Amiga.org
Amiga.org specific forums => New User Introductions => Topic started by: ruello on October 28, 2006, 04:54:39 AM
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I really need a new computer, and I'm sick of PCs. I want to get an Amiga, but im not really sure how to go about it. Is it worth it to wait until 4.0 is done and released, or should I get an upgraded old one?
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Hello Ruello.
I hope that you've done some research. You would realize that nothing as far as concerning the technology connected with the name "Amiga" is actually new. Your choices are the classic models based on the 68000 Motorolla architecture, and the "modern" PPC and variants as far as getting the actual hardware. If you've looked at the retailers listed in the company section at the bottom of the page, you'll see that there's very few of them, and only a few offering newer equipment.
If you want to give the operating system a try without investing in the hardware, you can buy Amiga Forever, or download WinUAE and install it on any PC and you'll have a bonifide "Amiga", which will run most of the programs made for it with only a little tweeking.
Don't wait for AOS4.
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Well, lol...
Amiga is oldschool and for people who use them for fun.
Not many people use only amiga, then not pc..
If u are really sick of PC, u should get a Mac..
Mac has a modern tecnogly...
I self only use Amiga for playing old games I liked then I was a kid. same reason for playing supernintendo..
If u really tired on Windows, as many are, try linux on ur pc-hardware..
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It's great that you're looking in to Amigas. Why not list what you do with your PC and we can try to find the best solution for you.
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moto
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I understand that it's a classic system, I own a C64 myself, and I HAVE been doing research. By "new" computer I mean "computer thats different from the failing one that I own and will be reliable," which I hear Amigas are.
And as for what I do with my computer, I play a few games, but not many, and a lot of the games on Amiga (especailly Total Chaos) look really interesting. I spend a lot of time online too, and as long as I can get internet access on a computer I'll be more than happy with it.
What I really want to know is what kind of hardware to look for, I want to be able to upgrade the computer, but I don't want to wind up buying a lot of useless stuff.
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ruello wrote:
I really need a new computer, and I'm sick of PCs. I want to get an Amiga, but im not really sure how to go about it. Is it worth it to wait until 4.0 is done and released, or should I get an upgraded old one?
If you are thinking of replacing your main computer with an amiga, then you better wait. But if you want to have some fun on the side, then a classic amiga should be fine. But i would keep my pc for now.. The main problem on the amiga side is lack of decent browsers and such.
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What I really want to know is what kind of hardware to look for, I want to be able to upgrade the computer, but I don't want to wind up buying a lot of useless stuff.
The a4000 is probably your best bet if you want to upgrade it. The a1200 comes a close second. The a3000 is also a really great computer but it sadly lacks the enhanced graphic chipset "aga"
The a1200 is probably the model that it is easiest to find upgrades for. The only problem there is that it comes in a very small desktop with keyboard and all integrated, which means you wont be able to fit many upgrades unless you put it in a tower. I myself bought a a1200 already in tower and have been happy with it so far.
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Welcome to Amiga.org!
ruello wrote:
I understand that it's a classic system, I own a C64 myself, and I HAVE been doing research. By "new" computer I mean "computer thats different from the failing one that I own and will be reliable," which I hear Amigas are.
Classic Amigas are NOT more reliable than a C64 ;-) Internet access on an Amiga is difficult and frustrating compared to modern Windows PCs, Linux and Macs.
Gaming on a real Amiga is still more fun than in emulation. If you want one for mainly this reason, go for it. Just keep in mind most internet applications on the Amiga are 5+ years old and some essential software is very difficult to obtain legally. :-(
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Okay, thanks. I was looking at the Amiga 1200 "built to order" system on amigakit.com, but it only comes with 3.9, isn't 4 in some kind of pre-release form? I hear about people using it, and some games/programs say that they need it, but I can't find anything higher than 3.9 anywhere.
I looked at some 4000s too, but the 1200 is easier to find and cheaper, so if I was going to get one I'd probably wind up with that.
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And as for internet access being difficult, I tried hooking up my C64 to the internet with hyperlink and stuff like that, so nothing will seem hard now. :lol:
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OS4 pre-release is not available to common folks. It was only available for a short while bundled with a $1000 PPC "AmigaOne" motherbard. It may be available one day in the future fot the A1200/A3000/A4000, but only if you have a PPC accelerator.
