View source for Amiga 3000

{{Short description|Personal computer by Commodore}}
{{Infobox computer
| image = Amiga 3000 Front with White BG.jpg
| caption = Amiga 3000 Front
| Name = Amiga 3000
| Type = Personal computer
| price = {{USD|3379|1990|round=-2}}
| Released = {{Start date|1990|06}}
| Discontinued = 1992
| Processor = [[Motorola 68030]] {{Nowrap|@ 16 or 25&nbsp;MHz}}
| Memory = 2 [[megabyte|MB]]{{binpre|first}}
| OS = [[AmigaOS]] 1.3 or 2.x,<br />Unix [[SVR4]]
| predecessor = [[Amiga 2000]], [[Amiga 2500]]
| successor = [[Amiga 4000]]
| units sold = 14,380 units in Germany (including Amiga 3000T sales)
}}

The '''Amiga 3000''' ('''A3000''') is a personal computer released by [[Commodore International|Commodore]] in June 1990. It is the successor to the [[Amiga 2000]] and its upgraded model [[Amiga 2500]] with more processing speed, improved graphics, and a new revision of the operating system.

==Overview==
Its predecessors, the [[Amiga 500]], [[Amiga 1000|1000]] and [[Amiga 2000|2000]], share the same fundamental system architecture and consequently perform without much variation in processing speed despite considerable variation in purchase price. The A3000 however, was entirely reworked and rethought as a high-end [[workstation]]. The new [[Motorola]] [[32-bit]] [[Motorola_68030|68030]] CPU, [[Motorola_68881|68882]] [[floating-point unit|math co-processor]], and 32-bit system memory increase the integer processing [[instructions per second|speed]] by a factor of 5 to 18, and the [[floating-point]] processing speed by a factor of 7 to 200 times. The new 32-bit [[Amiga Zorro III|Zorro III]] [[expansion slot]]s provide for faster and more powerful expansion capabilities.<ref name="zorro3">{{citation | url=http://www.thule.no/haynie/zorroiii/docs/zorro3.pdf | title=The Zorro III Bus Specification | first=Dave | last=Haynie | date=20 March 1991 | publisher=Commodore-Amiga, Inc. | access-date=2 September 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716212151/http://www.thule.no/haynie/zorroiii/docs/zorro3.pdf | archive-date=16 July 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

In common with earlier Amigas the 3000 runs a 32-bit operating system called [[AmigaOS]]. Version 2.0 is generally considered to have a more ergonomic and attractive interface than previous versions, which were designed with television sets as a [[lowest common denominator]] display. Access for application developers was simplified.

The [[Amiga 3000UX|A3000UX]] is an A3000 variant bundled with the [[UNIX System V]] operating system. Commodore had a licensing agreement with [[AT&T]] to include a port of Unix System V (release 4). Commodore also sold a [[Tower case|tower]] variant called the [[Amiga 3000T|A3000T]].

An enhanced version, the Amiga 3000+, with the [[Amiga Advanced Graphics Architecture|AGA]] chipset and an AT&T DSP3210 [[digital signal processor|signal processing]] chip was produced to prototype stage in 1991.<ref name="a3000p_spec">{{citation | url=http://www.thule.no/haynie/research/a3000p/docs/a3000p.pdf | first=Dave | last=Haynie | title=The Amiga 3000+ System Specification | publisher=Commodore-Amiga, Inc. | date=17 July 1991 | access-date=7 September 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716212022/http://www.thule.no/haynie/research/a3000p/docs/a3000p.pdf | archive-date=16 July 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref> 
Instead of the Amiga 3000+, Commodore replaced the A3000 six months behind schedule, in the fall of 1992, with the [[Amiga 4000|A4000]].

The machine is reported to have sold 14,380 units in Germany (including Amiga 3000T sales).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bergseth |first=M. |date=November 25, 2014 |title=AMIGA SOLD IN UNITS BY COMMODORE IN GERMANY REVEALED |url=https://distrita.com/amiga-sold-in-units-by-commodore-in-germany-revealed/ |website=Distrita - Where to Go |access-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-date=July 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713160208/https://distrita.com/amiga-sold-in-units-by-commodore-in-germany-revealed/ |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

==Technical information==
The Amiga 3000 shipped with a [[Motorola 68030]] at either 16 or 25&nbsp;MHz and 2&nbsp;MB{{binpre}} of RAM. It includes the [[Amiga Enhanced Chip Set|Enhanced Chip Set]] (ECS), a display enhancer for use with a VGA monitor, and a [[direct memory access|DMA]] [[SCSI|SCSI-1]] controller and hard disk drive.<ref name="a3000_intro">{{citation | url=http://oldcomputers.net/Amiga_3000_manual.pdf | title=Introducing the Commodore Amiga 3000 | publisher=Commodore-Amiga, Inc. | year=1991}}</ref>

"Fast RAM" can be increased by fitting [[dual in-line package|DIP]] (up to 4&nbsp;MB) or [[Zig-zag in-line package|ZIP]] [[dynamic random access memory|DRAM]] chips (up to 16&nbsp;MB) available in two varieties, [[dynamic random access memory#Fast page mode (FPM) DRAM or FPRAM|Page Mode or Static Column]].{{binpre}}

The A3000, unlike most Amiga models, supports both ROM-based [[Kickstart (Amiga)|Kickstarts]] and disk-based Kickstarts (the early "SuperKickstart" model), although not simultaneously. Kickstart V1.4 is actually a [[Software release life cycle|beta]] version of Kickstart which is loaded from disk. [[Motorola 68040|68040]] microprocessors require at least 2.0 ROMs.

