A500 ++ Prototype

[rkauer]

One thing is replacing a common A500 board for a more usable 030 + FAST RAM one.

 For having PCMCIA and/or IDE you need a soldered PLCC Gayle chip in the motherboard, adding high costs (high-density tracks, 4-layer board).

 Keep the board simple and Amiga 500 compatible and that's all.

 Maybe adding a header for a IDE68k somewhere can be an excellent idea.

[rkauer]

Gayle compatible IDE can be implemented with a $2 CPLD.

 Yes, but the the motherboard cost will go up like a moon rocket since the CPLD required very near tracks and even a four-layer board in that area.

 Installing a simple CPU header and then the controller over it will spare a lot of money. Ugly? Yes, but cost effective.