As for internet access on a C64 with Hyperlink, yes Amiga apps would be a step up:-)
Let me ask you this. Is this going to be a hobby system? you *DO* have access to a modern system for serious work right?
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I do have access to it, but when it all comes down to it I don't do much serious work on the computer. I realize that a 10-15 year old computer isn't going to be a complete replacement for a newer PC, but to tell you the truth I think I can get done most of the stuff I want to get done on the computer with the programs I've seen availible for Amiga. If I needed to I could always use my family's PC though.
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Okay, thanks. I was looking at the Amiga 1200 "built to order" system on amigakit.com, but it only comes with 3.9, isn't 4 in some kind of pre-release form? I hear about people using it, and some games/programs say that they need it, but I can't find anything higher than 3.9 anywhere.
3.9 is the latest for classic systems. OS4 is currently only running on the newer AmigaONE. A few beta tester have gotten OS4 for their a1200+ppc accelerator though and they plan to release it for it. But who knows when...
I kinda disagree about it being hard to get a amiga onto NET.. Just buy a pcmcia ethernet card from amigakit which comes with drivers.. The amiga already has irc, msn clients and browsers.. The problem is that the browsers are outdated. It will also not be so fast and good looking to surf internet on aga, unless you upgrade to a standard gfx card.
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Tomas wrote:
Okay, thanks. I was looking at the Amiga 1200 "built to order" system on amigakit.com, but it only comes with 3.9, isn't 4 in some kind of pre-release form? I hear about people using it, and some games/programs say that they need it, but I can't find anything higher than 3.9 anywhere.
3.9 is the latest for classic systems. OS4 is currently only running on the newer AmigaONE. A few beta tester have gotten OS4 for their a1200+ppc accelerator though and they plan to release it for it. But who knows when...
I kinda disagree about it being hard to get a amiga onto NET.. Just buy a pcmcia ethernet card from amigakit which comes with drivers.. The amiga already has irc, msn clients and browsers.. The problem is that the browsers are outdated. It will also not be so fast and good looking to surf internet on aga, unless you upgrade to a standard gfx card.
Ahhh, I figured outhow to quote :idea:
Anyway, guess I'll stick with 3.9 then since AmigaOnes dont exactly seem like they're easy to find, I've been looking for a couple of days and decided that the people who were lucky enough to get one are going to keep them forever.
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ruello wrote:
I do have access to it, but when it all comes down to it I don't do much serious work on the computer. I realize that a 10-15 year old computer isn't going to be a complete replacement for a newer PC, but to tell you the truth I think I can get done most of the stuff I want to get done on the computer with the programs I've seen availible for Amiga. If I needed to I could always use my family's PC though.
Perfect response, just making sure you know it has limitations. By all means get yourself an Amiga and enjoy :-) Personally I would stick with a big box like A3000 or A4000. Much more expandable with Zorro 3 slots. My personal favorite is the A3000. A A1200 from Amikit wouldn't be a bad choice either, especially if they have some OEM motherboards. A1200s have their strengths and weaknesses compared to big box Amigas.
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Tomas wrote:
I kinda disagree about it being hard to get a amiga onto NET.. Just buy a pcmcia ethernet card from amigakit which comes with drivers.. The amiga already has irc, msn clients and browsers.. The problem is that the browsers are outdated. It will also not be so fast and good looking to surf internet on aga, unless you upgrade to a standard gfx card.
TCP/IP stack? Miami cannot be obtained legally and Genesis on OS3.9 never worked for me with the Prometheus/RTL8029AS. The other thing is most internet apps are commercial and keys are getting hard to find.
Hmm, someone who is an active user should make him a list of what is available and free, or at least available and registerable. Anyone have a few minutes to do that?
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All our wireless network cards and wired network cards are supplied with EasyNet (http://easynet.amigakit.com) at no extra charge so there is no need for Miami or Genesis.
10/100 NETWORK CARD (MEDIATOR / G-REX) (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=63) (PCI) -- supplied with EasyNet (http://easynet.amigakit.com)
X-Surf 3cc (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=250) (Zorro) -- supplied with EasyNet (http://easynet.amigakit.com)
NETPCM003 (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=116) (PCMCIA A1200) -- supplied with EasyNet (http://easynet.amigakit.com)
NETPCM010 (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=121) (PCMCIA A1200 Wireless) -- supplied with EasyNet (http://easynet.amigakit.com)
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Here is just a partial list of whats out there for the Amiga(and whats not).
