1. can I connect an IDE HDD to the A500 and how? What is the max size of the HDD? I have seen pics of peoples Amigas with HDDs 'lying' around
2. what kind of RAM do I need to get to upgrade?
search on ebay for the A590 expansion for the a500 it has a hard disk inside and usualy 2mb of ram.
5. do I automatically have rights to download and use any Kickstart as I now own an A500?
no you don't. you have rights only to the rom(s) that is in your a500.