The A3000 has a number of Amiga-specific connectors including two [[DE-9 connector|DE-9]] ports for [[joystick]]s, [[Mouse (computing)|mice]], and [[light pen]]s, a standard 25-pin [[RS-232]] [[serial port]] and a 25-pin [[Centronics]] [[parallel port]]. As a result, at launch the A3000 was compatible with many existing Amiga peripherals, such as [[MIDI]] devices, serial [[modem]]s, and [[sampling (signal processing)|sound samplers]].<ref name="a3000_intro"/>

The A3000 has four internal 32-bit [[Amiga Zorro III|Zorro III]] expansion slots. This expansion bus allows the use of devices which comply with the [[AutoConfig]] standard, such as graphic cards, audio cards, [[network card]]s, and later even [[Universal Serial Bus|USB]] controllers.<ref name="zorro3"/>

The two passive [[Industry Standard Architecture|ISA]] slots can be activated by use of a bridgeboard, which connects the Zorro and ISA buses. Such bridgeboards typically feature on-board [[IBM PC compatible|IBM-PC-compatible]] hardware, including [[Intel 80286]], [[80386]] or [[80486]] microprocessors allowing emulation of an entire IBM&nbsp;PC system in hardware. A compatible ISA card may then be installed in the remaining ISA slot.<ref name="a3000_intro"/>

===Specifications===
{| class="wikitable"
! Attribute
! Specification<ref name="a3000_intro"/>
|-
|[[Central processing unit|Processor]]
|[[Motorola 68030]] at 16 or 25&nbsp;MHz
|-
|[[Floating-point unit|FPU]]
|[[Motorola 68881|68881]] (16&nbsp;MHz) or [[Motorola 68882|68882]] (25&nbsp;MHz)
|-
|[[Random-access memory|RAM]]
|2&nbsp;[[Megabyte|MB]] (configured as 1&nbsp;MB [[Amiga Chip RAM|"chip"]] and 1&nbsp;MB "fast" RAM)<br/>
Maximum 2&nbsp;MB 32-bit{{efn|Chip RAM is 32-bit for CPU access only}} chip RAM and 16&nbsp;MB fast RAM on-board<br/>
Upgradable by further 128&nbsp;MB via the CPU slot and 2&nbsp;GB by Zorro III expansions{{binpre}}
|-
|[[Read-only memory|ROM]]
|512&nbsp;[[Kilobyte|KB]]{{binpre}} [[Kickstart (Amiga)|Kickstart]] ROM{{efn|Early models came with a 1.4 beta Kickstart for selectively booting 1.3 or 2.0 from disk, later models used a real 2.0 Kickstart ROM}}
|-
|Chipset
|[[Amiga Enhanced Chip Set|Enhanced Chip Set]] (ECS)
|-
|Video
|[[Color_depth#12-bit_color|12-bit color]] palette (4096 colors)<br/>
Graphic modes from:
* 320×200 to 320×512 with 32, 64 ([[Amiga Halfbrite mode|EHB]] mode) or 4096 ([[hold-and-Modify|HAM]] mode) on-screen colors
* 640×200 to 640×512 with 16 on-screen colors
* 1280×200 to 1280×512 with 4 on-screen colors
[[Horizontal scan rate]]s of 15.60-31.44&nbsp;kHz<br/>
[[Vertical scan rate]]s of 50–72&nbsp;Hz<br/>
Built-in "display enhancer" ([[scan-doubler]] and [[Deinterlacing|de-interlacer]]) for use with [[Video Graphics Array|VGA]] monitor
|-
|Audio
|4 × 8-bit [[PCM]] channels (2 stereo channels)<br/>
28–56&nbsp;kHz maximum [[direct memory access|DMA]] [[sampling rate]] (dependent on video mode in use)
|-
|Internal [[Computer Storage|storage]]
|40, 50 or 100&nbsp;MB 3.5-inch [[SCSI]] [[hard disk drive]] (upgradable)
|-
|Removable storage
|3.5-inch [[floppy disk]] drive, double density (880&nbsp;kB capacity) or high density (1760&nbsp;kB capacity)
|-
|Input/output ports
|Analog RGB video out ([[D-subminiature|DB-23M]])<br/>
Analog VGA out ([[D-subminiature|DB-15F]])<br/>
Audio out (2 × [[RCA connector|RCA]])<br/>
Keyboard (5-pin [[DIN connector|DIN]])<br/>
2 × Mouse/Gamepad ports ([[DE-9 connector|DE9]])<br/>
[[RS-232]] [[serial port]] (DB-25M)<br/>
Centronics style [[parallel port]] (DB-25F)<br/>
[[Floppy disk]] drive port (DB-23F)<br/>
50-pin internal SCSI connector<br/>
External SCSI connector (DB-25F)
|-
|Expansion slots
|4 × 100pin 32-bit [[Amiga Zorro III|Zorro III]] slots<br/>
1 × video slot (inline with Zorro slot)<br/>
2 × passive 16-bit [[Industry Standard Architecture|ISA]] slots (requires bridgeboard to activate)<br/>
1 × 200-pin CPU expansion slot<br/>
8 × 30-pin [[Dual in-line package|DIP]] slots<br/>
32 × [[Zig-zag in-line package|ZIP]] slots 
|-
|[[Operating system]]
|[[AmigaOS]] 1.3 (Kickstart 1.3/Workbench 1.3) or [[AmigaOS]] 2.0 (Kickstart 2.04/Workbench 2.04)
|-
|Other
|2 × front-accessible 3.5-inch drive bays<br/>
1 × internal 3.5-inch drive mounting<br/>
Battery backed [[real-time clock]]
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Amiga}}
{{commons category|Amiga 3000}}
* [[List of Amiga models and variants]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Amiga hardware}}
{{AmigaOS 4}}
{{Commodore International}}

[[Category:Amiga]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1990]]