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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Marketplace => Topic started by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 01:55:09 PM

Title: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 01:55:09 PM
Hi,

How many would be interested in a cheaper version of the Minimig enclosure?

At the moment the enclosures are:

£67.45 (GBP) for the glossy White
£72.45 (GBP) for the glossy Black

I am thinking of introducing a more affordable edition named "Classic", the aim is to give it  a classic look (retro look), Amiga beige colour and plastic texture (although not 100% accurate.) :-)

The enclosure will be the same as the more expensive ones, with the same detailed manual and the four rubber feet and fit ACube's Minimigs, plus the silver printed logo.

I am trying to reduce the costs and bring it down to something between £50-60 (GBP).

Let me know what you think.

Thank you. :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: CaptChaos on October 09, 2008, 01:59:38 PM
I was thinking of drawing up some pepakura (papercraft) enclosures. Based on previous box model amigas and one on the walker. If they are made simply enough they could be printed on stiff card and then cut and folded into shape...

But then I realized I dont have a minimig and didnt bother.

*sigh*

 :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: curtis on October 09, 2008, 04:08:11 PM
How about making it look like the A500, only smaller?

Just a thought.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: ZeBeeDee on October 09, 2008, 04:47:52 PM
Mine would be like this ...

(http://xs432.xs.to/xs432/08414/minimig_in_box866.jpg)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 06:15:59 PM
@ZeBeeDee

>>Mine would be like this ...

That is not what I asked was it?

Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: ZeBeeDee on October 09, 2008, 06:19:32 PM
Quote

TheDaddy wrote:
@ZeBeeDee
That is not what I asked was it?



Point is .. I'd like an enclosure like that one in the picture ... You don't like my input - fine, get over it and move along  :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: freqmax on October 09, 2008, 06:55:11 PM
CaptChaos, Cardpaper + Electronics => Fire hazard!
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 06:59:15 PM
@ZeBeeDee

>>Point is .. I'd like an enclosure like that one in the picture ... You don't like my input - fine, get over it and move along  

No, the point is that I started a thread and you are well OFF TOPIC, so why do you post? Just to p*ss me off?

So go and post somewhere else or make your own thread you and your two pieces of plexiglass.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 07:06:14 PM
@ZeBeeDee

>>I'd like an enclosure like that one in the picture ...

Go and buy it then they are 30 Euros. :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: mfletcher on October 09, 2008, 07:35:36 PM
I think its a great idea, esp if you could recreate the ridged effect at the top-rear of the A500 case.

You might get better appreciation on this idea if you post over at EAB...
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 07:38:37 PM
@mfletcher

>>I think its a great idea, esp if you could recreate the ridged effect at the top-rear of the A500 case.

I could try that, there might be some CAD charges involved that I would like to avoid but interesting idea.

>>You might get better appreciation on this idea if you post over at EAB...

I'll pop over, thank you for your feedback! :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: Reynolds on October 09, 2008, 07:53:39 PM
Personally I think the best would be something similar, yes. If it's bigger, no prob, but with all connectors on the back, except the CFSlot, as it HAVE TO BE on the right, and the leds on the top :)
Also a classic engraved into the top brand with the also classical font would be QL.
Or a replaceable logo with the old and the new label...?
Title: /
Post by: Lorraine on October 09, 2008, 07:54:38 PM
/
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: ZeBeeDee on October 09, 2008, 08:21:30 PM
Quote

TheDaddy wrote:
@ZeBeeDee

No, the point is that I started a thread and you are well OFF TOPIC, so why do you post? Just to p*ss me off?

So go and post somewhere else or make your own thread you and your two pieces of plexiglass.


All I said was I'd like my minimig case to look like the one in the picture, so how is that OT? Other people wanting it to look like an A500 - is that OT as well? Get a grip and consider anger management classes - sounds like you might need them FWIS
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: ZeBeeDee on October 09, 2008, 08:22:29 PM
Quote

TheDaddy wrote:
Go and buy it then they are 30 Euros. :-)


Cool!  :-D

*addendum*

I did ... thanks  :-)  
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 08:39:56 PM
@ZeBeeDee


>>All I said was I'd like my minimig case to look like the one in the picture, so how is that OT?

It's so OFF TOPIC that there is no word for it. Read the title of the thread and do some thinking.

>>Other people wanting it to look like an A500 - is that OT as well? Get a grip and consider anger management classes - sounds like you might need them FWIS

You are bringing in something totally different, you are pointing the finger at a completely different product in competition with my enclosure.

I am trying to save costs to offer an affordable case to people who might need one and you bring up the Relic case up? What do you consider that? I am busting my backside and you say you want it like hte Relice one.

