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Amiga computer related discussion => General chat about Amiga topics => Topic started by: Caius on January 13, 2008, 07:48:42 PM

Title: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: Caius on January 13, 2008, 07:48:42 PM
What is the most good looking Amiga hardware you know of? And what is the ugliest? Functionality is not an issue here. I'm talking about how it looks.

My votes:

Beauty:
A500 HD8+ (GVP) (http://amigahardware.mariomisic.de/cgi-bin/showhardware_en.cgi?HARDID=1194)
The way in blends in naturally with the A500 is simply astounding! It's a feast upon the eyes.

Beast:
X-Surf (http://amigahardware.mariomisic.de/download_photos/xsurf_front_big.jpg)
This is a very useful card, but just look at it! It's an ISA card bolted onto a Zorro board. It's plain ugly!
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: DigitalQ on January 13, 2008, 08:07:40 PM
My vote for the ugliest is the A2090 card.  I ought to scan mine in.  It had various components haphazardly placed, clearly without much forethought.  It was also ugly to use.

The most good-looking piece of Amiga hardware are the Amiga computers themselves.  In particular, the Amiga 1000, the A500, the A2000, and the Amiga 3000.  My favourite is the Amiga 2000, because it allows you to hide an awful lot of ugliness inside.  Can't say I'm too keen on how the other Amigas (A600/1200/4000/4000T) turned out.
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: KThunder on January 13, 2008, 08:10:56 PM
Beauty: A1000
Ugly:   A2000
Beauty: A3000
Ugly:   A3000t
Beauty: A4000
Ugly:   they broke the mold the 4000t is a beauty

All the wedge miggies are beauties but all the wires and hardware hanging off the sides and back are a bit rough on the eyes.

edit: the walker i forgot the walker i think everyone has a different opinion on this. i think its cool but not a beauty.
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: ami_junki on January 14, 2008, 12:28:58 AM
I think that the A1200 is still a real machine of beauty, small footprint but packs so much power ... it looks like it is saying, "touch me! you know you want to!"
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: KThunder on January 14, 2008, 10:15:37 AM
Put a cf drive in and a nicad battery pack and hook an lcd monitor off the back with a wireless mouse and i would completely agree.

actually i think the a500 is better looking. the 1200 is like they said "hey people are calling these things wedge computers lets make the wedgiest wedge we can make"

so they did.
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: Colani1200 on January 14, 2008, 11:43:00 AM
beauty: A600 (perfect form-follows-function design in a nice, small case)

ugly: G-Rex PCI (mainboard -> accelerator -> logic board -> bus board... what an ugly and chaotic chain of stuff. And that DMA-enabling wire hack, running all across the board: yuck!)
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: KThunder on January 14, 2008, 12:03:32 PM
wouldnt the 600 be function-follows-form since they chopped off the numeric section of the keyboard (which is needed by many programs) to make it so small.

that aside i agree it is a nice comp. there should have been an a600laptop from commodore.
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: McVenco on January 14, 2008, 12:32:56 PM
I've always found the Merlin (http://amigahardware.mariomisic.de/cgi-bin/showhardware_en.cgi?HARDID=470) graphics card one of the prettiest pieces of Amigakit around. Simply because of the word "Merlin" written in silkscreen on the card and the memory modules.
I've got one of these cards myself - it's broken beyond repair but I've put it on a shelf just to look at it :-)

The ugliest pieces of hardware are any kind that are sitting in some inspirationless plastic box like this (http://amigahardware.mariomisic.de/cgi-bin/showhardware_en.cgi?HARDID=1129) or this (http://amigahardware.mariomisic.de/cgi-bin/showhardware_en.cgi?HARDID=401).
Imagine having a few of these things (sampler, MIDI interface, genlock) sitting on your desk, totally not matching eachother. That's just plain horror. :egad:

Other than that, I don't like the looks of the CybervisionPPC. I mean, what kind of shape is THAT for an expansion card?
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: Colani1200 on January 14, 2008, 12:43:49 PM
Quote

KThunder wrote:
wouldnt the 600 be function-follows-form since they chopped off the numeric section of the keyboard (which is needed by many programs)

Such as?

EDIT: And wouldn't you rather call these programs misdesigned instead?
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: madsjm on January 14, 2008, 02:15:54 PM
Quote

Colani1200 wrote:
Quote

KThunder wrote:
wouldnt the 600 be function-follows-form since they chopped off the numeric section of the keyboard (which is needed by many programs)


Such as?


