🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <na.629ae54745.a40040johnolan@argonet.co.uk>, John Nolan
<URL:mailto:johnolan@argonet.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> We think that an A4 Portable is what we are after, because
> 
>     1. She needs a Portable more than anything else right now.
>     2. I know more about Acorns than those others !! and will be able to
> give more support. I have an A5000. And, of course, that friendly Acorn
> community out there !! . . . . . :-))

Well, the A4 is an A5000 basically.  Bar the internal expansion options,
they are almost the same.

>    * level of hardware support still available
>        e.g. replacement battery packs

Replacement parts are still available (I ordered a new keyboard the other
week, after tearing mine - oops!) from Acorn.  Repairs should be no prob,
from a dealer.

IIRC, there was a design fault on the screen connector.  Acorn dealers
will fix this for you, but I don't know how they'd react to one presented
to them out of warranty and with a new owner!

Battery packs are no longer available (even though Acorn advertise them!).
You can easily open up a battery pack and replace the cells (if you dare)
or RepairZone (alias Ray Maidstone the repairs genius!) will do it for you
(about 50ukp).

>    * max. hard disc memory and RAM

Internal hard disc:  up to 512Mb (as A5000) and must be 2.5" IDE.
RAM can be 2Mb or 4Mb (RAM upgrades available from Simtec).

With an ICS Wizzo4 ROM, you can bypass the 512Mb limit and also partition,
and protect drives.

>    * partitioning for PC software use

Well, I've run the PC Emulator on mine and it's not _that_ bad - same
as on A5000 (identical actually).

>        etc. etc.

Well, erm:

You can get an internal Econet adaptor (incidentally, I want one for
mine - anyone got one spare?) from Acorn (or a Nexus adaptor...)

Software-wise, it _is_ an A5000.  In fact, it's serial, parallel, monitor,
mouse etc., sockets are the same as the A5000.  It's keyboard socket
it the same as the Risc PCs - PS/2.

It really is quite a nice machine.  My only major niggles are:

Lack of internal trackpad/trackball
  please someone - any ideas how to implement this?

Lack of internal mains adaptor
  please someone - any ideas how to implement this?

RISC OS 3.1
  will this ever be sorted?  probably not :-(

plus the fact that my floppy drive is slightly duff and a new one is
over 60ukp :-(
 
> I would be happy to receive any detailed info. by email.

Erm... some folk might be annoyed by that request.  If you can be bothered
to post to a group (and expect a reply), you should at least read it!

I'm not bothered though: I once used a terrible news server and appreciated
email and it's only a matter of putting your email address in Marcel's
CC field for me.

Cheers, Richard.
-- 
      Wanted : Acorn Risc PC x86 second processor card (Gemini 2 based)
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