Subject: REVIEW: Infinitiv (A1200) Tower
From: [email-masked] (Stephen Bridges)
Date: 28 Jun 1997 18:53:39 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews

PRODUCT NAME

   Infinitiv (A1200) Tower [Z-1i rev5.42 Busboard]

	[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  This is an update to the author's previous
	review, Volume 1997 Number 5.  It replaces the old review.  - Dan]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

   A kit that turns an A1200 into a "big box" Amiga, including;

   1 Video slot

   5 Zorro II slots 
	       (2 inline with PC-AT slots, 2 inline with PCI slots
	       and 1 inline with the Video slot)
   
   2 3.5" bays	  (both exit as 'floppy disk slots' at the front)
   
   2 5.25" bays	  (both exit at the front)
   
   200W PC Power supply
   
   PCMCIA slot right-angled adapter
   
   An adaptor/cable to 'enable' the video slot 

 Extra 'bits' not in the kit price:

   SCSI external connection panel (50way SCSI internal to 25way Sub D)
   
   SCSI Adaptor (25way Sub-D to 50way SCSI Internal)

COMPANY INFORMATION

	Name:		Micronik Computer Service
	Address:	BruckenstraBe 2
			D-51379 Levenkusen
			Germany

	Telephone:	+49 2171 7245 0
	FAX:		+49 2171 7245 90

	E-mail:		[email-masked]
	World Wide Web:	http://www.micronik.de

LIST PRICE

   369.95UKP 
   
   29.95UKP / Extra 5.25" Bay

   12.95UKP / Extra 3.5" Bay		

   16.98UKP   SCSI Adaptor

   16.98UKP   SCSI Connection Panel

   Blittersoft
   6, Drakes Mews
   Crownhill Industry
   Milton Keynes
   Bucks
   MK8 0ER
   United Kingdom

SPECIAL HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

   A1200 :-)
   A3000/AT102 (with adaptor) or Win95 Keyboard

MACHINE USED FOR TESTING

   A1200
   Blizzard 1230 (16MB SIMM)
   Blizzard SCSI (16MB SIMM)
   Picasso II+
   MultiFace III
   540 MB 3.5" IDE
   214 MB 3.5" IDE
   52 MB 3.5" SCSI

INSTALLATION

   First of I'd like to explain the reason for this updated review.
   I wrote the original review along time before it was posted, about 3
   months, Dan had exams, and a lot has changed in that time, so here is
   the state of play now.	   

   Where to begin? Well first; don't buy this product unless you are
   sure that you are up to gutting your A1200. I cannot emphasis this
   enough.

   I don't think this is the place to describe how to take your
   A1200 apart, so I'll start at the point where all you have left of
   your A1200 is the motherboard, floppy and hard drives.

   The kit is made entirely of a hardened plastic, which clips together
   with built-in clasps. The A1200 motherboard screws to a "sled" which
   slides into the back of the tower. The Zorro busboard is also on
   this "sled" and is attached to the motherboard at the CPU (trapdoor)
   connector, with a passthru' for accelerators.

   There is an enclosed "box" on the "sled" and this has a ribbon
   coming out of it, this connects to the keyboard interface on the
   motherboard. On the outside of the "box" is a new/small PC keyboard
   connector, the type used for Win95 keyboards. Amiga specific keys
   are transposed on to the Win95 keys.

   The video slot adaptor lead is now available and is shipped with all
   kits. It still doesn't have any English instructions, but it is fairly
   obvious how to connect it. It consists of 3 'chip holders' that clip
   over chips on the A1200 motherboard, and a single wire that needs to be
   soldered on to a pin on another chip on the motherboard. Don't try
   soldering this wire if you don't know what you are doing, chips don't
   take well to soldering irons. Get somebody who knows what they are doing
   to do it. Only a few cards actually need the video slot anyway.

   The installation went very well until time came for me to fit the
   accelerator, this is when I found that it was too tall to fit in
   the tower. It turned out that I needed an extra 5.25" bay, which
   snaps onto the top of the tower. This wasn't pointed out when I
   brought the kit, even tho' I told the salesperson that I had an
   accelerator. So beware.

