A500/2000 accelerator cards: still unfeasible to create new ones?

[runequester]

I imagine the intention of the 500 expansion would be primarily as a RAM expansion.

[runequester]

I figured most people who use 500's use them mainly because they are the most compatible with old games.
 
If you use it for more advanced purposes, I imagine you'd better off with something else (built-in IDE or SCSI, more expansions available etc)

[runequester]

That's a fair assumption.
But then A600 is also games orienated machine, sharing same pro's and con's like A500. Somehow I really fail to see what would justify success on A600 and stray A500 in same time. With respect to Minimig or A1200, I don't think there are many users waiting in line for Minimig or A1200 either. The fact is that bunch of A500s are sitting in the attic and closets surviving annoual clearouts just because they are missing some 15-16 years of new HW support.
 
Otherwise we can all trash our 'true HW' and join WinUAE beta testing thread at EAB (respect to TW).

The 600 is hard drive "ready", as well as the PCMCIA slot, so it is more readily expandable. That might have something to do with it.
Also comes with ECS and 2.x kickstart, so might play nicer with some hardware too.
 
Im sure if someone made it for the 500, people would buy it, just because it was there, but I can see why the 600s and 1200s were first in line.

[runequester]

Could be.
There's also one more possible reason, a story about horror Jens experienced while supporting his HW peripherals working (or better said, when not working) with Appollo accelerators and also failed A600 030 accelerator which failed to met both stability and ROHS compliance standards. I read somewhere that he has bought every Apollo which appeared on eBay for last 5 years or so (unverified).

From the threads on EAB, he seems very intent on only providing hardware that he can reasonably support for the customer, so that's likely a big factor as well.

[runequester]

Expandable with the three possible expansions available for it, SRAM, card adapter, and Ethernet. That limits it, and you'll have to choose one and only one. Forget fastram if you need a transfer card, and forget internet if you don't have an accelerator (same as for A500).

Well, you can swap them out, but if you have networking, you don't really need the card adapter.
 
In any event, its still stuff the 500 doesn't have. Most people aren't keen on null modem cables anymore for file transfers.
 
 

Yes, for any accel to sell for A500s it would need a harddisk interface. 68020 accel without harddisk interface... no point in bringing out the A500 from the closet, there will be endless support tickets if misc old harddisk interfaces are used.

An 020 card with some fast ram, and an IDE interface would be pretty nice as a boost to the old girl.
 

I doubt A600 sales came close to A500+ sales, and it has ECS and kick 2.0. So. Not that ECS/2.0 ever played nice with anything...
 

Yeah, ECS is kind of the bastard child Wasn't the 500+ only out for some 6 months, before the 600 replaced it?
 
 
I agree though, that there's undoubtedly a market for a decent 500 expansion. My thing is, that I can understand why they didn't do that one first.

[runequester]

I don't know that I'd say "exactly as usable," as I do like PCMCIA for transfer and ethernet. I know it's not perfect, but it comes in handy...
 
But, as this IS Jens and he likes to make products that can sell other products of his...
 
It would be interesting if it came with a clockport.....
Then, once those buyers have been using their machines for a bit (probably after they have bought the Indivision ECS), they can say, "You know, I'd love to be able to transfer files easier and maybe even use the internet... Isn't there some product that can.. er.. what? Subway?? USB?? And it plugs into my current card I bought from you? Hmmm...
 
I'm just saying... That in itself wouldn't be a motivator, but if it's not much more to add a clockport.. hmmm...
(I have 0-idea of the technical feasibility)..
 
desiv

I've seen other expansions that add a clockport, so I imagine it would be feasible. Not sure about costs and how available the needed parts are, though.