge board connectors for the A1200 or would it have to be a custom build

i think its custom tooling,jens has the tooling for that connector.

i dont know of anyone else that has it,not for sure anyway.

not for it to be economical anyway as zetro has already stated.

[prowler]

I have now restored three more posts, suitably edited, to this thread, but they will be all, I'm afraid.

[Zetr0]

Cheers Prowler!

[Retrofan]

Originally Posted by kipper2k

Anyone know where to get the edge board connectors for the A1200 or would it have to be a custom build

The other day Jens was answering:

Originally Posted by alenppc

...How did you manage to find A1200 and A600 trapdoor slot connectors? I thought they were quite hard to find nowadays.

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

...I have my own tooling, so I can make any quantity and almost any number of pins in that Raster.

And now I understand what you mean with "someone":

Originally Posted by kipper2k

mabbe someone will build a simple memory expansion for the A1200 for those people on low budgets

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by roy bates

i think its custom tooling,jens has the tooling for that connector.

i dont know of anyone else that has it,not for sure anyway.

I was thinking the same thing, i wonder if he is willing to sell a batch. Are you there Jens ?

[roy bates]

i wonder if jens has the tooling for the cpu slot on the 3000 and 4000 boards as well....


yes i wonder if he would run a batch as well for projects...


im wondering how much it would be for say 500 for the 1200 and 500 for the 3-4000 cpu slot.

[Zetr0]

@Roy,

There is a company based in San Francisco that actually has those connectors (both male and female) a fellow EAB'er here was able to get some a while back, sadly I have lost touch with the chap =(.

they worked out about $8 each