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Author Topic: $77 Amiga one or SAM  (Read 4357 times)

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Offline Crom00Topic starter

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$77 Amiga one or SAM
« on: January 07, 2010, 02:45:20 PM »
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.29102


This thing is a linux dreambox with Linux proted to it. It uses a PowerPC chip.
It's just $77

Why is a Sam $500-$700???

Discuss...
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Offline arnljot

Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2010, 02:51:45 PM »
It's a 250mhz CPU with 350 MIPS, it's slower than the XMOS on the AmigaOne X1000

It's mass produced settop box, and what you see for sale there is most likely surplus stock, it didn't cost anything near $77 when it was released, at least not in Norway.
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Offline Fingers

Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2010, 02:52:54 PM »
Pretty obvious answer...because Amigans have no choice!

Find a Chinese firm to do a knock-off SAM & we'll all be happy :D

PZ.
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Offline Daedalus

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Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2010, 02:52:56 PM »
Because how many tens of thousands of those Dreamboxes were produced? And how many similar products use the same mainboard? Compare that to the number of Sam systems produced... I can't see the link myself (blocked by my work server) but if it's like the Dreamboxes I have at home, it's a 350MHz PPC with 32MB of RAM soldered to the board, practically no expansion possibilities, no storage controller (either IDE or SATA), and a limited flash area for the OS. I hardly think it's comparable to the SAM, even if the Sam is underpowered...
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Offline Crom00Topic starter

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Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2010, 02:53:33 PM »
Ahhh I see so this may have been as high as $300 in price when initially released...
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Offline arnljot

Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2010, 02:54:25 PM »
When it was released it cost from £300 and up in Norway (3000 NOK), current models range from £149 to £999
« Last Edit: January 07, 2010, 02:56:32 PM by arnljot »
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Offline Varthall

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Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2010, 02:56:36 PM »
That seems to be a counterfeit version of the DM500 (neither Dream Multimedia nor DreamBox signs can be found on the box/unit), so I wouldn't count much on the build quality of the device. If it's based on the DM500, it should have 32MB of RAM onboard, not enough even for OS4, and I guess the memory can't be expanded, too.

Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreambox

Varthall
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Offline Daedalus

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Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2010, 02:57:54 PM »
Oh, that was it... 250MHz and 350 MIPS :) Not exactly ground breaking. And, as was said there, they were far more expensive when they were originally released, but since the cable encryption in many European countries was changed, most of them are effectively useless to Joe Public. I have a DM600 which had a 2.5" IDE connector, and I still use that as a NAS box at the moment. However, that cost (IIRC) €200, and that was without a hard drive, no USB ports, and extremely poor graphics performance (though fine for RGB TV use)...
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Offline Crom00Topic starter

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Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2010, 02:58:42 PM »
Actually Chinese firms can do it. The Minumum order quantity os 10K units for the kind of price we want. The whole issue is UBOOT and the support of Amiga/ Hyperion. It is possible though.

The real possibility here is a handheld as they're really making lots of these over there. Little hand held retro game players are quite nice. Once manufacturer explained to me why there are sega/Nintendo game players... As best I could understand some manufacturers produced the chips for nintendo and now they get to use the the chip designs in products. What they're not allowed to do though is distrubute commercial games or anything that still have a valid copyright.
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Offline amigagr

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Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2010, 02:59:29 PM »
Quote from: Crom00;536885
It's just $77. Why is a Sam $500-$700???

because it's just this, a Satellite Receiver...
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Offline Fingers

Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2010, 03:06:35 PM »
Quote from: Crom00;536894
Actually Chinese firms can do it.


I know they can...it's just a case of getting one of them to do so.

At the risk of incurring many nasty replies, a Chinese firm SHOULD make a SAM copy & even install illegal UBOOT. Why you ask? Because then there would be competition & we could end up buying legitimate SAMs of higher quality than Chinese, but at a more realistic price.

No way in hell am I forking out what they are asking right now...it's highway robbery for such unspectacular hardware!

PZ.
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Offline Crom00Topic starter

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Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2010, 03:06:36 PM »
Ok guys not trying to rile ayone up just curious. Thanks for the info!
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Offline Crom00Topic starter

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Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2010, 03:13:30 PM »
Well this is the state of the market. I will say that the price for the MiniMig is good. I got quotes of $80 cost to me in quantities of 1000 units. I got quotes from a couple of manufacturers.

In regards to the SAM...They have to make money back. IIt doesnt help when USED Amiga hardware goes for big bucks on ebay. Since Amigans are so willing to pay for underpowered hardware you can't blame Acube for charging what they do for the Sam.

In regards to PPC Amigas....The Chinese are happy with lower margins tho.. lol... I would imagine they'd port linux to it an sell it for use in inudstrial apps or wherever they can sell it in.

They are a force to be reckoned with thoguh...

I agree that competition is a good thing and it's gonna be fun to see how this all plays out. Let everyone understand, the fact we're seeing ANY hardware is a near miracle.
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Offline Fingers

Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2010, 03:23:11 PM »
Quote from: Crom00;536899
Let everyone understand, the fact we're seeing ANY hardware is a near miracle.


That's a fair point...or is it?

No matter what anyone says, there is a fairly decent market out there for new Amiga hardware & I honestly think that a 50% reduction in retail price would probably bring a much larger percentage in sales numbers to Acube.

However, without knowing the financial workings of Acube's operations, this may or may not be advantageous.

Either way, I can't afford a SAM & will never be able to, so f*ck it! LOL

PZ.
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Offline mongo

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Re: $77 Amiga one or SAM
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2010, 03:29:59 PM »
Quote from: Fingers;536897

At the risk of incurring many nasty replies, a Chinese firm SHOULD make a SAM copy & even install illegal UBOOT.
PZ.


U-Boot is GPL. Anyone can use it.
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