ÓÕÂÊ: 1 MEG.ÒÅÕ VS. ÒAMLINK      (Ò4)  ÆÒÏÍ: ÍUSHÍORILA  07/02/90   Ó#: 816961  
ÁNYONE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT UPGRADING AN ÒÅÕ TO 1 MEG. VERSUS BUYING A ÒAMLINK? 

É PRESUME BOTH WILL ACHIEVE THE SAME PURPOSE, BUT WHILE AN UPGRADE CAN BE DONE NOW, ÒAMLINK IS STILL OFF SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE.
  
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ÓÕÂÊ: 2ÍEG                       (Ò)   ÆÒÏÍ: ÄAUNTLESS   07/02/90   Ó#: 505962  
É HAD MY 1750 UPGRADED BY ÃÍÄÒ ÆÉØÅÒ.  ÉT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ÒÁÍÌÉÎË WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
MEMORY IN THE ÒÅÕ. 
ÔHE UPGRADE IS $300.
ÍIKE

  
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ÓÕÂÊ: ÄIFFERENT PURPOSES...      (Ò)   ÆÒÏÍ: ÍICHAELÓ30  07/02/90   Ó#: 117550  
  ÃOMMODORE'S 17XX SERIES OF ÒÅÕS AND ÃÍÄ'S ÒAMÌINK REALLY SERVE DIFFERENT PURPOSES (IF É UNDERSTAND ÃÍÄ CORRECTLY.)

  ×HILE BOTH ADD EXTRA EXTERNAL STORAGE, THE ÒÅÕ IS DESIGNED FOR SOFTWARE WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR IT (ÍANY Ã128 APPLICATIONS, AND ÇÅÏÓ FOR THE MOST PART).  ÔHE ÒÅÕS ACHIEVE HIGH SPEED MEMORY SWAPS VIA HARDWARE ÄÍÁS (ÄIRECT ÍEMORY ÁCCESS).  ÁDDING EXTRA MEMORY TO ÒÅÕS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY ADDING TO THE HARDWARE. ÈOWEVER, MOST CURRENT SOFTWARE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS EXTRA MEMORY AND WON'T USE IT.
  ÃURRENTLY THERE IS ANOTHER EXPANSION RAM CARTRIDGE AVAILABE-GEOÒAM.  ÔHIS CARTRIDGE IS DESIGNED TO WORK WITH A SPECIAL VERSION OF ÇÅÏÓ, BUT THERE IS NO REASON THAT OTHER PROGRAMS CAN'T USE IT...EXCEPT THAT IS IT NEWER THAN VIRTUALLY ALL Ã128/64 SOFTWARE AND THEREFORE UNSUPPORTED.  ÔHE METHOD USED FOR THIS RAM EXPANSION IS TO USE ONE OF THE É/Ï ÐAGES TO HOLD 2048- 256 BYTE PAGES.  ÂY PLACING A VALUE IN A COUPLE OF REGISTERS, SOFTWARE CAN SELECT WHICH OF THESE 2048 PAGES TO "BANK-IN".  ÔHIS METHOD USES THE 65/85XX TO SWAP MEMORY AND IS THEREFORE SLOWER.

   ÒAMÌINK (WHICH DOESN'T YET EXIST IN PRODUCTION VERSIONS) CAN BE A THIRD METHOD OF EXPANDING ÒÁÍ.  ÁCCORDING TO ÃÍÄ'S ONLINE REP., ÒAMÌINK WILL USE BASICALLY THE SAME METHOD AS GEOÒAM TO ADD ÒAMÌINK MEMORY, EXCEPT ALLOWING MORE PAGES.  ÂÕÔ THIS IS NOT THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF ÒAMÌINK.  
   ÒAMÌINK'S REAL VALUE IS THE PROMISE TO:
     1) PLACE A MORE TRANSPARENT ÒAM ÄISK PROGRAM BETWEEN THE COMPUTER AND EITHER YOUR 17XX, GEOÒAM, AND/OR ÒAMÌINK MEMORY.  ÁPPARENTLY THIS WILL WORK AS A TRANSPARENT CARTRIDGE LIKE THE OLD ÆAST ÌOAD ÃARTRIDGES.  ÔHIS WILL ALLOW SOFTWARE WHICH DOESN'T SUPPORT ÒÅÕS OR GEOÒAM TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM AS ÒAM ÄISK.
     2) THE ADDITION OF EXTERNALLY POWERING THE ÒAMÌINK.  ÃÍÄ IS HOPING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE CONTENTS OF ÒAM ÄISK AFTER TURNING OFF THE COMPUTER. ÔHIS WILL BE A REAL FEAT IF THEY CAN PROVIDE EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR THE 17XX AND GEOÒAM TO ALSO WORK AFTER TURNING THE POWER OFF, BUT ITS MORE LIKELY THAT ONLY ÒAMÌINK'S MEMORY WILL BE ABLE TO USE THIS FEATURE, SINCE JUST ADDING A POWER SUPPLY ISN'T ENOUGH.
   3) ÆINALLY, ÃÍÄ HOPES TO "BUFFER" THE EXPANSION PORT.  ÔHIS MEANS THAT VIRTUALLY ANYONE COULD USE EXTENSION CABLES OR MULTIPLE EXPANSION PORTS.

   É HOPE THAT THIS MESSAGE GIVES YOU A FEELING FOR THE DIFFERENT PURPOSESOF EACH OF THESE PRODUCTS, AND HOPEFULLY HELPS YOU TO SELECT THE ONE THAT MOST MEETS YOUR NEEDS.
          
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ÓÕÂÊ: ÒAMÌINK                    (Ò)   ÆÒÏÍ: ÔHE ×IRE    07/02/90   Ó#: 806220  
  É THINK THAT ÃÍÄS INTENTION IS UNIQUE IN THAT THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE A HIGH COMPATIBILITY WITH EXISTING SOFTWARE FOR THE 17ØØ REUS.  ÕPGRADED OR NOT, THE REUS SUPPORT ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF TITLES, WHEREAS THE ÒAMÌINK WOULD BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN REUS AND NON-REU SUPPORTED SOFTWARE.   
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ÓÕÂÊ: ÒÁÍ                              ÆÒÏÍ: ×ILL20      07/05/90   Ó#: 837097  
ÓO FAR, ÃÍÄ THINKS THEIR ÒÁÍÌÉÎË WILL SUPPORT ÒÅÕS MAXED OUT TO 2 ÍEG.  ÓO, UPGRADE YOUR ÒÅÕ NOW AND STILL CONSIDER THE ÃÍÄ PRODUCT IN THE FUTURE.  ÓEEMS WE CAN HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH, RATHER THAN CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO.