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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: starf81 on August 01, 2007, 10:44:54 PM

Title: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: starf81 on August 01, 2007, 10:44:54 PM
Hello!

Have you ever heard something about the A3400 project??

Some years ago a friend of mine has gifted to me his A2000. It had a nice configuration but a particular label on the bezel catched my eyes. It reports "Commodore A3400" with the same style of C= A1200 labels.
Unfortunately he didn't remember how he found that label.
Here is a scan:

(http://tizeta2.altervista.org/amiga/tmp/a3400.jpg)

Looking into the amiga-hardware archive, I've discovered that the A3400 (http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=28) should have been an early project name for what eventually became the A4000.
My label looks exactly like the one in this picture (http://www.amiga-hardware.com/download_photos/a3400_1_big.jpg).

Do you know how many and if these babies are around?
It is an interesting story. I've never heard anything about this Amiga version and since I own the label, I'd like to know more about it.
Just to understand what is this label that has arrived to me... :-)

Ciao!
Alex
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: gdanko on August 01, 2007, 11:50:54 PM
Your 2000 has this 3400 label on its bezel? Is that what you're saying?
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: starf81 on August 02, 2007, 08:44:15 AM
Yes, I'm saying this!
But I don't think that A2000 had originally the A3400 label. Simply the friend who gifted to me the A2000 has attached that label on the bezel of his Amiga.

But I'd really like to know how and where he found the A3400 label :-)

Alex

Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: gdanko on August 02, 2007, 03:34:37 PM
Why don't you ask him? I had to do a lot of digging to find information on the 3500 I received but finally got the information.
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: Etho on August 02, 2007, 04:29:27 PM
If I remember correctly the A3400 were development machines prior to the finally revision of the A4000. I thinks it's something in the region of 200 - ish that went out to devs. Of course that number could be totally wrong.

Edit:

I dont know what this is but it's refered to as the A1000Jr and one variation has the designation A3400

A1000Jr varaints (http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/prototypes/a2200.html)
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: starf81 on August 02, 2007, 04:29:34 PM
I asked him when he gave me his A2000 but he didn't remember. However I'll try to ask you again!

Imagine if he owns also the A3400 prototype...  :-D

Alex
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: murple on August 02, 2007, 05:05:18 PM
You sure about that? The 00 seems to be lower than the A34, and the image reports:

CreatorTool="Adobe Photoshop CS3 Macintosh"

Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: starf81 on August 02, 2007, 05:16:34 PM
What are you insinuating... ?
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: Fixer on August 02, 2007, 05:18:48 PM
Maybe your friend gave you a dodgy pic - is it possible he's lying to you?
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: Orjan on August 02, 2007, 05:19:13 PM
The scan seems to be gone, I cant see a picture or link to it?
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: starf81 on August 02, 2007, 05:23:47 PM
The scan is still there, I can see it.
Try to refresh the page...
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: Orjan on August 02, 2007, 05:33:26 PM
Nope.. Still cant see it.. Tried internet explorer as well, but no go.. Oh well, guess I have to imagine it.. :)

Edit: Thats weird.. Looked at the source for the page and extracted the link to the image, but when I entered it in my browser, there was nothing, just white background.. Strange.. :)
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: starf81 on August 02, 2007, 05:38:40 PM
Oh, you're right... now it seems gone!  :-o
But... after 2 or 3 refreshes it has appeared again.
It's a really strange behaviuor.

However, try these links:

LINK 1 (http://tizeta2.altervista.org/amiga/tmp/a3400.jpg)
LINK 2 (http://tizeta2.altervista.org/amiga/pics/a3400.jpg)

These should work... let me know!
Alex
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: Orjan on August 02, 2007, 05:40:10 PM
Ah! Link 1 didnt work, but link 2 did.. :)
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: odin on August 02, 2007, 09:22:33 PM
I'm getting two void.gifs of 1 by 1 pixel.  :-?
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: rkauer on August 02, 2007, 09:49:47 PM
Quote

odin wrote:
I'm getting two voif.gifs of 1 by 1 pixel.  :-?


