eFlash vs Kickflash

[X-ray]

Dudes....

I intend to get one of these for my A4000T. Here are my specs:

CSPPC
PIV, Paloma, Concierto
DKB3128

I want to know from users of these cards what their experiences have been. Which one do you think I should get? Any advantage of the one over the other?

Thanks for your help

[Crusher]

I have both, KickflashOS4(In my A3KT, see sign) have a clockport and works with Z2-machines.
eFlash4000(In my A3KD, vanilla) is fast and works only on Z3-machines. Using this to boot from Buddha.

No problems with either card, they do the work.  :-)

[keropi]

I have both too, but I think that kickflash has better software... plus u get a clockport too! unless 1MB is not enough for you, so you must use the eflash, which in it's new version it has 2MB flash rom...

[X-ray]

@ Crusher

Do you notice any performance difference between the two?

@ Keropi

For just avoiding OS3.9 reboots, is the kickflash enough at 1mb? And has there been a time when you couldn't do something because you only had 1mb on the kickflash?

@ All

Are these devices the same as hard-disks? What I mean is, do you have a boot priority? (is it possible to use both on one machine)

[Tempest]

I have both too. The eFlash for my a4000 and the Kickflash for my a3000T. They both do what I bought them for. As said the software for the Kickflash is better and you get a clockport.

[Tempest]

X-ray wrote:
@ Crusher

Do you notice any performance difference between the two?

@ Keropi

For just avoiding OS3.9 reboots, is the kickflash enough at 1mb? And has there been a time when you couldn't do something because you only had 1mb on the kickflash?

The Kickflash with 1MB is just fine for OS3.9. And I didn't see any noticable speed difference between the two.

@ All

Are these devices the same as hard-disks? What I mean is, do you have a boot priority? (is it possible to use both on one machine)

No, it's not the same as a harddrive. It just makes the romupdates/roms/modules available at boottime before the system boots from the harddrive. You can't use it like a harddrive. The included software programs the flashrom with the romupdates you want. Then you have to write protect it with a jumper on the card, that's it.

[X-ray]

@ Tempest

So you can't choose whether the kickflash / eflash is active or not? I mean theoretically could you have both installed and choose which one to have active?

[Crusher]

No diff in speed. :-D
Altough the eFlash is claimed to be faster because of the Z3 interface. I have the 1MB eFlash(i.e. the first ver.) have hadn´t any problem with the space in just booting my OS3.9.

[Tempest]

@X-Ray
Yes you can with the jumpers on the board, you can turn it off, on, write enable or write protect, both cards work the same way. You can't do it with software, If you want to reprogram the flashrom you'll have to open your Amiga to set the jumpers so you can rewrite the flashrom.

You could of course connect switches to the jumpers on the card so you won't have to open your Amiga.

[X-ray]

@ All

Thanks very much for all the advice. I think I will get the kickflash.
Next question: if you were in my shoes, what clockport goodies would you get? Are they all compatible with the Kickflash?

[quenthal]

X-ray wrote:
@ All

Thanks very much for all the advice. I think I will get the kickflash.
Next question: if you were in my shoes, what clockport goodies would you get? Are they all compatible with the Kickflash?

Yes, I think all clockport-stuff is compatible with it. Keropi is using Subway USB-controller in it, which I think is most useful adapter considering current availability of Zorro-USB controllers.

Btw., you can get better (atleast more intuitive to use) software for eFlash from Aminet (http://www.aminet.net/package.php?package=util/misc/eflashutil.lha). However, Kickflash still has advantage, because it can use more patches (Blizkick-modules) and even totally custom Kick.rom, which afaik eFlash can not (other can confirm this?).

I've has some problems with CoyoteFlash, which is the software for Kickflash, since sometimes when I use custom ROM with it, my Amiga might need ctrl-a-a to finish up booting. Same rom works with Blizkick, and Kickflash too can handle it, if I use all the patches in the image as external files instead of complete custom rom.

If reviews are to be believed and if you can get your hands on it, Algor Pro is probably the best option and it has USB-controller built-in, but is by far most expensive.

And for the last for this topic, I want to continue by asking how this flash cards operate. If I "read" my powerled correctly, I can see my amiga booting when using rom updates/custom rom - what I'm asking, that is this normal?

[keropi]

oh nice, the kickflash rox  :-D  
get a subway too, and you have a home-made algor-pro  :-D  :-D  
see my pic on the hardware section of how to connect them both...

[X-ray]

@ keropi

Can you please tell me which USB devices you have successfully used on the subway. For instance could I use one of those multi-card readers? I have quite a few cards now and I reckon it would be nice to transfer files like that.

[Karlos]

Question:

Is the speed of the device even remotely relevant in real terms? Surely with any accelerated system, you copy your kickstart to fast ram and have the MMU set up to recognise the remapping.

Seems to me like asking 'how fast is the door access on your car' as a performance question :-D

[keropi]

I have tried 2-3 different generic card readers, all work fine, the prob is not subway but poseidon. even if you get a thing not working, you can talk to the poseidon group and support will be added afaik...