Yet Another Retro Amiga Hello from Chicago!

[Beast96GT]

Hello!  I used to own an A500 back in the day--great little box.  I sold it in college like an idiot, but I needed the money.  Anyway, I just bought an A2500 with a toaster that will hopefully be here in a week or so (picking it up in Dallas).  I really don't know whats in the box, but I thought I'd take a chance for $66:

ebay

It was sold by a iSold it, so who knows what's in it.  I do have a few questions if someone can help:

1.  What should (can) I update the ROM to?  3.1?  
2.  Does anyone recognize what the cards in the slots are?
3.  Is there anything Amiga-wise still going on in Chicago?
4.  What do I need to watch out for on this thing since I'm buying something with questionable history?  

If everything works, I'd like to add the Denub USB card and try and get some kind of network going.

If nothing works, I guess I'm out $66 and I'll look some more... but I figured I couldn't pass it up.  

Currently, I do game programming (PC/Consoles) for a living,  and wondered if it's efficient to write anything for the Amiga using C/C++?  I don't know any M68K, and only a little x86.  Most everything I do is in C++.    

Thanks for reading this and see on the forums!  

Chris

[tokyoracer]

Welcome to the scene Beast96GT, As for your queries...

1. Yes, 3.1 is possible and is a top upgrade you can do to any Amiga.

2. We would most likely have to see pics of the cards before we can tell you what they are (or atleast a good discription).

3. Wouldnt know as im not in the US.

4: Look out for the battery on the motherboard, they are prone to leaking very badly making both mess and damage. Also PSU's have been known to blow but other then that you should be ok.

[ZeBeeDee]

/me waves to Chicago, USA  from near London, UK



Another visitor ... Stay a while ... stay FOREVER!!!!!  :lol:

[SamuraiCrow]

@Beast96GT

The best C++ compiler for that system is Storm C 4.0 .

You can get Video Toaster products in Chicago from DiscreetFX.

There is very little done in all-out C++ on the Amiga so you might find yourself looking through old C89 and newer C99 source codes more often than C++.

You can find lots of downloads for the Amiga at the Aminet.

Also, if there is a real-time clock in the old Amiga, take out the battery before it leaks.

[weirdami]

I don't think it has a video toaster. It doesn't have the right connectors on the back and, also, in the included list, it's not listed.

edit: oops, there they are. :-)

the not being on the included list threw me off and then I looked in the wrong place. :-(

[taunusand]

Welcome :-D

[Pyromania]

weirdami is right this machine does not have a Video Toaster card. Don't forget if you want to do Video Toaster stuff, only the A4000 series supports color effects. A2000 does support the Flyer card though so you can do NLE with it.

[weirdami]

@Pyromania

I rechecked and in another picture, there is a vertical column of BNC's.

[Plaz]

Welcome!

@Thread

What do you mean it doesn't have a Toaster? That looks exactly like a Toaster 2000 card in there. Judging by the back plane, this is what I also see in there....

1. Video Toaster 2000.  
http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=505
2. CPU Accelerator Card.
http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=165
3. Sunrize AD1012 Audio Card
http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=1293
4. And likely a SCSI Card/HD once you get it open. As a guess, perhaps this one...
http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=1161


Just follow the links for more information, and use the same site to positively identify the hardware once you get a look. A very nice score for $66!


Plaz

[weirdami]

A very nice score for $66!

I agree. Even if it didn't have a Toaster in it, $66 is a steal.

[Pyromania]

@Plaz

Which eBay picture because I still don't see a Video Toaster card in it.

[weirdami]

it's the third one down in the right column. it's one of the shots of the backside that has the fan in it

[Pyromania]

Yup that is a Video Toaster card, my mistake. I did not have Firefox full screen and missed that one.

[Plaz]

Are you able to see the gallery of other pictures?

This is the specific picture I was looking at for the toaster card....

http://a763.g.akamai.net/7/763/1644/1/app.infopia.com/img/image/fp/VPID/5622904/extra/5/size/600

And this one clues me to the other cards in there....

http://a763.g.akamai.net/7/763/1644/1/app.infopia.com/img/image/fp/VPID/5622904/extra/4/size/600


Edit: Opps you beat me to the last post Pyro.

Plaz

[Rabbi]

Welcome back to the Amiga fold.  It sounds like you got a good deal.

I'm here in Skokie.

If you ever need Amiga help, I can help you out.

There used to be a club, ACE, Amiga Computer Enthusists.  They used to meet south in Oak Lawn, IL, near 95th St.  I don't know when they stopped meeting.

I've been wanting to start up an Amiga club here in the Chicago metro area that meets either monthly or bi-monthly.  Is anyone else interested?