Resurrected A4000

[Orkin]

Okay, so I decided to increase the size of the existing Amiga community by one yesterday, and I dug out my A4000 (with a Toaster), found my connectors (minus a keyboard adapter), and fired her up. I about a half hour later, my screen went dark, and I determined that I have a bad fast RAM SIMM.

So, I have to purchase some memory, a keyboard adapter, and probably a bunch of other stuff to get this thing ready for prime time. I have 3.0 kickstart ROMs, so I am sure that has to go, but I kinda want to make this thing ready for AOS 4.1.

Just a few questions:

1. What should I plan on buying?

2. What hardware do I need for an appropriate accelerator? Where can I find one that isn't prohibitively expensive?

3. Do I need a ZorRAM card, or how much memory is appropriate for OS4?

4. Can I just plug any old IDE CDROM drive in, or is there anything I need to be aware of?

5. What should I get for network connectivity?

Thanks for your help. I am really looking forward to using this again, but I honestly don't have much A4000 experience. I used to use an A2000 regularly, but that was a long time ago.

[slayer]

Okay, so I decided to increase the size of the existing Amiga community by one yesterday, and I dug out my A4000 (with a Toaster), found my connectors (minus a keyboard adapter), and fired her up. I about a half hour later, my screen went dark, and I determined that I have a bad fast RAM SIMM.

So, I have to purchase some memory, a keyboard adapter, and probably a bunch of other stuff to get this thing ready for prime time. I have 3.0 kickstart ROMs, so I am sure that has to go, but I kinda want to make this thing ready for AOS 4.1.

Just a few questions:

1. What should I plan on buying?

A CyberStorm 604 233Mhz 060 and AmigaOS4 for classic machines

2. What hardware do I need for an appropriate accelerator? Where can I find one that isn't prohibitively expensive?

See above and I can't say where you'd get one cheap, maybe a lower spec one

Join http://www.amibay.com a site that buys and sells Amiga gear.

3. Do I need a ZorRAM card, or how much memory is appropriate for OS4?

If you have 128 Megs on the Cyberstorm this is plenty of ram for everything
you will need to run. The only thing I can think of that would benefit is if you
wish to run the m68k OWB web browser and if you want to push the limits
of any ray tracing package... although I do quite extensive scenes with Imagine
and never ran out of memory...

4. Can I just plug any old IDE CDROM drive in, or is there anything I need to be aw
are of?

As long as the plug fits there shouldn't be anything to consider

5. What should I get for network connectivity?

I use the Ariadne II card

Thanks for your help. I am really looking forward to using this again, but I honestly don't have much A4000 experience. I used to use an A2000 regularly, but that was a long time ago.

No worries

good luck

[slayer]

You may need a graphics card too

CyberVisionPPC
PicassoIV
Cybervision64/3D
Cybervision64
etc etc...

[magnetic]

Hey
Glad you are getting the a4k going! its too nice a machine to collect dust. FYI we have In Stock a complete a4000 ram kit - 5 simms good for replacement or backups for $25 shipped! in usa. Let me know..Guaranteed to work!

[Pyromania]

You could get a Flyer card for your Toaster so it's not lonely.

[Orkin]

Hey
Glad you are getting the a4k going! its too nice a machine to collect dust. FYI we have In Stock a complete a4000 ram kit - 5 simms good for replacement or backups for $25 shipped! in usa. Let me know..Guaranteed to work!

What's the URL? The one in your signature doesn't seem to be working.

[Orkin]

You could get a Flyer card for your Toaster so it's not lonely.

Ooh, I like this idea!

[Orkin]

A CyberStorm 604 233Mhz 060 and AmigaOS4 for classic machines

See above and I can't say where you'd get one cheap, maybe a lower spec one

Join www.amibay.com a site that buys and sells Amiga gear.

Thanks for that one. I've never seen that site before. I haven't found a CyberStorm just yet, but I'll keep looking. I don't need anything special to use a CyberStorm, do I? Does it just plug into a ZORRO III slot?

I use the Ariadne II card

I'll have to look for this one, since I'm unfamiliar with it. Thanks for all your advice!

[SysAdmin]

Ooh, I like this idea!

I heard they might have some.


http://www.discreetfx.com/amigaproducts.html

[slayer]

I don't need anything special to use a CyberStorm, do I? Does it just plug into a ZORRO III slot?

It plugs into your CPU slot not the A4000 daughter board. I think I recognise you
bidding on a CS at the moment. The only thing you might need to do is change
a few jumpers on your board to Ext. Ask the seller about this. (of course, if
you have an 040 CPU installed it would have already been done.

I'll have to look for this one, since I'm unfamiliar with it. Thanks for all your advice!

It worked well in my A4000 towerised Setup running OS4

[Orkin]

It plugs into your CPU slot not the A4000 daughter board. I think I recognise you
bidding on a CS at the moment. The only thing you might need to do is change
a few jumpers on your board to Ext. Ask the seller about this. (of course, if
you have an 040 CPU installed it would have already been done.



It worked well in my A4000 towerised Setup running OS4

Yep, that's me! My machine is an 040, so that shouldn't be a problem. Now I have to figure out what the CPU slot is.

If anyone knows of any less pricey PPC cards out there, I'm all ears...

[slayer]

Check out these sites to read up a bit about your bits and pieces

http://amiga.resource.cx/

http://www.amiga-hardware.com/ and/or http://www.bboah.com/

I do have a spare 604e but I'm not sure what config it is and I'm not likely to know for quite some time... so good luck!

[4pLaY]

I dont know why no one else said this, but seriously, if its OS4 you want to run you should get a SAM board, the A4000 wont even run the latest OS4 version and to get it up to speed i can see you using more cash on it then a SAM and it will be much slower in useage. If it were me, id just keep the A4000 for retro things and get a SAM board asap.

[Orkin]

I dont know why no one else said this, but seriously, if its OS4 you want to run you should get a SAM board, the A4000 wont even run the latest OS4 version and to get it up to speed i can see you using more cash on it then a SAM and it will be much slower in useage. If it were me, id just keep the A4000 for retro things and get a SAM board asap.

I am suspecting you may be right. Since I can get a full system for the price of one of those CyberStorm boards, and there's no telling when the X1000 will be out, I think that may be the way to go.

I'd still really like to get the A4000 up and running, though, for nostalgia purposes, I guess.

[ElPolloDiabl]

Don't forget to check the battery for leakage.