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How to check A1000 RAM?

falter

falter

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Jan 22, 2011
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I've been wondering why software that should run on my 512k A1000 won't (they complain not enough RAM), and I am wondering now if I have a RAM problem. I don't really know how or if you can get an A1000 to display total installed system RAM?

What I've tried is booting up with Workbench 1.3 with my 256k expansion installed and then not installed. When installed I have about 300-320k free just at the main workbench screen. If I remove the card that falls to about 80k.
 
Unfortunately, only very early software will run in 512k-only. Most releases, probably up to about 1987... After that most software expected you to at least have the extra 512k trapdoor RAM in an A500. Since the A1000 was discontinued when the A500 came out, it was kind of orphaned. There are upgrades you can get for it, though, but you'll never have more than 512k "chip" RAM.

Anyway, the behavior you describe is normal. Always leave the 256k module installed- there is no reason to ever remove it. If you had any bad RAM, Workbench would not function and it would crash.
 
falter said:
I've been wondering why software that should run on my 512k A1000 won't (they complain not enough RAM), and I am wondering now if I have a RAM problem. I don't really know how or if you can get an A1000 to display total installed system RAM?

What I've tried is booting up with Workbench 1.3 with my 256k expansion installed and then not installed. When installed I have about 300-320k free just at the main workbench screen. If I remove the card that falls to about 80k.
Click to expand...

You might be able to squeeze a little more RAM out of that but in general you will lose at least 120K to the OS and the screen memory. Back in the day I knew how to setup a low memory workbench disk (turn all disk buffers off, make sure nothing is being loaded as a background task on startup, etc.), but bugger me if I remember now.
 
Thanks guys.

Yeah I was just scratching my head because I went to the trouble of finding images of game manuals and boxes... for example Monkey Island says its compatible with A1000 512k... but when I boot it it says nope.. sorry.

I haven't really found a good comprehensive list that would make it easy to see what is too new for A1000.

One other unrelated question... I've noticed the case badges on A1000s differ slightly... one just has the Amiga checkmark badge.. the other has that plus the Commodore badge beneath it... does that denote one is earlier than the other? I looked at the IC dates on the original motherboard for this machine and they are mostly 40th week of 1985. Mine just has the checkmark logo.
 
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