Why no one makes a cheap A1200 RAM Card?

[Nostromo]

Considering most A1200 users use their machine for just WHDLoad why doesn't someone make a cheap RAM card for the machine facilitating WHDLoad to work better due to extra RAM? Most probably it doesn't even have to have more than 32mb of RAM.

Just a thought

[DDNI]

How cheap do you want?

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...oducts_id=1100

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...oducts_id=1125

[moijk]

Originally Posted by Nostromo

Considering most A1200 users use their machine for just WHDLoad why doesn't someone make a cheap RAM card for the machine facilitating WHDLoad to work better due to extra RAM? Most probably it doesn't even have to have more than 32mb of RAM.

Just a thought

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...oducts_id=1100

Closest you get, you can find ram expansions however around 4-8MB at about 10 euro less. if you like the old stuff. I presume pcmcia slot doesn't work when it is 8MB.

[Nostromo]

I mean, why does it include an accelerator? Can't they just make a plain RAM upgrade? Wouldn't it be cheaper to make? Just wondering

[Retro-Nerd]

I wouldn't call the ACA 1220 a real turbocard. It's a 68020 CPU mit 16,67, 20 or 25MHz+128MB ram.

[fitzsteve]

Originally Posted by Nostromo

I mean, why does it include an accelerator? Can't they just make a plain RAM upgrade? Wouldn't it be cheaper to make? Just wondering

I imagine for Jens who already has all the tooling the costs to make a basic Ram card might be outweigh the benefits of his ACA1220 which I happen to think is very good value.

A new Ram board for example, assuming you can get the connectors (this is where the costs would be high as without custom tooling like Jens you would need to make a very high numbers order.) probably wouldn't be much cheaper.

It's probably not worth anyone taking it on, same as why we don't have anything for CD32, not enough return on the investment due to the availability of edge connectors.

[Anemos]

Why Ferrari is expensive ?

[Thorham]

Also, without a new CPU, A1200 ram cards are stuck at 8 megabytes, because of the A1200's 680EC20

[Nostromo]

Originally Posted by Anemos

Why Ferrari is expensive ?

Well if you consider an amiga 020 accelerator a Ferrari =)

[Lord Aga]

Originally Posted by Thorham

Also, without a new CPU, A1200 ram cards are stuck at 8 megabytes, because of the A1200's 680EC20

That's it. 8 MB cards would be too weak for a new product. And probably couldn't be produced cheaply enough to justify the weak specs.
For now, ACA 1220 is a pretty good low end product.

[Nostromo]

Originally Posted by Thorham

Also, without a new CPU, A1200 ram cards are stuck at 8 megabytes, because of the A1200's 680EC20

Ok, now that makes sense.

[Nostromo]

Originally Posted by Lord Aga

That's it. 8 MB cards would be too weak for a new product. And probably couldn't be produced cheaply enough to justify the weak specs.
For now, ACA 1220 is a pretty good low end product.

Guess thats what I will get.

[Leffmann]

Originally Posted by Nostromo

Considering most A1200 users use their machine for just WHDLoad why doesn't someone make a cheap RAM card for the machine facilitating WHDLoad to work better due to extra RAM? Most probably it doesn't even have to have more than 32mb of RAM.

A very big segment of A1200 users only need a 4M or 8M RAM expansion so they can play the full selection of WHDLoad adapted games, but the lack of an expansion like this is about money as usual. Not about reaching margins, but about squeezing pennies out of customers and making as much money as possible.

You can f.ex put 128M RAM on an expansion and say it's a very advanced design and motivate a much higher price, even if 120M of that RAM will not be used by 99% of the customers.

Those 128M of RAM also serve to motivate putting a full 68020 on the board, since the 68EC020 inside the A1200 can only use 8M. You can then clock it up to f.ex 16.7 MHz, only 2 MHz above the CPU on the motherboard, and label it as an accelerator and motivate an even higher price.

So instead of making the best thing for a market segment, you can make an expansion as above and set the price right up there just below the other accelerators, because you know people will have to pay for it anyway since there are no other alternatives or competing products.

[roy bates]

another thing to take into account as far as money outlay is concerned with these 020 and 030 cards being made now is if you are unfortunate to suffer with timing problems it would have to be factored into the price.(let alone if your machine needs the capacitors replacing)
thats if you cant do it yourself that is.

[DDNI]

@Leffmann, yeah shame on him for not giving them away. Damned capitalist pig that he is.