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Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga Retail News / Sales => Topic started by: jd997uk on August 14, 2002, 07:33:14 PM

Title: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: jd997uk on August 14, 2002, 07:33:14 PM
Elbox (http://www.elbox.com/products/mediator_pci_1200_sx.html) have released a new Mediator 1200SX with 6 PCI slots and a Power Management Interface.

Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: xeron on August 14, 2002, 07:44:08 PM
Whoa! They kept that pretty quiet!  :-o
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 14, 2002, 07:47:17 PM
I say: WOW :-o

...... WOW ;-) ..... WOW :-D
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: redrumloa on August 14, 2002, 07:48:54 PM
Nice! I just saw the banner ad for this thingy on ANN and was quite impressed! Rare when a company in the Amiga market keeps hush hush until a product is ready to ship. Matay did it with the Prometheus, now Elbox did it with this version of the Mediator.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: xeron on August 14, 2002, 07:53:43 PM
It seems the news catagories are a bit messed up though! This is in "Amiga Anywhere", and the Jeff Minterview was under "Amiga, Inc./Partners"!

Oops!  :-)

Edit: OK looks like the fixed it :-D
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: redrumloa on August 14, 2002, 08:03:36 PM
Quote
It seems the news catagories are a bit messed up though!


Fixed :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: Graak on August 14, 2002, 08:29:22 PM
/me want one!

I already got a Mediator though, but all the PCI-slots are filled up with nice expansions :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 14, 2002, 09:04:16 PM
Eh Eh! :-)
Also my Mediator is filled with nice cards!

I would like 2 more pci slot!  =) :-P
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: yssing on August 14, 2002, 09:14:51 PM
Regarding PCi on the Amiga

I just have one question, does it work the same way as it does on the PC (with IRQ addr, or is the PCI slot adressed like the Zorro bus, where no matter how you switch you card around they still perform flawlesly).

I hope some one can tell me...  :-D
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: redrumloa on August 14, 2002, 09:17:12 PM
Quote
where no matter how you switch you card around they still perform flawlesly).


I had a Prometheus and no matter where you put the card, it did not matter. I doubt the Mediator is any different.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: Radfoo on August 14, 2002, 09:21:26 PM
nice :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)

just got a mediator for my A1200 though with only 4 slots :-(
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: MrZammler on August 14, 2002, 09:22:42 PM
If only they would make a Mediator for a 3/4k that replaced the original zorro backplane...
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: xeron on August 14, 2002, 09:25:49 PM
Quote

If only they would make a Mediator for a 3/4k that replaced the original zorro backplane...


They do! Or did you mean one that doesn't require a tower?
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: redrumloa on August 14, 2002, 09:25:56 PM
Quote
If only they would make a Mediator for a 3/4k that replaced the original zorro backplane...


They did! It's for sale, you can buy it. :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: xeron on August 14, 2002, 10:08:06 PM
Quote

They did! It's for sale, you can buy it.  


And I can't recommend it high enough! An absolutely brilliant bit of kit!
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: lorddef on August 14, 2002, 10:13:43 PM
Would you say a mediator would be worth it on an amiga with only a Blizzard 030? and would the fact myt blizzard is overclocked affect it?
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: xeron on August 14, 2002, 10:19:05 PM
If you are going from 030/AGA to 030/Mediator/Voodoo 3, definately.

I upgraded from an 030/50 A1200, to an 030/25 A4000 + CV64/3D (the a4000 is now a little higher spec (http://tickly.kicks-ass.net/) :-) )and the difference was amazing! Everything seemed faster, even though the processor was slower!

But then upgrading from the CV64/3D to Voodoo 3 was just another leap again! (although i had an 060 by then).

Intuition really needs a graphics card! You can always get an 060 later, or even just wait for the SharkPPC.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 15, 2002, 12:38:47 AM
Buy a mediator now!!! 6 pci rocks!!!!!! ;-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: PhatAgnus on August 15, 2002, 12:54:22 AM
Tickly; redrumloa: You don't mean to say that the Mediator for the 'big box' Amigas 'eliminate' the daughterboard, do you? Or...does it take up a Zorro slot 'within' the daughterboard, thus becoming a Leggo tower? |                                                -|--|                                                 |                                             ---------------- Like this
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: lorddef on August 15, 2002, 12:55:40 AM
I have decided that I will try and get one with the money I get back from my leeds festival ticket (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1372649457).

I guess I might have the chance to get a 2nd hand mediator now as well, if people upgrade to the 6PCI one.  :-D

Guess I'll need to mod my old tower though  :-(
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: yssing on August 15, 2002, 01:10:03 AM
@lorddef
I would say it is worth it..
When ever they release SharkPPC you can just jack it in any PCI slot, and presto.. you got a 600 mhz G3/G4 :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: redrumloa on August 15, 2002, 01:29:24 AM
Quote
Tickly; redrumloa: You don't mean to say that the Mediator for the 'big box' Amigas 'eliminate' the daughterboard, do you?


YES!!

