PC2Amiga Parallel Worth it?

[DiskChris]

So I've been wanting to turn my amiga into a lean mean lightwave machine, and I realized I don't have very much disk space (200 mb drive), and my A2091 SCSI controller will only work with old-creaky drives under a gig (version 4 ROMs), so I was thinking of using PC2Amiga to add some disk space.  As it so happens my grandfather is getting rid off a bunch of old stuff, including a Windows 98 PC.  While my plan was to simply copy off the software and run 98 in virtualbox before erasing the disk and donating it to goodwill, it does have a parallel port, while my new computer is only equipped with usb to serial.  So my question is it worth taking home for the parallel? I've even heard of some people blowing their CIAs after using the laplink cable over a period of time...

[Ral-Clan]

Not sure what you are intending to do - maybe use the PC as an external storage device for your Amiga?

While I have no experience with the device you mention, most parallel transfer options that I'm familiar with from the 1990s were not much better than the Amiga's floppy drive in terms of speed.

[DiskChris]

Yeah PC2Amiga let you use the PCs hard disk as storage on the Amiga.  I know it's still slow, but would parallel would be much faster than serial?

[orange]

Yeah PC2Amiga let you use the PCs hard disk as storage on the Amiga.  I know it's still slow, but would parallel would be much faster than serial?

yes.

[Tenacious]

So I've been wanting to turn my amiga into a lean mean lightwave machine, and I realized I don't have very much disk space (200 mb drive), and my A2091 SCSI controller will only work with old-creaky drives under a gig (version 4 ROMs),

Its very easy to update the A2091 ROM.  TJlaser (on this web site) sells these for a very reasonable few bucks out of the goodness of his heart.  The newer ROM will allow comparatively huge hard drives, AND handle CDrom and removable media better.  4 Gig HDs are still available with plenty of life left in them.  Upgrade while you can, everything is moving toward shorter supply!  Sadly, Mechy's SCSI card reader is no longer made.

... it does have a parallel port, while my new computer is only equipped with usb to serial.  So my question is it worth taking home for the parallel?

I would never want to be without at least one PC with true parallel and serial ports.  There is always something that won't work through a USB dongle.  A machine like you describe could be an adventure in itself trying alternate OSes, FreeDOS, Debian, Amithlon.

I've even heard of some people blowing their CIAs after using the laplink cable over a period of time...

It's my understanding that NEVER plugging or unplugging anything connected to an Amiga port (at either end of the cable!) while the Amiga is powered will preserve the CIAs indefinitely.  I've never blown a CIA.  OTOH, having a spare CIA is not a bad idea.


My 2 cents.

[Tenacious]

yes.

I've never used PC2Amiga.  Parnet for 2 Amigas is much faster than a nullmodem cable.

[Rob]

I used parnet to use my CD32 as CD-ROM drive for the A1200.  It was really slow and prone to dropping out or crashing.

I'd recommend checking out Kipper2k's RAM board with CF slot since the price is quite reasonable and you won't need to run a 2nd system just for storage.   Check with him if it will be compatible with your current accelerator first.

http://kipper2k.com/a500fastmem.html

[scuzzb494]

I used Parnet with the a Win98 machine but it was very slow. I then fitted SCSI to the Amiga and put a ZIP drive in the Win98 machine. Two minute job really. 100MB ZIP disks go a very long way to storing stuff and I configured the Amiga to read PC formatted disks and even use them like a hard drive. The next step was to use a CD writer on the PC and start copying stuff to CD and having a CD and ZIP drive on the Amiga. Finally I added ethernet to the Amiga and configured a series of PCs and the Amigas all on a network. That was the best thing to do to be honest. Took me a while with OS3 and Samba but works a treat. Personally I found Parnet very usable but only to transfer stuff like when I had a bit of time on my hands.

I have icons on my PC and Amiga for all my computers and the open the folders on each. Windows98 and Windows95 works best. The XP is a pig at the best of times but thats another story. My Amiga 1200 uses broadband on the internet so you can even file transfer across the net though I wouldn't take 98 or 95 on the web now. Its all just an internal network. Personally I wouldn't be without SCSI on the Amiga.

[PanterHZ]

From what I can remember, the main difference between the Amiga and PC  parallel ports is that while the Amiga port can both send and receive 8  bits at the time, the PC port can only send and not receive 8 bits.
Because  of this bottleneck, I belive that transfers via the parallel port is  quicker with Amiga - Amiga solutions, than with Amiga - PC or even PC -  PC.