DraCo Casablanca for 45e...

[Cobe]

I saw DraCo Casablanca in local ads for 45euros(probably would go lower) It's tempting.
I read that latest WinUAE can access Casablanca hard disk. So I wonder did anyone tried to install classic WB on it? Does anyone knows if it would boot? I know that games/demos and other software that acces direct to custom chips won't work but maybe some rtg?

http://www.kupujemprodajem.com/oglas...=14117387&data[photo_num]=6

[amiman99]

I have one of those and so far no one was able to install WB on these.

Can you show me a link where you found info that latest WinUAE can access Casablanca hard disk?

[Cobe]

I read it right here on eab
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?...ferrerid=49210
it says
- Accept Draco Casablanca partition table identifier (CDSK instead of usual RDSK).

[amiman99]

I wonder if that's for the original DRACO Casablanca, not set top Macro Systems Casablanca.

[hese]

It's support for the MacroSystem Casablanca (Classic) hard drives.
DraCo and Casablanca (Classic) are two different systems.

[Cobe]

@hese
Ok, DraCo is that enormous tower, casablanca is that "VCR"
As we can see from pictures from link in my first post its MacroSystem Casablanca(classic).
Agree? That would mean if I'm right that you could mound it's hdd with winuae(with some scsi adapter...) Right? And then maybe just add in casablanca startup-sequence, if there is one but I believe it must be, loadWB.

[Michael Sykes]

Casablanca was dedicated video editing hardware,iirc it had a custom KS and OS.
It had also some kind of hardware copyprotection so that only the OS delivered with the HW could be used.Not even versions fom other or later revisions of the productline would work.
At least the floppy disk is a pc one and it uses special pc format (blocks of 1 Kb with specially encoded mfm values to protect against copying on pc), but the file system is a typical amiga file system adapted to this format (changed block sizes).You can easily mount an image of this disk
using simple mountlist on a real amiga.

Draco(DraCo Vision) on the other hand used a 'normal'(customized for the HW) workbench and it used original Amiga 3000 kickstart ROM, along with a different setpatch command which did some extensive patching of the ROM when booting.

[Cobe]

As I read and understood that copy protection is only for floppy disks used for installing "system"(movieshop). I think that disks are "protected" with hardware serial number or whatever and can be used only with machine that they came with. I'd say it's not important cause floppy wouldn't be used at all. I think hdd alone aside from "special format" isn't protected and can be altered.
Now yet again isn't in casablanca also a3000.rom + other special casablanca rom?

[gulliver]

Originally Posted by Cobe

As I read and understood that copy protection is only for floppy disks used for installing "system"(movieshop). I think that disks are "protected" with hardware serial number or whatever and can be used only with machine that they came with. I'd say it's not important cause floppy wouldn't be used at all. I think hdd alone aside from "special format" isn't protected and can be altered.
Now yet again isn't in casablanca also a3000.rom + other special casablanca rom?

No, if you switch HDDs from one Casablanca to the other, a warning message is displayed and effects are disabled. Casablanca system software checks for the Casablanca Hardware id number it was installed on.

There is no A3000 rom in the Casablanca (not visible, maybe embeeded in some of the roms, but that is speculation).

[Cobe]

I wasn't thinking of changing hdds, I was thinking only of modifying content of original one.

[Michael Sykes]

I do not think that macrosystems still supports such an old product.
But maybe there are some classic users that can answer your questions, in their forums ...

http://www.casablancaforum.us/

[Lord Aga]

Originally Posted by Cobe

I saw DraCo Casablanca in local ads for 45euros(probably would go lower) It's tempting.

http://www.kupujemprodajem.com/oglas...=14117387&data[photo_num]=6

Howdy neighbor I saw the same ad a week ago and was tempted. Even as a (fast) Workbench only platform this would be great.
Unfortunately my research was pretty much dead ended, as nobody managed to install WB on it.

Still, for 45 EUR it is still worth to salvage that 060 alone ! Also drives, and something else maybe. I just don't have the skill needed.

[Cobe]

Dibs! I saw it 2 weeks ago ))) Howdy bro yet still it's not for free whereas everything is just in speculation area... and I also lack skills so I would dare to try something noone tried before. But still tempting... Glad to see I'm not alone

[amiman99]

Before buying make sure that this is the 060 version not the 040.
The 060 is marked in the back as "Render Accelerated" or something like that, and also some come with out DV card installed.

[Cobe]

Yeah that's the other thing. I think this is 040 without dv card. Of course the guy selling it doesn't know a thing about it. On photos there isn't such a mark.

[Lord Aga]

Originally Posted by Cobe

Glad to see I'm not alone

Ha ha, Amigans are never alone
Anyway, I won't buy it. Saving money for ACA500.

[Cobe]

When we come home our beloved Amiga is always there

[davideo]

As stated earlier the original Casablanca has a serial number burnt into ROM.

When you install the software this serial number is written to the floppies. From then onwards the software can only be used on the same Casablanca. They will not work on another one.

Some (as is the case with mine) have the mini DV port on the case but that is all - the hardware inside is not fitted.

[Cobe]

Yes, I think that's the case with this case too it has dv port but probably doesn't have dv card/hardware inside... With all discouraging posts I chilled out. Although I still have some faith that wb on casablanca is plausible I won't pay to prove my self wrong As I believe noone will buy it so maybe it'll be later on auction. Till then...

[Lord Aga]

Yea, I don't think anyone will buy it even for 45EUR because it doesn't really do anything.
If it goes on auction, maybe we can get it for a bag of peanuts Then try to install WB by force or dismantle it for parts. I'll hold it down and you swing the axe