Re: Ram Fast

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Mitchell Spector writes ...
> 
> In article Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net> writes...
> 
> >Jonathan Epstein writes ...
> >>
> >> What would be a reasonable price for a Ram Fast SCSI and 4meg of GS RAM?
> >
> >     For a good 4MB RAM card (like GS-RAM III)
> 
>     I would question that being a "good" card. The GS-RAM III is an
> Applied Engineering memory board, and they were infamous for selling
> boards that were not DMA compatible (despite claims that they were).
>

     Understandable; however, the GS-RAM III is generally recognized 
(even by the competition) as a very good 4MB card. It is compact and 
draws much less current than most other 4MB boards. It was, admittedly, 
very pricey.
 
 
> >and the current RamFAST with the f ROM,
> 
>     I would recommend getting one with the 3.01e firmware revision,
> while the built-in tape backup utility was not fully functional, it
> was a much more stable and reliable ROM. I would even go to the
> trouble of "downgrading" to the older "e" revision.
>

     The "f" ROM version does have one odd quirk: it will write its 
config/setup info only to a device on its SCSI chain. For Zip-GSX users 
attaching only a CD-ROM drive, this turns out to mean that Ramfast.System 
must be run after each power-up in order to click a couple settings. 
Connecting a hard disk or Iomega Zip Drive solves the problem.

     The "e" version may be just fine-- I've never owned one. One of 
the reasons some buyers waited for the "f" revision was concern about 
problems with CD-ROM interfacing said to afflict earlier versions. 
Anyway, after two years of regular use, our RamFAST "f" board continues 
to work great.

 
> >something around $200 would be a reasonable price.
> 
>     US$200 will buy you a _brand-new_ RamFAST SCSI board and 4 MB
> memory card. If your talking about used prices, which I assume you
> are (since you mention the long defunct GS-RAM III) then your way
> off in pricing.

     A used GS-RAM III or other good-quality, low-current-drain 4MB card 
should be obtainable at $70-$80 without much trouble.

     ROM "f" ROM RamFAST boards tend to be very rare on the Used market. 
(In fact, ROM "e" boards are not exactly common.)  Unless a buyer is 
willing to wait for a lucky break in both availability and price (to say 
nothing of getting a reliable guarantee from the seller), the best course 
is to buy a new RamFAST.
    

> I'd cut the price in half, and then some when you
> consider the Apple II market.
>

     No doubt, somewhere in the world, there is someone who would sell a 
good 4MB RAM card and late-version RamFAST for $100. Unfortunately, 
he/she is huddled in a long-empty grain silo awaiting the end of a mortar 
barrage and cannot, just now, post to comp.sys.apple2.marketplace.


Rubywand