Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbatt!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!beatyr From: beatyr@pur-ee.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: TechniSoft (was: Memory expansion summary) Message-ID: <5182@pur-ee.UUCP> Date: Mon, 5-Jan-87 19:51:18 EST Article-I.D.: pur-ee.5182 Posted: Mon Jan 5 19:51:18 1987 Date-Received: Tue, 6-Jan-87 06:04:16 EST References: <736@cadomin.alberta.UUCP> <898@ulowell.UUCP> Reply-To: beatyr@pur-ee.UUCP (Robert Beaty) Organization: Electrical Engineering Department , Purdue University Lines: 65 In article <898@ulowell.UUCP> page@ulowell.UUCP (Bob Page) writes: >>I am especially interested in the Techni Soft expansion because they >>are the lowest price. > >I've been hearing horror stories about TechniSoft ... you pays your >money and -- > and -- > nothing. >-- >Bob Page, U of Lowell CS Dept. ulowell!page, page@ulowell.CSNET Well... I finally got my TechniSoft 2 MB RAM-BOard! I ordered it on the 16th of Nov. After repeated phone callings, and they don't seem to call back if you leave your name on their machine, I got the following story (condensed): 1-> I ordered it. 2-> A week later they shipped it. The delay (they told me when I ordered it they were shipping next-day) was due to an engineering change. I didn't mind if it meant I was getting a better board - it was only a week. 3-> After a month plus, I insisted they track it with UPS. Their response was that UPS had lost it and they sent another. 4-> After another week it finally arrived. This description leaves out all the frustration in getting a busy signal from them and their non-returning of my calls. Oh well... On to the mini-review... I will say that they claim NO wait states, and I have not had a chance to check performance benchmarks (someone want to send me a test program for Lattice 3.10?). Here is what I have found out: 1) The physical bow is so-so. it matches the color of the Amiga well, but does not win any style awards. It is bent sheet metal construction. The buss-pass-through is marginal due to the fact that it is in fact, two connectors, not a connector and a pc board edge connector. They say that a small pc board connector to fit into the connector and allow true buss pass through, will be shipped as soon as it is finished in manufacture. The buss conector, since the main unit sits on top of the Amiga about 1.75 inches tall, goes out the right side of the main unit and down to the Amiga's buss connector. This is exposed. No cover is shipped. They say that this too will be shipped as soon as it is available. This causes some interesting effects. The T.V. in my computer room has the bad shakes on channels 2,3,4,5 and 6. In fact, it is so bad on 2 and 3 that when I hit a key the screen scrambles (no foolin'!). Oh well... enough about the less than perfect (or FCC approved if I don't miss my guess)... 2) OK, is it worth the $604.95? I don't know. It works PERFECTLY. I really can find nothing less than perfect about the operation of the memory. I have had no problem with Autoconfig-ing under 1.2, no problems with the testing programs they give to you. In general, I can't say enough about the quality of operation. I am really impressed. OK, so-so shipping (make them ship it Fed-Ex or UPS Overnight!), so-so packaging, but very good operation. Is it worth it? The next cheapest 2MB board was another $100. I honestly don't know if I would buy it or the TechniSoft board. Since I am a cheap-ie I would get the TechniSoft, but make them ship it Fed-Ex, so they don't have any excuses for 'we shipped it today' stories. If someone wants to send me a benchmark program I will compile it under Lattice 3.10 and post the results. Oh! by the way, my friend and co-worker ordered another TechniSoft 2MB board, his should be here tomorrow (about the same delivery time on the same order date) Bob B. ---------- ... ihnp4!pur-ee!beatyr <- usenet ... beatyr@ed.ecn.purdue.edu <- arpa-net ... beatyr@pur-ee.UUCP <- UUCP ----------