Here I am at uni, and if there's one thing I'd like for my Amiga (er, after the PPC and BVision, that is), it's an ethernet card. You see, connected to the University Ethernet Network, I could have completely free nice 'n' fast internet access. No internet connection fees, no 'phone bills. Okay, I can get this in the computer rooms, but (a) I have to travel from my room, (b) there's usually loads of people using them, (c) it's hardly relaxing to use IRC when there are people waiting to do 'proper work', (d) I have to transport stuff via 720k disks, (e) I have to use shitty PCs or ancient slow Macs, etc, etc.
Ah, but you can get Amiga ethernet cards, for both Zorro slots and the A1200s PCMCIA. But, no matter how useful an ethernet card may be, I am strangely not tempted to splash out £150 or more...
Okay, £150 is still a bargain considering that it's 3 years internet access and with no 'phone bills, but for that money, I would rather make the trip to the computer room.
Of course, it most cases there's no reason to complain about the Amiga and networking - the Amiga is by far primarily a home machine; how many people want to network up twenty or so Amigas in their bedroom? The PC on the other hand needs them for business on a huge scale, making cards much cheaper (about twenty/thirty quid).
Well, I will try not to think about this when I trudge down to the computer room... The answer would be surely to allow Amigas to somehow make use of PC network cards. It must be remembered that it's not just PCI graphics cards that would be useful to be made useable by Amigas.
I've also heard that Amigo are to release an Amiga PCMCIA ethernet card, but I've got no details.
If anyone can help me on this matter, please write to me, I'd greatly appreciate it...
Mark 'Aaargh! I'm suffering from IRC withdrawal sypmtoms' Harman