Miami TCP/IP: Cannot be registered any longer. Keys of dubious origin rumored to be "around".
Genesis TCP/IP: Full version available on OS3.9 CD. Available from Amigakit.
IBrowse2.3 Web Browser: Still Registerable. Supposedly still being improved. There is rumored to be a 2.4 upcoming?
AWeb: Web Browser. Free, Open Source. Available, but with all the nuance of open source software in general.
AmiIRC: IRC Client. Not registerable. See note on Miami.
YAM: Excellent POP Email client. Free and still being worked on.
MakeHTMLMap: Page Creation Tool. Registerable and actively being worked on.
AmiFTP: ftp client. Not registerable? Not sure about that one..
Microdot and airmail: email clients. Not registerable.
Voyager: Browser. Not registerable.
WebPlug: Page Creation Tool. Free, non-active.
Moovid: Multimedia (QT) player. Registerable, non-active.
Frogger: Multimedia Player. Registerable, non-active.
Opus 5.82: Directory Utility w/ good FTP tools. Registerable, non-active.
Frying Pan: CD/DVD Recording tool. Registerable. Active project.
Pagestream: DTP and Page creation. Registerable. Active. Excellent!
Cubic IDE: C++, backoffice, server side, dev tools, etc. Registerable, active.
Imagine 6: 3D Rendering. Registerable, active.
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Cont'd...
fxScan, fxPaint, and VHI: Graphics, Digital Photography, Imaging, Page Creation Tools. All 3 registerable and active. These can be had for very little $.
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@stopthegop
Good list, thanks!
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ruello wrote:
...guess I'll stick with 3.9 then...
If you do decide to go to 3.9, you might want to check other posts here for recommended system specs... If you're planning on getting an unexpanded A1200, you may as well stick with 3.1.
Upgrading to 3.9 is only really worth it if you have a fast CPU and a graphics card.
And as for something different to a PC, I presume you mean you're fed up with Windows? Why not try a Linux distribution? Something like Ubuntu is very easy to install/try (basically, download a free ISO file, write it to CD-R, reboot the computer). You can try this without installing anything as a large number of distributions are live CDs (e.g. you can boot from the CD without anything being written to the hard drive).
And of course, you can emulate an Amiga environment (or several) on all three main platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac)...
- Ali
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Forgot to mention we have the following also available as standalone packages (all ex-Eyetech stock):
Genesis - available, not actively developed:
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=542
Miami- available (limited stock!), not actively developed:
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=592
EasyNet (http://) though is in active development and available with many of our networking products.
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Hmmm... Maybe I'll go for the 4000 then, I want to be able to take advantage of everything I can.
And I want an amiga, partly because I like the feel of a "classic" OS, and from what I've seen of the Amiga operating system it's one of those old-school ones that was fun to use for some reason. I've also gotta admit, I admire the dedication of Amiga makers and programmers, most people would have given up on a computer by now, they haven't, and I'd rather support them than Microsoft or Dell.
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An A1200 tower system is actually more expandable than an A4000. The accelerator cards are more common and you can get a Mediator busboard to plug a pc-style graphics card and sound card into it. Just make sure that they are supported by the available drivers.
For AHI (sound drivers) you can see what drivers are available at the AHI website (http://www.lysator.liu.se/~lcs/ahi.html). And for either Picasso96 or CyberGraphics (graphics card drivers) the safest bet would be some sort of old Voodoo PCI graphics card.
If you decide to go with the A4000, then be sure to check out the CyberVision 64-3D (http://www.softhut.com/cgi-bin/test/Web_store/web_store.cgi?page=catalog/hardware/accelerators/phase5_cybervision.html&cart_id=2012047_28190) graphics cards. And try to find a Warp-Engine CPU daughterboard (They trim 80% of the propogation delay from between the CPU and memory by putting the CPU and RAM on the same card.)
As for memory, the A4000 takes fast-page SIMMs and won't work with EDO SIMMs. A Blizzard accelerator on the A1200 will take either type of memory. I've got 16megs of 60 nanosecond EDO in my 1230 Blizzard (68030-based). It's enough for most tasks except the latest version of Total Chaos takes 32 megs fast and an '030+ is recommended for that.
As for Total Chaos, it's slowly becoming more portable to non-AGA systems so you may be able to get by with a non-AGA Amiga such as a newer PowerPC-based system eventually. ;-)