ScuzzBlog: Diaries January 2020
Entry 28th January 2020: Post 01: Oktagon 2008 - Card for all reasons.
Oktagon 2008 - Card for all reasons.
I have featured this card before though never really extolling
the virtue of installing these cards in Amiga tin boxes.
I have to go back to my Amiga timeline before I got my first
A4000. I was really scratching my head on how I was going to add
a hard disc to an Amiga 2000 that I had just acquired. The advice
that came back from the forums was the GVP card that had the HD
mounted on the card that simply slots in. What was magic about
the card was the lack of trailing ribbons and other connectors.
It just simply slotted in and you were good to go.
The Oktagon is very like the GVP though a touch more capable. It
gives you extra RAM and the very wonderful SCSI connector that
lets you plug in stuff internally or externally. Additionally,
however, with this drive you have a Linux supported drive plus it
has an A-Max II driver. I mean what more could you ask for.
Whilst I have never used the Oktagon I certainly used or similar
cards in many of my 2000s. To the point I really wouldn't use
a 2000 without having one installed. They are just so easy to
use and give instant drive storage, SCSI and the extra RAM, which
when you have issue with the SIMM slots as on the 4000 it
becomes essential.
My biggest joy with the card is being able to plug in a ZIP
SCSI drive to the rear and having much larger capacity to store
and move Amiga data.
I am pretty sure these controllers could be used to connect more
modern storage devices. For me though, being old 'sKool' with a
love affair with hard discs, I cannot think of an easier way to
expand an A2000. And what is more they autoboot so you have your
OS on tap. And what is more you can just pull the card and stick
it in another 2000 and you're good to go.
Oktagon 2008 - Card for all reasons.
The GVP equivalent
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