Editors@HelpDesk

The Editorial Staff of "The Amiga Monitor" handles your questions and problems

17-inch Monitor With A500?

I'm considering buying a 17" monitor and wonder if I would have any trouble using it with my setup:

I'm wondering if with a larger screen, I might get slower refreshes or more flicker. Any ideas?

Alan Haynes

My A500 configuration is quite similar to yours, and I've used it with several monitors of various kinds. The ICD FFV, combined with the Enhanced Chip Set, gives excellent versatility. If the 17" monitor accepts VGA scan rates (and I don't know of any that don't), it should support your deinterlaced high-resolution modes perfectly. The catch is that if it is a VGA-only monitor, it won't support some of your Amiga's modes like the video (~15KHz horizontal scan) ones, or special modes such as Super 72, as opposed to the 1942, which, if I remember correctly, supports all Amiga modes.

Whether a larger screen will affect performance depends upon exactly what you mean by a "larger screen." If you are using the same display modes on different monitors, the refresh speed should be identical, but if you use higher-resolution modes or more overscan to take advantage of the 17-inch monitor's greater size, you may experience a slowdown. In terms of flicker, any modern monitor should support the rates your Amiga is capable of generating, so there should be no problem.

Even in view of how well your A500 should work with a 17-inch monitor, it is best to try the new monitor with the system before you commit, however. There are various factors that could affect the monitor's overall suitability that vary from one unit to the next, and you should check to see just what scan rates it will support just to know how compatible it will be. But it should work just fine.

Michael Webb
Editor-in-Chief



Bringing an Amiga 2000 Back to Life

Hi!

My name is Frank and I am (or was) an Amiga user. I had bought one of the A2000's when they first came off the line (Serial #000751). Unfortunately, like you said, Commodore sadly didn't support the machine or promote it the way that they should have so it fell by the wayside. I found it increasingly more and more difficult to find software for it. Unfortunately and sadly I was forced to move to the IBM line of computers. I have never adjusted to IBM's and I repeatedly tell my friends that it is like a second language to me. I have never been able to feel fully comfortable with an IBM even tho I have been using it for a few years.

I have never made any adjustments to my Amiga so I know it must need a few things. I mostly need a new keyboard. Do you know where I can get one? I would love to take it out of mothballs and start using it again. I had no idea that the Amiga community was this active. I figured that the Amiga's reign ended with Commodore's demise in '94. That's when I threw my hands up in disgust and despair. I have taken much teasing from my friends when I tell them that my A2000 could blow the IBM's they use to pieces.

Unfortunately I never had much to back it up because all Commodore cared about later on was only promoting the Video Toaster line. Is there any way I can get this machine running again? I miss it dearly and I have no idea where to start. Can you help me?

I was amazed when my friends started bragging about IBM's multimedia abilities 2 or 3 years ago. I told them that my Amiga was doing that stuff years before. In fact I was so used to Amiga's Plug 'n' Play that I blew out a card on my IBM trying to get it to work. I can't believe that you have to load drivers on this stupid machine to get things to work. The way I looked at it was that Commodore was handed a gold mine. The Amiga could have easily surpassed IBM on its own territory.

Please respond as I am very excited to see if I can do something with my A2000!

Thank you very much,
Frank Perri

It's great to hear from a one-time Amiga user who's interested in coming back! I have some information that you might find useful.

Yes, the Amiga community has shown tremendous strength and unity for all of the Amiga's years, and particularly in these more difficult, trying times. There was an absolute explosion of reactions, feelings, and ideas when Gateway 2000 bought Amiga Technologies a few months ago.

As an A2000 owner, you're in a fairly good position to rebuild your system. It is highly expandable. I will first list some places where you may be able to find information or Amiga products, and then I'll address some specific issues one by one.

Dealers

The following is a list of some of the more prominent or well-known dealers in the Amiga community. A listing is by no means an implied endorsement; this is merely a sampling. Many more can be found online.

Internet Resources

You can probably find your away just about anywhere that is online and is Amiga via some of the following sites.

Bringing That A2000 Back to Life

NOTE: In outlining possible expansion options, I am going to assume a fairly basic system. Some of the items I mention here may be difficult to find; some you may only be able to find in online Classifieds listings. Others, however, should very well be available from dealers.

Conclusion

I hope some of this information is of use to you. So good luck, and welcome back!

Michael Webb
Editor-in-Chief

For a starting place try Safe Harbor Computers. Talk to them about what you want to do and they should be able to help you out. They have a web site; do a search from Yahoo to find them.

There are MANY more. But they're a good place to start.

My two cents.

Greg Noggle
Telecommunications Editor and Hardware Guru

You can either order a replacement [keyboard] from any Amiga mail order house (just pick up a print magazine like Amazing Computing and look at the ads) for $75-$80, or you can look for one used in the comp.sys.amiga.marketplace newsgroup, or you can pick up one of the KB-100 IBM to Amiga keyboard adapters for around $40-$50 allowing you to use any IBM keyboard. You can get many peripherals used from people who are selling or from Amiga dealers who sell used hardware. You can get some real bargains on hardware if you keep your eyes open.

We are a hardy bunch. Always seemed like the users and engineers cared more for the machine than the suits at Commodore.

[The Amiga] Could have [beat IBM], much like OS/2 could have capitalized on Windows 95's lateness and early problems, but didn't and for the same reason. Lack of vision from those holding the wheel.

Well, welcome back. Hop in...the water's warm...

Anthony Becker
Executive Editor


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