What can an A1000 do that an A500 can't?

[Marchie]

So, the A500 was a cost-reduced A1000, and everyone says that it does "90% of what the A1000 does for a quarter of the price" (or words to that effect).

So what's that extra 10%? I'm not aware of ANYTHING my A1000 does better/faster than my A500. Educate me.

[roondar]

Well, I know at least one thing: the A1000 has colour output on it's composite output, the A500/A2000 only output monochrome. So an A1000 doesn't need a modulator for colour output to TV's over composite.

It's minor, I know. But it's still there

[LongLifeA1200]

10% more expandability?

[Marchie]

Originally Posted by roondar

Well, I know at least one thing: the A1000 has colour output on it's composite output, the A500/A2000 only output monochrome. So an A1000 doesn't need a modulator for colour output to TV's over composite.

It's minor, I know. But it's still there

That will matter more and more as my 1084's die.

[gimbal]

Wikipedia tells me that the A1000 supports all the way up to OS 3.9 and the A500 no more than OS 3.1, that would be a notable difference if true.

[roondar]

In their base form neither supports 3.5 or 3.9 as those need a 68020/68030 to run, IIRC.

[gimbal]

Oh yeah there is a tiny foot note.

"Due to the requirements of 3.9 it is difficult to do so."

[musashi5150]

Unlike other Amigas, the A1000 has a MALE parallel port and FEMALE serial port. So depending on what cables you have in your drawer, you might be able to interface with something your A500 can't

Also, in reducing costs, the sweet little tune the A1000 plays on boot was removed for the A500

[hooverphonique]

It loads kickstart from disk ;-)

[roondar]

There's actually some A1000 only software that uses the Kickstart RAM as additional RAM for the system instead. Always thought that was a cool trick.

[Vypr]

It can run out of memory faster

[Matt_H]

Originally Posted by Marchie

So, the A500 was a cost-reduced A1000, and everyone says that it does "90% of what the A1000 does for a quarter of the price" (or words to that effect).

So what's that extra 10%? I'm not aware of ANYTHING my A1000 does better/faster than my A500. Educate me.

Maybe they said this right when the 500 was released back in 1987, but I think the 500 has been recognized as the superior machine for almost its entire existence. I imagine people must have thought “Half the price? There’s no way it’s as capable!” But it is.

The only things I can think of are:
-The 1000 can run Kickstart 1.0 and 1.1 (which a teeny tiny number of early programs require).
-It has a keyboard garage/separate keyboard.
-As previously mentioned, it has color composite video (but the 500 shipped with the 520 adapter, so that’s moot).
-As previously mentioned, the gender of the serial port is reversed.
-The 500 has a different form factor, which would have rendered some 1000 expansions already on the market unusable (i.e., some things attaching to the motherboard or side expansion slot).

I hardly think that’s a 10% difference.

[Toni Wilen]

Only A1000 can show last scanline of screen normally. All later Agnus variants show it using background color.

[drHirudo]

I used to have both A500 and A1000. Here are some differences:

A1000 has detachable Keyboard, A500 doesn't. You can slam A1000's keyboard as much as you like, without a fear that you will damage the mainboard.

A1000 can load any KickStart ROM, including Pre 1.0 (0.7), 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, Atari TOS, and still use it with 256 KB of memory.

A1000 has color composite output, A500 has monochrome.

A1000's color output from the Composite cable is much more 'clean' than the color composite output from RF modulator of A500.

A1000 uses built-in Power Supply Unit, it is external in the A500.

A1000 was designed by the original Amiga team, while the A500 was designed by slightly different team. Hence the A500 is more up to date for late 1980-ies, including more fashion (ala 80-ies) design, better keyboard and improved cooling.

[Avrovulcan]

Very Interesting thread. I knew there would be differences, but never having owned an Amiga 1000 this has been a useful insight into the machine.

Out of interest and on the subject of the A1000, I've seen on Ebay a set of blank PCB's for the GBA1000. Is this a clone or something completely different?

Kind regards
Andy

[TomXP411]

Originally Posted by Marchie

So, the A500 was a cost-reduced A1000, and everyone says that it does "90% of what the A1000 does for a quarter of the price" (or words to that effect).

So what's that extra 10%? I'm not aware of ANYTHING my A1000 does better/faster than my A500. Educate me.

I'm still hung up on the thesis that the 500 is a cost-reduced 1000 system.

My impression was always that the 500 was low price 2000 system, with the biggest difference being the sidecar slot instead of the five Zorro slots. In fact, there is an expansion bay adapter that lets you use Zorro cards on an A500, including the bridge board.

[amiman99]

From what I remember, the printer/parallel port has a slightly different pinout from A500.
I blew up a CIA chip by using a wrong printer cable, even with gender changer.
So, you will need a correct A1000 printer cable if you want to use a printer.

[Liqourice]

Originally Posted by Matt_H

-As previously mentioned, it has color composite video (but the 500 shipped with the 520 adapter, so that’s moot).

No, it didn't.

Or at least some models might have but many didn't, you had to get that extra. Mine didn't come with one (rev 5) when I got it 1988. Though, for me that didn't matter since I bought a 1084 at the same time.

Have a few friends that also got their 500's about the same time as I did and neither got one included.

[T_hairy_bootson]

I think the RF modulator was included in the starter kit in Australia which was the way most people purchased the a500. A lot of TVs and some VCRs from the era just before didn't include composite and used the coaxial cables to hook up so it was handy to have if you were hooking up to older Tvs or VCRs.

At A500 launch I would assume not being able to use the 1060 PC sidecar, 1300 Genlock and other third party HDD and ram expansions might have been a negative until the a500 side and trapdoor expansions came out.

Honestly the only advantage I can think of is the desk real estate and keyboard mobility the A1000 wins on and the aesthetics. A500 with a590 is huge.

[Lineof7s]

If nothing else the 1000 is much better than the 500 at being an Amiga 1000.

That seems to be very important to some people (for example, if they own multiple A500s but no 1000s...)