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Amiga computer related discussion => General chat about Amiga topics => Topic started by: orb85750 on November 08, 2010, 12:18:24 AM

Title: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: orb85750 on November 08, 2010, 12:18:24 AM
OK, we can do better than that AW poll.  I don't like their ambiguity of "reasonable price."  (What does that mean?)

THE NEW QUESTION:
How much would you pay for a new PPC accelerator for classic Amiga so that you could run OS 4.1?
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Varthall on November 08, 2010, 12:30:59 AM
I chose "I'll run OS 4.1 with other hardware (SAM, etc.)" although I'm already running it :)

Varthall
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: wawrzon on November 08, 2010, 12:36:13 AM
yet again. what is the use of all these polls, same question has been asked last year already.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: orb85750 on November 08, 2010, 12:39:45 AM
Quote from: wawrzon;590214
yet again. what is the use of all these polls, same question has been asked last year already.


I was not aware.  Where is the thread for that poll from last year?
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Heiroglyph on November 08, 2010, 12:39:50 AM
I'm not really interested in encouraging PPC.

A new 060 equivalent or faster, sure.
x86 or Arm, maybe with an OS.

But PPC is a dead end I've been lucky enough to avoid so far.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: orb85750 on November 08, 2010, 12:51:00 AM
Quote from: Heiroglyph;590216
I'm not really interested in encouraging PPC.

A new 060 equivalent or faster, sure.
x86 or Arm, maybe with an OS.

But PPC is a dead end I've been lucky enough to avoid so far.


I do really love the Natami idea of pushing the "native" architecture.  Hope it happens.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: wawrzon on November 08, 2010, 12:54:58 AM
Quote from: orb85750;590215
I was not aware.  Where is the thread for that poll from last year?


dont know. might be it was on aw.net. but this question surfaces regularly and then gets forgotten till the next time. i see no point in it.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: ElPolloDiabl on November 08, 2010, 01:21:26 AM
I say PPC is a dead end. It could easily be emulated on a modern multi-GHz PC. Why not just take a software approach?
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Franko on November 08, 2010, 01:39:24 AM
Kinda difficult to answer this one, I've got my mind set on upgrading my main Amiga to a mediator set up which is going to cost me around £400 all in, just to get some use out of my BPPC board that cost me £467 a few years ago.

But now I'm starting to wonder if I should, with all these polls kicking around about buying a PPC board. First off, how often do you see one that you can buy on ebay or wherever and are you willing to pay the kind of silly money I did.

Now if I do go ahead with the mediator set up, what happens if my BPPC goes kaputt, I don't really fancy having to wait for one to come up on ebay again and paying over the top prices again.

I reckon myself that PPC is dead and if my one goes it doesn't seem worth the hassle and money trying to get hold of another one.

Looks like it's back to waiting for the X1000 or my preferred choice the Natami to appear (if ever)... :(
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: SamuraiCrow on November 08, 2010, 01:50:17 AM
I posted not interested although I have a MicroA1-c on loan to DiscreetFX that he'd send back to me if I asked.  I don't have room for another computer right now but if I did, i'd concentrate on the NatAmi like Franko.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: kolla on November 08, 2010, 02:50:12 AM
I could have answered the poll if it wasn't for the "to run OS 4.1" bit :)
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: yssing on November 08, 2010, 03:03:44 AM
I would be interested-- and I for one, don't think PPC is a dead end. But its religion, and its fruitless to get in to that debate again.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: orb85750 on November 08, 2010, 07:05:18 PM
Quote from: Heiroglyph;590216
I'm not really interested in encouraging PPC.

A new 060 equivalent or faster, sure.


You mean like these?

http://www.gvp-m.com/pricejapan.html
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Franko on November 08, 2010, 07:11:32 PM
Quote from: orb85750;590362
You mean like these?

http://www.gvp-m.com/pricejapan.html


Wish that site was for real, at those prices I'd buy a couple of 040 & 030 boards for some of my old miggies... :)

(It's a lot cheaper than Ebay...)
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: guest7146 on November 08, 2010, 07:20:44 PM
I'd buy a new classic PPC accelerator for sure.  Not because I think classics are the future, but just because I enjoy keeping my classics going.  Just for the fun of it.

AH.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: orange on November 08, 2010, 08:31:35 PM
not interested,
also don't like an idea of amiga os that can't run at all on 'classic' hardware.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Amiga_Nut on November 08, 2010, 09:18:41 PM
Dead end or not it's the only way anyone will play games like Wipeout on their Amiga.

Cheaper the better but the CPU price is the limiting factor.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Fransexy_ on November 08, 2010, 09:33:22 PM
Quote from: ElPolloDiabl;590222
I say PPC is a dead end. It could easily be emulated on a modern multi-GHz PC. Why not just take a software approach?