Now tell me if I am wrong?
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: ZeBeeDee on October 09, 2008, 08:46:28 PM
So you're selling an enclosure ... fair play - no need to throw your toys out of your pram over it
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 08:50:41 PM
@ZeBeeDee

>>So you're selling an enclosure ... fair play - no need to throw your toys out of your pram over it

I am not, I was just pointing out the fact that I am working on a reduced cost enclosure with all the links that clearly show it and you said you wanted the Reliec one, what is that all about?!...just forget it.

Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: ZeBeeDee on October 09, 2008, 08:55:08 PM
I said I'd want mine to LOOK LIKE IT but as you nicely pointed out the price of one in an earlier reply, I went ahead and brought one ... no biggie :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 08:58:22 PM
@ZeBeeDee

>>I said I'd want mine to LOOK LIKE IT but as you nicely pointed out the price of one in an earlier reply, I went ahead and brought one ... no biggie

Good, I am glad for you, enjoy it, now I would like to go back to the main topic.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: ZeBeeDee on October 09, 2008, 08:59:41 PM
Go right ahead

I still think it should look ...

nah ...  :roflmao:
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: tonyyeb on October 09, 2008, 09:42:09 PM
@TheDaddy

As good as your cases are, they are too expensive. In my opinion I would think that if they were half the price then they would be considered value for money. But at the regular price they make a Minimig nearly £200.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 11:33:22 PM
@tonyyeb

>>@TheDaddy

As good as your cases are, they are too expensive.

That is why this thread was started! :-)

>>In my opinion I would think that if they were half the price then they would be considered value for money. But at the regular price they make a Minimig nearly £200.

Well, it's not that the Minimig board has come down in price? This is the Amiga market, hardware and gear is expensive. This is my own creation by the way, I am not a company, I am a single person. The Minimig is expensive, the case is expensive too but people like me and ACube can't just sell for a loss.

This is why I started this thread to see if people were interested in a cheaper version :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: kolla on October 09, 2008, 11:38:46 PM
@TheDaddy
Hey, I want the expencive one! I sent you an email about it, but never got a reply - black is excellent!

Is it still available somehow? :-D
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 09, 2008, 11:46:06 PM
@kolla

>>@TheDaddy
Hey, I want the expencive one! I sent you an email about it, but never got a reply - black is excellent!
Is it still available somehow?

I have got some black ones, email me again please, I am emailing you right now :-)

Thank you.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: jahc on October 10, 2008, 09:24:06 AM
I would love a no frills case. The cheapest possible enclosure that gives me access to the buttons and ports. Sacrifice the gloss and logo. I would seriously love a Minimig, but the expensive case puts me off. I'm not good with my hands, and I dont own any tools, so making my own case is not appealing to me.

35 GBP or $100 NZD would be a very attractive price for me.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: tonyyeb on October 10, 2008, 10:11:34 AM
Quote

TheDaddy wrote:
@tonyyeb
Well, it's not that the Minimig board has come down in price? This is the Amiga market, hardware and gear is expensive. This is my own creation by the way, I am not a company, I am a single person. The Minimig is expensive, the case is expensive too but people like me and ACube can't just sell for a loss.

This is why I started this thread to see if people were interested in a cheaper version :-)


I am fully aware of WHY it is expensive. Doesn't make may wallet grow in size either. Supply, demand and economies of scale are at work here. Doesn't change the fact it is too expensive.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 10, 2008, 10:45:55 AM
@tonyyeb

>>I am fully aware of WHY it is expensive. Doesn't make may wallet grow in size either.
Supply, demand and economies of scale are at work here. Doesn't change the fact it is too expensive.

This is WHY I started the thread. I know that the good looking enclosures are out of reach of many so I wanted to know if anyone would be interested in a cheaper version.

Anything Amiga is expensive, from a floppy disk drive to a cable, from a case (I remember buying the Power Tower for £140, now that is expensive, a converted pc case!) to a motherboard. :-)

Have you got a Minimig board? Do you think that the Minimig is expensive at £130?



Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 10, 2008, 10:57:50 AM
@jahc

>>I would love a no frills case. The cheapest possible enclosure that gives me access to the buttons and ports.

That is what I am working on, cutting here and there and see what I can achieve without damaging its funcionality.

>>but the expensive case puts me off.

Just to remind you that the Minimig is expensive too, just because this is a case it doesn't mean it has to be cheap and nasty. In the pc world there are cases for up to £500 and that is the case alone. The Minimig enclosures has had months invested in time, effort and money, so just because it is not hardware it doesn't mean it's less important and it has to be treated with scorn.

>>I'm not good with my hands, and I dont own any tools, so making my own case is not appealing to me.

I will do my best, all the people who have bought the enclosures have told me that they love it and it makes the Minimig look more attractive than their Wii.

:-)
 
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: jahc on October 10, 2008, 11:16:31 AM
Quote
That is what I am working on, cutting here and there and see what I can achieve without damaging its funcionality.

Okay, great!

Quote
Just to remind you that the Minimig is expensive too, just because this is a case it doesn't mean it has to be cheap and nasty. In the pc world there are cases for up to £500 and that is the case alone. The Minimig enclosures has had months invested in time, effort and money, so just because it is not hardware it doesn't mean it's less important and it has to be treated with scorn.

