A1200 question

[tesla]

Is the 1200 basically the same as a 4000?

If so, I know the 1200 doesn't have the built-in expandability of the 4000.

[Steve]

They both share the AGA chipset and 2MB of chip RAM but the A4000 is a big box Amiga and usually came with an 040 processor plus additional fast RAM and zorro slots.

[roy bates]

im not sure a 1200 isent as expandible as a 4000, its more like the 1200 is more expandible than the 4000 in some cases alot more.

[desiv]

Originally Posted by tesla

If so, I know the 1200 doesn't have the expandability of the 4000.

I suppose that depends on your definition of expandibility.

If you mean in general, yeah. You have zorro slots and video card expansions that are much easier to add to the 4000.
To do that type of stuff with a 1200, you basically need an expansion bus (Mediator or ?) and you make a tower out of your 1200.

If you are talking modern day expandibility and you don't need a video card, then the PCMCIA on the 1200 makes tracking down an ethernet card (wired or wireless) pretty easy.
Add a Subway and you have USB (albeit slower than the 4000 can have).

1200 CPU/RAM cards are still being produced and pretty easily available.

I'd say they both are pretty expandable...

Personally, I was just never a fan of big box anythings. (Amigas, Macs, PCs, etc..) Although the 3000 looks nice. I also really like the 1000, which is boxy in shape, but I like it. Maybe I just like wedge shaped and "small box" computers. ;-)

desiv

[ajk]

I would put it this way: the A4000 was certainly intended to be the more expandable model of the two, and indeed it does have plenty of expansion capability. However, since the A1200 was more common by probably a magnitude or more, all kinds of things were made for it, and in greater numbers. So today the A1200 is more easily (and more cheaply!) expanded than is the A4000.

Still, many of the A1200 expansions tend to clash together (physically or in software), have strange quirks, etc., so the A4000 is not a bad option if you intend to build a top-of-the-line classic system. But otherwise the A1200 is a very easy system to get into.

[tribe]

Originally Posted by ajk

I would put it this way: the A4000 was certainly intended to be the more expandable model of the two, and indeed it does have plenty of expansion capability.

While I understand what you mean and agree to an extent, the PCMCIA slot on the A1200 really gives a whole lot of possibilities regarding expandability, and was surely "intended" to do that too. The other ports and slots on it were likewise there to be used... I'd say both computers were designed with expandability in mind.

[ajk]

Certainly, I didn't say that the A1200 has no expandability at all. PCMCIA is convenient from today's perspective, but it doesn't match the raw power of Zorro/video slots, and neither does the clock port. What is more important depends on what you want to do with the machine.

[Bamiga2002]

A4000 has faster chipram access.

[Loedown]

From a repair point of view.

The A4000 has more capacitors that need replacing but because of the board layout they are easier to access.

The A4000 has better header access for expansions but the right angled design is stupid.

The A4000 memory simm sockets are dreadful.

A4000 processor connector was good for the time but with time it loses its tension and can bulge out and cause contact issues, cleaning it is awkward. Changing processors must be done with care not to overly flex the board.

A4000 stand offs still haven't been found anywhere to replace all the ones that are lost.

A4000 is easier to work on when there are problems, more real estate, parts are well spread out.

My thoughts anyway.

[ajk]

@Loedown

Do you mean the accelerator standoffs/spacers? There are, or at least were, some over on AmiBay.

[Turran]

If you did mean accelerator spacers, I got new ones from Elfa in Sweden. Post in the hardware forum with part numbers.

[Cymru]

There are limits to the design and expandability of the A4000D vs the A4000T. The daughter card of both the A3000 and A4000 models add another layer of poor connectivity; space for drives is limited on the A4000D and the PSU power connector is non-standard; the location of the 9-pin serial ports (mouse/joystick) should be on the right side and the small PS2 keyboard connector breaks from Amiga tradition. The A4000T resolves many of these issues though it lumps all ports to the posterior. Except for the hard drive cage getting intangled in the Serial/Parallel port ribbon cables, the whole design is a pleasure. There are 2 video slots, coin (non-leaking) battery, standard AT-Power supply, lots of drive bays, plenty of room and a case that does use plastic-on-metal tabs. The A4000T is the ultimate in expandability.

On the other hand, the A1200 was not meant for duty in the Video Wars, nor for heavy duty storage, back up, and CD/DVD R/W action. She wasn't meant to have huge, hot processors, RTG cards, DVI output, PCI/ USB solutions and the like. The fact these exist is a testament to the Amiga engineers and the guys "on the floor" who took a "what if" approach to the little case.

[tesla]

I never had a 4000(T), Cymru, but it sounds like you are describing my old 3000T.