   Also the accelerator needs to be fitted after the "sled" has been
   installed. This is a job if you have a SIMM on the SCSI board
   as I have. The SIMM needs to be removed and the power supply needs
   to be moved while you install the accelerator/SCSI board. Then the
   SIMM can be reinstalled and the power supply moved back. Anyone who
   has just gutted their A1200 won't find this much of a problem. To be
   fair if you only had an accelerator then it would be fairly easy.
   
   Right where does the SCSI socket exit? A special adaptor is now
   available which enables the 25way Sub-D to exit at the back of the
   tower in a spare zorro slot slot. Tho' as it is really only a male
   50way SCSI internal to female 25way Sub D adaptor mounted on a blanking
   plate you will need the 25pin to 50pin adaptor at the other end
   and a 50way internal SCSI lead as well. Right, with both adaptors in
   place, a 3 headed 50pin SCSI lead and an old 52MB internal SCSI drive
   connected, everything is working fine.

   So just to recap, I've now got an internal SCSI hard-drive and an
   external CD-ROM and Zip drive, all attached to the SCSI module of my
   Blizzard 1230IV.

   There are only 2 3.5" bays (I've got 4 drives). Extra 3.5" bays can be
   added either below the original ones at the front or below the power
   supply at the rear.

   If you have a 2.5" IDE drive it would be safe to just let it sit
   on the bottom of the tower as it is all plastic.

   If you have a 3.5" IDE drive, you will need a long (~40cm) 44 to 40 
   pin ribbon cable as it needs to loop around the Zorro boards, that's 
   if you want to install it in a 3.5" bay.

   And so on to the Zorro boards. It has been pointed out to me that the
   bottom two slots have an extra punch out in the rear slot to allow for
   boards such as those that have lots of connectors on them, which include
   my Picasso II+ and MultiFace III. I guess I must be stupid because as far
   as I can see there is still no way the boards are going to fit properly
   as there is a piece of the tower case behind them which snags the hex
   bolts on the boards. Also the bottom slot with the punch out doesn't
   line up with a Zorro slot anyway. So to reiterate, neither of my boards
   fit properly but they do work fine.

   Someone else asked about the floppy drive, well I replaced mine with a
   High Density one at the same time, so I felt that it wasn't fair to
   comment on the troubles I had with that.

   I include here a usenet posting from Kevin Henry (thanks Kevin) about the
   trouble he had installing his standard floppy: 

   "I had a problem with the original floppy disk drive, as it wouldn't fit
   in the bay correctly as the poles that the eject buttons use were too
   long and stopped the drive from working. I found that the button on my
   original drive wasn't long enough to fit to reach the outside of the tower
   case. So I had to glue the one supplied with the tower to the old one."

REVIEW

   Well there isn't much of a review, as when it is all installed
   it works just like an A1200 with Zorro II slots. What more can
   I say.

DOCUMENTATION

   After someone informed Blittersoft about my original review, they
   contacted me, so I asked them to send me some English docs, as well
   as ordering the SCSI bits. Well, as they didn't, I still can't comment
   on them.

LIKES

   It works well.

DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS

   There's not enough room for the accelerator, especially with the SCSI
   board, it gets very hot hard up against the side of the tower.
   
   The video slot adaptor really needs installing by a professional.   

   There are far to many 'extras' needed.

VENDOR SUPPORT

   The UK distributor Blittersofts' tech people have been very helpful.
   I wish I could say the same for the sales staff. 

WARRANTY

   I'd guess 1 year. 

CONCLUSIONS

   After I ironed out the troubles it has now been happily working on my desk
   for many months and so I'm very pleased with it. 

   If you are not adverse to a bit of fiddling then all the problems I've
   encountered are fairly easily overcome. 

   4 out of 5 stars (4.5, with the Video slot and internal SCSI)

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

   Copyright 1997 Stephen Bridges <[email-masked]>

-- 
	  Stephen Bridges   [email-masked]   A1200T/A3000
      "How do we tell the people in the white coats enough is enough

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