Colin Camper: The uA1 (I bought one of these) - I heard there is an obscure issue with DMA - handled by OS4. I never had any problems with my board.
Does the fix allow the board to work at its rated speed? People don't notice performance issues if they don't stress the system.
I bought some low-latency memory from Corsair at a big expense. I found out quickly that it didn't run at its rated speed and gave me blue screens of death several times a day. I sent it back to the company, and the new modules I received had the same problem. Reading the memory forums, I see this is a huge issue, becuase the memory is simply overrated at the factory. I can get the memory to work very stable if I over-volt or underclock it. Does that mean I'm happy? Hell, no.
This was apparently a fluke with their early XMS modules. New Corsair memory continues to get good reviews, just like their pre-XMS products. Still, I was overcharged for a product that doesn't work as advertised. The result? After an RMA that resolved noting, I've decided not to buy Corsair memory again.
Would I treat any "Amiga" differently? No. Should anyone else?
NO.
This is why I want AmigaOS on PC hardware. Many PC companies have been making hardware for years and they have gotten damn good at it. As a PC builder, I occasionaly take risks with products released very early. Products sold through resellers must be properly tested under lab conditions before it goes on the market, and backed up by the sellers. These Amiga guys don't know what they are doing.
The fact that the hardware was selling years before the OS doesn't help. Got a problem? Get a patch! Gee, that sounds familiar.
Colin Camper: Are you seriously suggesting that Eyetech or any company in this tiny, fragmented market can offer the same after sales support that IBM, Apple or HP do?
Isn't that why people have to pay ungodly prices?
It never ceases to amaze me that Amiga users will criticize a $120 PC combo that lasts for years, while paying $800 or so for a board that has major design flaws is a real pleasure. Service and support is part of the value of a product, not just specs and price.
My Corsair XMS memory and my Radeon 9800 Pro are the only pieces of hardware I've owned over the last 10+ years that have died on me [Edit - the memory didn't die. It was not sold as advertised]. Amiga users are not immune to Radeon problems, and it was my own fault for buying the memory the instant it came out, rather than waiting for a month or so for the reviews to come out. PC hardware is not junk. The kinds of problems the AmigaOne has would not be acceptable outside the Amiga market. It's no surprise to me that MAI seems to be MIA.
I've never dealt with Eyetech or any other recent Amiga company. But, if they do refuse to offer service for their products, they might as well just say there is no waranty.
