Good News Is Here (OS 4.1&SAM440 amigakit.com)

[Gebrochen]

@Mr.Capehill:

So your saying I need the original PC disk, install it onto my os4.1, then download from os4depot, so I can commence to play it on my Amiga Sam with os4.1?

@Hans:
That's handy, I already have the full pc version of Battle for Wesnoth at home, I assume though, due to the download size on os4depot, that it is a fully ported version for os4 versus quake III that needs the original pc disk?

@Fester:
Looks like they are aiming for two consoles, what's next when this is achieved, three consoles?

Sorry, don't want to sound negative, but, I was getting excited over the porting to ps3 idea!

 :-D  :quickdraw:  :shocked:

[Gebrochen]

@ All:

Just saw this on Ebay, holy Crackamoly,

Had to post it here, to show everyone how cheap the Sam440ep board with os4.1 setup really is in comparison.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Commodore-Amiga-in-Elbox-Tower-with-Blizzard-PPC-060_W0QQitemZ200256276587QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200256276587&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Cheers. :-o  :-o  :-o  :-o  :crazy:

Now all those complaining about the SAM440ep, and that have A4000 or A1200, go out and buy the new Amiga system.

[amigadave]

I probably should not comment on that comparison, as
I do want those that can afford a SAM/AOS4.1 system
to buy one, but I think you chose a bad way to compare
the two.

The system on eBay is very complete and has several
nice pieces of hardware.  It could be a faster model
of PPC Blizzard card, but other than that, I think
the price of a similarly equipped SAM system would be
considerably more money, for the added speed.

In other words, I think the price of that system on
eBay was high, but not unreasonable for what you get.

The hardest part for me to get past, and maybe for some
others here, is comparing the SAM against other hardware
for Windows, MacOSX, or Linux.  The cost vs benefit factor
where you really need to throw out all other OSes and
just compare the SAM/AOS4.1 system against what is
available to run the AmigaOS (or Amiga-Like MorphOS),
because that is what we are all interested in, or we
would not be here.  Thinking that way, the SAM
becomes a more interesting and acceptable answer.

[Gebrochen]

@ Amigadave:

My apologies, I was comparing to my sam system I bought with hard drive, mouse, etc, in the nexus p002 case, along with os4.1, it basically, costs less for me here in Australia to buy the sam440ep versus the Ebay auctioned Amiga classic Blizzard PPC.

Sam440ep board with 512 MB DDR Ram, ATI Radeon M9 64MB and Audio 5.1 onboard, SATA DVD-RW, SATA 80 Gb Hard Disk, Logitech Optical Mouse
667 Mhz CPU, NEXUS AVANCE P002 case 596,00 euro  
99 euro for os4.1

http://www.acube-systems.biz/eng/sam.php

Cheers.

 :-D

One week to go until sammy and os4.1 arrive.

[Mr_Capehill]

@Gebrochen

Exactly, because Q3A data is not GPL'd, only the sources. Just like with Q1 and Q2.

[Gebrochen]

@ All

Not to break anyones stride, but, it seems the ps3 porting may be nothing more than a dream.

I do not wish to disclose any further information.

 :-o  :devildance:  :insane:

[Trev]

@amigadave

The system on eBay is very complete and has several
nice pieces of hardware.

Rather, it did until those pieces were manhandled out of the chassis and recklessly photographed on the seller's static-loving carpet.

[persia]

Sam's not a collectable, it's a new machine, comparing a collectable with a new machine is comparing apples with oranges.

[Lorraine]

/

[Hans_]

Lorraine wrote:
Hmm..

To be honest I'm more worried about Samantha's raw performance.

The low power-consumption is good, but what about the board in general - is it any good? Has anyone done enough tests (Linux, AOS4.1) to say?

I said this earlier in this thread, but to save you from having to scan through all 232 posts, here it is again.

