second thoughts on buying a 3000UX

[Keith Gabryelski]

In article <61751 at masscomp.westford.ccur.com> rtc at westford.ccur.com writes:
>What is the software installation format that they use?

The system is pre-loaded and comes with a QIC-150 cartridge tape.

>Anyone know the density or capacity, or the price of the tape drives?

No idea of the price.  Talk to sales people.

>I've heard that additional memory chips must be surface-soldered to 
>the main board.  I've also heard that memory is user upgradable, and that
>expansion boards are available.  What really is the largest amount of
>memory that I can cram into the system?  How much does it cost to get the
>system with 16 Mb or more memory?  They could only tell me the price with 9Mb.

With the A3000 16mb of fast memory can be put on board 2mb(?) of chip.

A memory card be put in the system to allow more memory but none exist
at this time.

>What does Commodore mean by "choice of monitors?"  The price CATS
>quoted me allows for my choice of monitors.  Well I want to run an X
>server, and I'd want color, and resolution greater than 1024 X 864.
>I see 1280 X 400 listed (I assume this isn't a joke) and I see an
>expansion graphics board listed as 1024 X 1024.  Well if I need to
>get that expansion board, so be it, but how much does it cost?  How
>many of them can be put on a system?

The two main choices are A2024 and the 1950.  The A2024 implements
hedley high res with a 1024x1024x2 (in PAL mode) bit display.  It
is monochrome not color.  This is probably what you are looking for.
	
>Does the SCSI implementation allow for connecting and using:
>	- scanners
>	- fixed-block tapes
>	- other tapes
>	- disks (native scsi, or adaptec, OMTI, or other bridge boards)
>	- CD-ROM's and other removable optical disks

There is a generic SCSI device that allows for user level code to get
to the SCSI bus.  Good luck.

>Does the system truly come with ethernet?

Yes.

>Does the running system support booting X terminals on the network?
>Does it support all of the major booting protocols?

Sadly, no.

>What's the deal with getting a 50Mhz CPU clock speed?

An outside company (GVP) offers a 030/50Mhz card for the A2000.

>What's the deal with getting a 68040 CPU?  Are they really available?
>How much more cost?

There is no 040 card currently available.

>Could someone post the output of a recursive "ls" on a system?

I doubt it.

>Is there a comprehensive list of what UNIX software comes with it, or
>at least is available to put on it?  I want some sort of database for
>example.

This has been posted to the net (and I think comp.newprod).  Talk to
jesse at cbmvax.commodore.com for more information.

>How will third party sotware products be distributed?  (see tape
>drive question above!)

There is an ABI standard for the 60k family.  This standard declares
60mb QIC-24 format.

Pax, Keith
-- 
"[...] a POSIX implementation that |         Keith Gabryelski
returns errors for practially every|  Amiga Unix Software Development
operation is conformant (useless,  |      ag at amix.commodore.com
but conformant)."    -- Chris Torek|       ...!cbmvax!amix!ag