Amiga 1000 Expansion and PC Sidecar
The 8-Bit Guy・12 minutes read
RAM expanders from Bo Zimmerman's collection for Amiga 1000 allow for adding up to 2 MB of Fast RAM, alongside various software additions for MS-DOS compatibility and PC emulation. Early PC emulation products for the Amiga 1000 lacked impressive performance, but later models for the Amiga 500 and 2000 were well-received, with a request for a loan of the sought-after A-Max system for a future video.
Insights
- RAM expanders for Amiga 1000, borrowed from Bo Zimmerman, offer fast-RAM upgrades up to 2 MB, enhancing performance significantly with a simple side door installation.
- Amiga peripherals like the 1020 disk drive and PC emulation software showcase the platform's versatility, enabling compatibility with IBM PC software and even Macintosh emulation, underscoring the innovative and adaptable nature of the Amiga ecosystem.
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Recent questions
What is the purpose of RAM expanders for Amiga 1000?
Increase RAM capacity for faster performance.
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Summary
00:00
Amiga 1000 RAM expanders and accessories
- RAM expanders borrowed from Bo Zimmerman’s collection for Amiga 1000
- Basic RAM expander adds 512K of fast-RAM to Amiga 1000 by popping off a side door
- Thicker unit with Kickstart 1.2 and real-time clock, no battery, pass-through connector
- Thicker unit allows booting straight to workbench disk screen without kickstart disk
- Larger RAM unit can add up to 2 MB of Fast RAM, 1 MB populated, total 1.5 MB RAM available
- Amiga 1020 disk drive is a 360K drive for IBM PC compatibility, uses 5.25” floppy diskettes
- Amiga Transformer software included for running MS-DOS software on Amiga
- Amiga 1020 drive connects to regular floppy drive port, requires external power
- PC-Task software for Amiga emulates VGA, CGA, or EGA graphics, runs slower than original IBM PC
- Amiga 1060 sidecar connects to Amiga 1000, requires separate power, runs MS-DOS in window, supports CGA graphics, has AST Sixpack card for extra features
11:29
"Amiga Expansion Bus and PC Emulation"
- The Amiga's expansion bus requires an elevated board for compatibility, revealing a PC clone system lacking a video card and keyboard port. Early PC emulation products shown in the video were not impressive, but later products for the Amiga 500 and 2000 were commendable. The A-Max system for emulating a Macintosh is sought after, with a request for loaning one for a future video. Additionally, viewers are directed to the Geekbits Podcast for discussions on philosophy, science fiction, retro-tech, and other nerdy topics.