Deluxe Paint?
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: KThunder on January 14, 2008, 02:27:19 PM
there were a few others that were easier with the numeric keyboard as well as any spreadsheets etc software that has alot of numerical input.

my point wasnt that there were progs that used it but that part of the functionality was removed so i would say that functionality-followed-form with the a600 not that that is a really bad thing though since the c64 and numerous other computers never had numeric keyboards.
the 600 was mainly released as a games machine. i just wish it was possible to get an ntsc one in good condition for a reasonable price.
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: Colani1200 on January 14, 2008, 02:57:34 PM
I get your point. Still a beauty though...  :-P
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: kingkleks on January 14, 2008, 03:34:02 PM
@ McVenco:

Merlin: not to mention it has "Topless" memory modules :-P
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: spihunter on January 14, 2008, 04:08:38 PM
I always thought that the Delfina Lite was one of the ugliest cards ever!

What was up with the shape of that?. It looks like it would break off when you tried to get it out of the slot?
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: Matt_H on January 14, 2008, 04:25:19 PM
Quote

spihunter wrote:
I always thought that the Delfina Lite was one of the ugliest cards ever!

What was up with the shape of that?. It looks like it would break off when you tried to get it out of the slot?

I've actually found the Delfina Lite to be one of the easiest cards to remove from a slot. There's no mechanical resistance holding it in place, so a pretty simple pull from the connector end of the board will get it loose. It's also small enough to be able to fit a hand underneath to lift from below.
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: Speelgoedmannetje on January 14, 2008, 04:43:16 PM
First thing that came to my mind was:
beauty - CDTV
beast - A2000
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: leirbag28 on January 14, 2008, 06:30:50 PM

Nicest Hardwares:

DSS8+  Digitizer
SuperGen SX Genlock
CD32 Full Motion Video Card (with Green Circuit)
SX32 Pro

Ugliest Hardware: Amigen Genlock (WHat a hideous looking thing) and some A500 and A1000 side attachments and that ugly looking Bodega Bay for the A500.Yuck! hahaha. (But funny enough, beautiful in an Amiga 500 kind of way...If I had one, I would love it and cherish it)

Nicest Amiga: A600 or CDTV
Ugliest Amiga: A2000 or A3000 (only becuase it looks like a PC/non Commodore-ish)



Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: Tahoe on January 14, 2008, 08:06:10 PM
Beauty: Any Amiga model, 3000D would be #1
Ugly: X-Surf, the first time I saw that I thought what a strange HW hack type card... Works a charm though  :-)
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: cv643d on January 14, 2008, 08:17:25 PM
Most ugly: Phase 5 CyberStorm060 MK1
Most beautiful: Phase 5 CyberStorm060 without SCSI module attached.

Bubblers (most beautiful):
Phase 5 - CyberVisionPPC
C= - Amiga 4000 Desktop
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: amigadave on January 14, 2008, 08:49:33 PM
Amiga "Beauties" - A1000, CDTV, GVP A530, MicroVitec 17" multisync monitor (died prematurely), Toshiba TIMM multimedia multisync 20" monitor/TV.

Amiga "Beasts" - A2000, A500 Bodega Bay, Toaster Oven tower conversion, CD32 w/SX-1 attached.

There are many more, this is just a few that came to mind quickly.
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: ami_junki on January 15, 2008, 12:12:31 AM
Quote

KThunder wrote:
Put a cf drive in and a nicad battery pack and hook an lcd monitor off the back with a wireless mouse and i would completely agree.

actually i think the a500 is better looking. the 1200 is like they said "hey people are calling these things wedge computers lets make the wedgiest wedge we can make"

so they did.


yes but a it is such a good looking wedge lol  :lol:  mmmmm amiga 1200 ...
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: DigitalQ on January 15, 2008, 12:48:29 AM
Quote

actually i think the a500 is better looking. the 1200 is like they said "hey people are calling these things wedge computers lets make the wedgiest wedge we can make"

so they did.


I agree with that; the A500 definitely has much nicer styling than the A1200.
Title: Re: The Beauty and the Beast of Amiga hardware
Post by: Andeda on January 15, 2008, 12:17:01 PM
the beast is definitely A3000T and the beauty is the A2000  :-D