Thats true, but in the PC world we also have the option of the el cheapo cases. I got an el cheapo case for my Sam :) I managed to find one thats mostly black that looks fairly alright.

I'm not sure why I want a Minimig so badly, because I very rarely play the old games. I think I like to have a shrine setup at all times so I can have a blast for 10 minutes when I feel like it.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: tonyyeb on October 10, 2008, 11:17:30 AM
Quote

TheDaddy wrote:
@tonyyeb

Have you got a Minimig board? Do you think that the Minimig is expensive at £130?


I don't have one. I got an A1200 with HD, CF reader and 8MB RAM expansion for £50 less than a Minimig. I know the Minimig is new and has a guarentee, more reliable etc... but the A1200 runs more games (no AGA for Minimig etc..), I have Hard Drive / IDE support (no IDE / Hard file for Minimig - yet) and I have the genuine noise of an A1200 reading disks, hard drive spinning etc...

If the Minimig with case was £70 - £80 then I would have one. Simple as that.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 10, 2008, 11:32:15 AM
@jahc

>>Thats true, but in the PC world we also have the option of the el cheapo cases. I got an el cheapo case for my Sam :) I managed to find one thats mostly black that looks fairly alright.

The el cheapo cases in the pc world are produced in the 100,000 units a month, not 50, that keeps the cost down and the market is massive, but I am working on it as I said.

>>I'm not sure why I want a Minimig so badly, because I very rarely play the old games. I think I like to have a shrine setup at all times so I can have a blast for 10 minutes when I feel like it.

That is correct. That is what everyone does, incuding me, 1GB SD Card with 300 games and applications on a tiny computer. Just great. :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 10, 2008, 11:39:07 AM
@tonyyeb

>>I don't have one. I got an A1200 with HD, CF reader and 8MB RAM expansion for £50 less than a Minimig.

That is brilliant.

>>I know the Minimig is new and has a guarentee, more reliable etc... but the A1200 runs more games (no AGA for Minimig etc..), I have Hard Drive / IDE support (no IDE / Hard file for Minimig - yet) and I have the genuine noise of an A1200 reading disks, hard drive spinning etc...

Maybe you don't need a Minimig then. I have always thought that the Minimig was targeted at people who once had an Amiga (possibly an A500/600) and wanted to play classic games, some current owners of other Amigas have it too for different reasons (they want something small that does what an A500 does, or want to give it as a present, or they just buy anything Amiga related etc...)

I bought mine to make it the ultimate A500 game console and it is just that for now, although it runs DPaint and some trackers.

>>If the Minimig with case was £70 - £80 then I would have one. Simple as that.

That won't happen for a long time, not until ACube have managed to get some money back, same for me.

My target is a beige (Amiga like) with same (more or less) kind of plastic texture (but thicker than the 1.5mm the Amiga used, about 4mm). With or without printed logo, is to be decided.

Thank you.

:-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: tonyyeb on October 10, 2008, 11:52:12 AM
@TheDaddy

Agree with everything you have said. I hope costs do come down and that the savings can be passed on to the consumer.

Good luck with your future developments.
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 10, 2008, 11:59:31 AM
Thanks Chris, I'll post any news here :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: Darrin on October 10, 2008, 01:03:11 PM
TheDaddy wrote:

Quote
I have always thought that the Minimig was targeted at people who once had an Amiga (possibly an A500/600) and wanted to play classic games,


For me it was to have a great retro-games machine.  Those few AGA games will run on my A4000, but the Minimig is my main games computer.  The ability to use nice quality keyboard and mice along with the fact that I can keep both joysticks plugged in with no buggering around depending on what port is needed or whether it is a joystick or mouse controlled game.  Also, not having a stack of corrupt floppy disks covering my desk is a real bonus (cue Alex's post for WHDload).  Did I mention the ability to connect to VGA inputs?

Plus, it weighs a hell of a lot less than a real Amiga.  :-)
Title: Re: Cheaper Minimig Enclosure
Post by: TheDaddy on October 10, 2008, 01:09:21 PM
@Darrin

>>For me it was to have a great retro-games machine. Those few AGA games will run on my A4000, but the Minimig is my main games computer. The ability to use nice quality keyboard and mice along with the fact that I can keep both joysticks plugged in with no buggering around depending on what port is needed or whether it is a joystick or mouse controlled game. Also, not having a stack of corrupt floppy disks covering my desk is a real bonus (cue Alex's post for WHDload). Did I mention the ability to connect to VGA inputs?
Plus, it weighs a hell of a lot less than a real Amiga.

All of the above is true. :-)

By the way, have you managed to test any application yet, I got Deluxe Paint and it works fine, I would like to try Real 3D (especially if you can now overclock the CPU to 28MHz) and Octamed... :-)