Quote
Or...does it take up a Zorro slot 'within' the daughterboard, thus becoming a Leggo tower?


NO!

MediatorA4000D and MediatorA3000D REPLACE the daughterboard.

MediatorZ3 OTOH is similar to the Prometheus, it is just a Zorro card.

Plenty of options out there!! :-o
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 15, 2002, 01:43:11 AM
@yssing

NO! Not 600Mhz, but from 600Mhz G3  to 1Ghz G4. I'm not joking, the 1,2Ghz will be out some time after the 750-850 Mhz version. :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: yssing on August 15, 2002, 02:07:12 AM
Quote
NO! Not 600Mhz, but from 600Mhz G3 to 1Ghz G4. I'm not joking, the 1,2Ghz will be out some time after the 750-850 Mhz version.


that is even better.. I just might go for the Mediator + SharPPC instead of the A1 :-) very cool indeed...
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 15, 2002, 02:25:36 AM
eh eh eh. Good choice :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: Kronos on August 15, 2002, 02:48:36 AM
@all_those_drooling_about _the_Shark

Do I have to remind you about the "ideas" Elbox
had concerning the OS4 port for the Shark ?
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 15, 2002, 02:51:28 AM
@Kronos

Oh! No! again! Instead Kronos visit the picture of the month thread! :-D
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: System on August 15, 2002, 03:17:18 AM
Kronos , do i have to remind you of all the arse-holes involved in  MorphOS / Pegasos ? And on the PCI front BPlan telling DCE not to give tech docs to Hyperion ? ...


Anyone in the UK upgrading their 4 Slot mediator 1200 , i'm interested in purchasing or part Trading it for a pcmcia network card ( + clip on fix ) and blizzard vision ( not that you'll need um , just trying my luck :) ) as i won't be needing those once i have one :D
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: lorddef on August 15, 2002, 03:28:48 AM
do you still need a scandoubler to see amiga native modes when you have a mediator + gfx card?
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 15, 2002, 03:40:09 AM
@lorddef

If you have a mediator + voodoo3 or virge, you plug your vga monitor directly to these cards.

You don't nedd a scandoubler, but you can't see old amiga modes.
I have bought mediator after plugging in a vga monitor, infact i have a scandoubler that i could use to display olt modes. but i never use it, with the last boing bag i think (but not sure) that you could display natively the early startup screens on a vga monitor....
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: Graak on August 15, 2002, 04:08:07 AM
I use the TV-card in my Mediator as a "scandoubler". Works pretty well, actually.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 15, 2002, 04:13:31 AM
@Graak

WOW!!! Really??? :-?  :-D
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: theTAO on August 15, 2002, 04:38:15 AM
> @all_those_drooling_about _the_Shark
>
> Do I have to remind you about the "ideas" Elbox
> had concerning the OS4 port for the Shark ?

Yes, apparently you do.  Aren't you the guy who keeps saying the Shark card is just a rebranded Mac accelerator because, umm, you think it really gosh-darn looks like one?  There are already too many rumors floating around the Amiga community...just because you *think* something is true, doesn't make it so.  Let's see some source(s) this time.

Todd
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: Kronos on August 15, 2002, 11:00:50 AM
@theTAO

I don't give 5 cent about what a Shark is, but it is a fact that
Elbox is refusing to send one to Hyperion sofar, that they don't
have a licence (only Eyetech has signed sofar) and that their
idea of letting an unmodified OS4-A1 run on the Shark is complete
BS from a technologigal view !
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: System on August 15, 2002, 12:10:34 PM
Quote
Would you say a mediator would be worth it on an amiga with only a Blizzard 030? and would the fact myt blizzard is overclocked affect it?

Yeah, I would say it's worth it.  When I first got my mediator I was running a Blizzard 1230-IV (now '060) and with the Voodoo card it still felt like a whole new machine.  :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: theTAO on August 15, 2002, 02:38:52 PM
@Kronos

> it is a fact that
> Elbox is refusing to send one to Hyperion sofar, that they don't
> have a licence (only Eyetech has signed sofar) and that their
> idea of letting an unmodified OS4-A1 run on the Shark is complete
> BS from a technologigal view !

Okay, now I know what you're talking about, and I have read those things myself.  They are strange policies at the very least, and suspicious at worst.  I haven't always liked the way Elbox conducts business.  But from today's surprise announcement of the 1200SX, you must at least admit that Elbox isn't anything like a typical vaporware company (Merlancia ?), or a company that regularly breaks their promised release dates (Phase 5 ?).  I can think of possible reasons for these policies on the Shark, even if I do wish Elbox would be more open like Eyetech.  I guess we'll know for sure within a few months of OS4.0's release.

Todd
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: jd997uk on August 15, 2002, 04:31:05 PM
Quote
WOW!!! Really???