I can't see it too. :-?  :-?  :-?
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: murple on August 02, 2007, 09:54:52 PM
Not insinuating anything, just pointing out that the 00 doesnt seem quite in line with the rest of the label, and that the image's info tags say it was made in Photoshop. Its possible that its real and that Commodore produced a label thats not perfectly aligned, and that Photoshop was just used to crop the photo. Or there's other possibilities. I was just making an observation and asking about it.
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: mingle on August 03, 2007, 12:39:21 AM
Hmm, I've never heard much about the 3400, but from your photos it looks infinitely better than the ugly old A4000!

I remember when the A4000 first came out, how disappointed I was that it looked like a very cheap and nasty (and UGLY!) PC.

Why did they put the floppy drive there? :-)

The A3400 on the other hand is a very smart and distinctive looking system... If only...

I ended up getting an A1200...

Cheers,

Mike.
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: starf81 on August 03, 2007, 10:02:26 AM
Quote

murple wrote:
Its possible that its real and that Commodore produced a label thats not perfectly aligned, and that Photoshop was just used to crop the photo.


... and it is exactly what happens.
I've used my Epson scanner to acquire the label and after I've cropped and resized the picture with Photoshop CS3.
Obviously it is 100% genuine!

You have to ask to Commodore designers why numbers are not aligned  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Alex
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: starf81 on August 03, 2007, 10:07:12 AM
Quote

mingle wrote:
Hmm, I've never heard much about the 3400, but from your photos it looks infinitely better than the ugly old A4000!

I remember when the A4000 first came out, how disappointed I was that it looked like a very cheap and nasty (and UGLY!) PC.

Why did they put the floppy drive there? :-)

The A3400 on the other hand is a very smart and distinctive looking system... If only...


I agree!
The A3400 looks a full of personality computer, like Amiga computers used to be!
I don't like the A4000 and this is the reason why I still use the A3000 as my main system even if it lacks of AGA chipset.

I don't mind to find today one of the A3400 prototypes...  :-D

Alex
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: Markus_Bieler on August 03, 2007, 12:45:45 PM
(http://mitglied.lycos.de/amiga1000/bilder/A3400.jpg)


(I took this from a thread at A1K.org, I hope they don't mind)
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: gdanko on August 03, 2007, 02:30:36 PM
Aside from collectibility they weren't so usable.

http://www.amigau.com/aig/a3200.html
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: gdanko on August 03, 2007, 02:31:07 PM
Dang double post!
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: starf81 on August 03, 2007, 04:06:31 PM
Quote

gdanko wrote:
Aside from collectibility they weren't so usable.

http://www.amigau.com/aig/a3200.html


Very interesting!
So, if A3400 computers were not 100% working, they had to be in a very primordial development state. This should means that very few machines were built.

I'd really like to know how my friend got the label that now I own!!!

gdanko, just a question about your A3500: does it works like a "final" Amiga or even that has some hardware bugs?

It seems that some people still can't see the scan I've added in the discussion.
I've added that image to the amiga.org gallery, too. So, if you need, you'll can try also  THIS LINK (http://www.amiga.org/gallery/index.php?n=2121=38).

Alex
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: Matt_H on August 03, 2007, 04:24:21 PM
A 3400 is basically an early layout 4000. There's nothing different or special about it apart from its rarity and the front bezel - which can't even accomodate a CD drive.

When Amazing Computing first reviewed the 4000, it was a black 3400 they used to show the internal features.

The metallic label on the back of my 4000 I even suspect says 3400 on it - the "4000" identifier is a mere sticker on top of it.
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: Kronos on August 03, 2007, 05:32:33 PM
Quote

starf81 wrote:


gdanko, just a question about your A3500: does it works like a "final" Amiga or even that has some hardware bugs?


The A3500 is just an (early) A3000T with a different badge.
Title: Re: A3400 and a mysterious label...
Post by: gdanko on August 03, 2007, 06:12:44 PM
My case is slightly different than that of a stock 3000T.