In terms of raw CPU power, my A1-XE G4 beats the SAM hands down. At present DVDs can be played back in reasonable quality, but it will skip frames (barely noticeable I've been told). Stephen Fellner, the author of DvPlayer, says that he might be able to optimize MPEG-2 decoding for the PowerPC 440 chip, assuming that there are enough users to warrant it.

However, the SAM 440 has DDR RAM and a memory controller without performance limiting bugs. So, for memory bandwidth limited tasks, the SAM 440 will be faster than my A1. I've been told that things load slightly faster on the SAM 440 and that it feels just as responsive as the A1 version.

Hans

[Gebrochen]

@ Persia:

It may not be a collectable, but it will be more efficient & nicer to use.
And no, comparing this to an A1 may have been more appropriate, but then again nothing wrong comparing prices versus performance.

@ Trev:

Well said mate, that carpets eaten it.

@ Hans:
SO, you telling me, to play standard dvd's shouldnt pose a problem? I hope not.

[Gebrochen]

@ All: (Im tired right now)

Does anyone know if it is possible to hook up an external(or internal) amiga floppy drive onto the amiga SAM440ep?

Perhaps I can find a floppy drive that would support both, amiga and pc disks, I have heard that some people have done this, was wondering what the hardware is called, ie, I know its a floppy, but what is the model number??

Also, I assume it may be an idea for me to get a minimig, and use it through the FPGA Lattice XP with 80 pin I/O expansion connector on the sam 440ep board??

Anyway, let us know, oh and, I also have a heap of large format floppies, were it also possible to use them somehow, to perhaps find a connector plug or so??

I already have standard A1000/A500/A1200 external floppy drive, amiga, but I also have the 5"+ floppy external drive, with the old type of connector.

OK

thank you in advance!

 :-D

[Hans_]

Gebrochen wrote:
@ All: (Im tired right now)

Does anyone know if it is possible to hook up an external(or internal) amiga floppy drive onto the amiga SAM440ep?

Sam does not have a floppy drive connector. You might be able to find a USB floppy drive, but I don't know if OS4 has a driver. IIRC, there is a project on the internet somewhere to allow PC's to turn Amiga disks into ADFs. If you have a classic Amiga, it would be a good idea to use that in order to convert all your disks to ADF format.

Also, I assume it may be an idea for me to get a minimig, and use it through the FPGA Lattice XP with 80 pin I/O expansion connector on the sam 440ep board??

How would that work? The Minimig is a standalone device that doesn't need any extra hardware. Do you mean trying to program SAM's FPGA with the Minimig design? That would require changing the design to fit. Also, some have suggested that the Lattice XP FPGA would be too small to fit the Minimig design inside.

Hans

[Colani1200]

Gebrochen wrote:

Does anyone know if it is possible to hook up an external(or internal) amiga floppy drive onto the amiga SAM440ep?

You actually might be able to do that with a Catweasel controller. Not sure about the driver situation under OS 4.1 though.

[Gebrochen]

@ Hans:

I believe it should work, as usb printers, etc also are supposed to work with os4.1. Apparently a lot of changes since os4.0 with devices that are accepted.

You mean to use my pc to convert to adf, & then use the amiga - pc connection to relay them to the amiga?

So if I got the minimig, I could plug it onto the sam's usb device, & also upload all the games??

@ Colani 1200:

Catweasel should work then, I will ask about it with Acube or Hyperion?

[Hans_]

@Gebrochen

I believe it should work, as usb printers, etc also are supposed to work with os4.1. Apparently a lot of changes since os4.0 with devices that are accepted.

Just because USB printers are supported doesn't mean that a USB floppy drive is. It may be, but I've never tried it.

You mean to use my pc to convert to adf, & then use the amiga - pc connection to relay them to the amiga

No. You would use your real Amiga to create the adf files (you need a machine that can read Amiga floppies) and then you copy them onto an SD card for use by the Minimig.

So if I got the minimig, I could plug it onto the sam's usb device, & also upload all the games??

The Minimig has no USB anything; you do not plug it into any other computer. You store the adf files on an SD-card which you then insert into the Minimig's SD-card slot.

Hans