By your reasoning ARM is dead end also. I am sure that a eight core XEON can emulate an ARM cortex A8 or even ARM cortex A9 (even multicore)
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Heiroglyph on November 08, 2010, 09:39:40 PM
Quote from: orb85750;590362
You mean like these?

http://www.gvp-m.com/pricejapan.html


Yeah, exactly.  I was *this* close to ordering one of the 060's from SoftHut until I got really lucky on a couple of used systems with 060's.

For the prices paid for fast 060's and especially PPC's, you'd think someone would have made a faster card for Amigas by now.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Heiroglyph on November 08, 2010, 09:45:27 PM
Quote from: Franko;590365
Wish that site was for real, at those prices I'd buy a couple of 040 & 030 boards for some of my old miggies... :)

(It's a lot cheaper than Ebay...)


SoftHut did have some of them in stock as of a few weeks ago and they are a little cheaper than listed on the link above.

GVP Typhoon A1200 030 40MHz Accelerator $169.00
A4060DT - 060 50MHz with SCSI II Interface $445.00
TekMagic A2000 060/50MHz Combo   $479.95

They are new-ish (refurbs I think) but the prices are pretty good considering.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: klx300r on November 09, 2010, 09:33:07 PM
have my original 500 and 1200 for nostalgia and my main PC at home is my Samflex running Amiga OS4.1 u2 though I must admit that if I ran into some extra cash I would definitely like to get a PPC card for my 1200 just because I wanted one soooo badly back in the day:afro:
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: SamuraiCrow on November 09, 2010, 09:45:24 PM
@Franko

Individual Computers is coming out soon with a new '030 56 MHz accelerator for the A1200 using more modern memory bus accesses.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Franko on November 09, 2010, 10:09:41 PM
Quote from: SamuraiCrow;590591
@Franko

Individual Computers is coming out soon with a new '030 56 MHz accelerator for the A1200 using more modern memory bus accesses.


Yeah, I've been reading about that, looks promising and it would be better to buy a new piece of kit than taking my chances on ebay... :)

@ Heiroglyph

Is Softhut still in business, cos everything I clicked on their resulted in a "Safari can't find..." error ? :(
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Heiroglyph on November 09, 2010, 10:30:06 PM
You pretty much have to call him although you can order online if you have confirmed that it is in stock.

Last time I ordered (a few weeks ago) he said that the items on the front page are all he tries to keep up to date.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Heiroglyph on November 09, 2010, 10:32:01 PM
BTW, he does still have brand new 4000T's in stock with 040's and optionally the GVP 060's at additional cost.

He knows the guy that bought out the remaining parts inventory and he's still building new machines from them.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: actung_bab on November 09, 2010, 10:35:03 PM
honestly franko had blizzard ppc with addon bvsion for what you can do with the setup
l rekon just spend the extra and get modern setup with x1000 thats what l do
with adding cards to your machine  your still have slow ide slow and just old gear
x1000 you be able to add sata an just have machine thats new that people going to
get behind and program for . l tryed running avi on mine and was slide show
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: bloodline on November 09, 2010, 10:41:27 PM
Quote from: Fransexy_;590395
By your reasoning ARM is dead end also. I am sure that a eight core XEON can emulate an ARM cortex A8 or even ARM cortex A9 (even multicore)
Sure it can, but the ARM has low power consumption on its side. Both the x86 and the PPC get very power hungry as powerformance increases. The x86 has a lot of money behind it so intel/AMD improve the fabrication process to reduce power consumption... PPC doesn't have that...
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: ad-rs1600i on November 10, 2010, 09:39:18 PM
Like others have said - my classic Amiga is for fun and just because I always wanted one, I would relish the chance to buy a new PPc card for the my classic Amiga :)
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: yssing on November 10, 2010, 09:59:25 PM
Bloodline >> the AMCC460 uses 5w at 1ghz, and that is for all the systems in the CPU.
So your point is not completely true.
I am also pretty sure that ARM does not have the same amount of development money that Intel/AMD does.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Heiroglyph on November 10, 2010, 11:22:56 PM
Quote from: yssing;590818
I am also pretty sure that ARM does not have the same amount of development money that Intel/AMD does.

Arm is probably the best "second" CPU bet for the future, behind x86.

The problem is that so was PPC back when it was chosen.

I really see the Atom-type CPU's eventually taking over the market that many Arm's currently hold in mobile devices, then you're back to x86 again.

Arm's slower than those aren't really useful to us.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: yssing on November 11, 2010, 01:50:41 PM
ARM is not really usefull for us anyway, since nothing amiga runs on ARM. And probably never will.
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Karlos on November 11, 2010, 01:56:51 PM
Quote from: yssing;590944
ARM is not really usefull for us anyway, since nothing amiga runs on ARM. And probably never will.


There's always AROS :)
Title: Re: A better PPC accelerator poll
Post by: Hattig on November 11, 2010, 02:05:17 PM
How about an accelerator card like Jens' new cheap A1200 one, but minus the 68030, plus a larger FPGA, and utilising the Natami 68050 soft-core?