I do the same. Everything from playing older games (Alien Breed, Pinball Illusions, Desert Strike, etc) to ScalaMM400, Brilliance2 can now be used on your VGA monitor. No scan doubler required. A quite excellent investment. Suddenly a huge amount of software becomes useable again, without the inconvenience of having to use a TV or a scan doubler  :-D

Highly recommended

-john
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 15, 2002, 05:44:18 PM
Interesting.... how you can do this? old games on tv-gfxcard.....wow :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: xeron on August 15, 2002, 05:48:48 PM
Quote

Interesting.... how you can do this? old games on tv-gfxcard


Its nothing amazing... the TV card takes a PAL signal and outputs it to a PIP window on the Voodoo. And guess what? AGA generates a PAL signal ;-)

I'm thinking of making this modification (http://www.starnet.com.au/davem/overclock/A520.html) to my A520 modulator to give an even clearer picture on my TV card from my AGA out.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: lorddef on August 15, 2002, 06:06:41 PM
I have an external scandoubler/ff, so I'm guessing I could still use it with a gfx catd, get one of those fancy montors with two vga ports.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: xeron on August 15, 2002, 06:33:33 PM
Quote

I have an external scandoubler/ff, so I'm guessing I could still use it with a gfx catd, get one of those fancy montors with two vga ports.


Yes, that would work fine.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: Elektro on August 15, 2002, 07:45:10 PM
No offence to Elbox I'm sure that Mediator is a fine product but am I the only one sick & tired of all these 'hacks and patches'? Me want new stuff...
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: xeron on August 15, 2002, 07:51:05 PM
Quote

No offence to Elbox I'm sure that Mediator is a fine product but am I the only one sick & tired of all these 'hacks and patches'? Me want new stuff...


Relax, both AmigaONE and Pegasos are on schedule, new stuff is on its way. If you're sick of seeing new Mediators and USB cards, just don't read the stories about them!
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: redrumloa on August 15, 2002, 10:08:12 PM
Quote
No offence to Elbox I'm sure that Mediator is a fine product but am I the only one sick & tired of all these 'hacks and patches'? Me want new stuff...


Yeah we want an all new system(A1), but considering it isnt out and wont be for a few months, this type of new hardware is very cool! If the SharkPPC with OS4 support ever becomes more than vapor it certainly will make it a viable alternative to the A1.

Put it this way, products like Highway/Mediator/Prometheus etc are something that can be used NOW.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: Elektro on August 15, 2002, 11:03:36 PM
Yeah but still...  :-D
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: Cluke on August 16, 2002, 12:19:08 AM
Quote
Its nothing amazing... the TV card takes a PAL signal and outputs it to a PIP window on the Voodoo. And guess what? AGA generates a PAL signal


Problem is though, the OS needs to be up and running for this to work. Any game or demo that takes over the system won't work.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 16, 2002, 12:49:02 AM
I totally agree with redrumloa
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: olegil on August 16, 2002, 01:29:46 AM
This card has 6 slots, but only four interrupt lines on the PCI side (on the amiga side it's a zorro interrupt, so it's shared anyway). This means two cards share interrupts. On the PC, this is what's causing problems 10 times out of 9. But in this case there is no old, buggy drivers that don't work with shared interrupts to be frustrated about, so I would say things can really be summed up by this:

Good one, guys. Any possibility for someone buying my 4-slot so I can upgrade?  :-P

On the other hand, I've got too much equipment and too little time anyway. I hate it when that happens.  Today I generated 53GB of traffic on a test-lan in my office, using gigabit ethernet cards, media converters, optical frequency shifters (transponders, or opt-el-opt converters) and an optical amplifier. 53GB in 15 minutes running through 105km of fiber in rolls on the floor isn't half bad, is it? ;-) :-D  :-P  :-)   :-P  :-D
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: Graak on August 16, 2002, 03:01:20 AM
Quote
Problem is though, the OS needs to be up and running for this to work. Any game or demo that takes over the system won't work.


Nope, you're wrong. If you set DISPLAYCHAIN=NO in the Picasso96 monitor icon then it'll work, because the Workbench will still be displayed even if it's the AGA output which is the active "screen".

Take my word for it, I've tried it myself :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: lorddef on August 16, 2002, 03:22:03 AM
Quote
Good one, guys. Any possibility for someone buying my 4-slot so I can upgrade?


I might do, private me and name ur price :-)
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: AmiGR on August 16, 2002, 08:26:42 PM
> Kronos , do i have to remind you of all the arse-holes involved in MorphOS / Pegasos ?

Do you know them? No. Yet you keep repeating what several other people say.

> And on the PCI front BPlan telling DCE not to give tech docs to Hyperion ? ...

Do you know that? No. Even Ben Hermans, who is in the story, unlike you, can't be sure about that, and is
it is true, the G-Rex specs are Gerald Carda's not Dellert's. He can do whatever he wants with them.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: AmiGR on August 16, 2002, 08:28:43 PM
> or a company that regularly breaks their promised release dates (Phase 5 ?).

I'll say one thing: SB Live driver.
Title: Re: New Mediator 1200SX
Post by: ikir on August 17, 2002, 06:54:35 PM
I think that you can already use Sb live on Mediator.

Sb 128 are compatible, but you can use the special effect.