FPGAARCADE minimig compatible board, comments?

[TheDaddy]

@Darrin

>>A lot of people are happy to voice support, but when it comes to actually opening up their wallets then things change quite quickly.

I am with you on that, hopefully it won't be the case.

>>True, but it was "cheap" and did the job, plus it was available at a time when people were ordering the hardware.

That is true too, but Minimigs will be available for another 4-5 months I hope.

>>I hope you sell what you make, but if I was you then I'd post a final price, shipping costs and then try and get some names first.

Soon.
 :-)

[TheDaddy]

>>Ohhh... I didn't know you could buy those cases! I actually rather liked them... They seem to fit with the whole hobby thing!

I am not sure if you can still buy them but you could always contact Wizard.:-)

[TheDaddy]

@bloodline

>>They seem to fit with the whole hobby thing!

My case wil be a hobbistic thing too, I am not Apple you see
 :-D

[TheDaddy]

@bloodline

>>I'd need a MiniMig first.. otherwise it's a rather dull little perspex box...

I think that Amigakit and Vesalia are selling them again, £127.99 :-D

[TheDaddy]

>>They make a nice simple case for the first ones I'm building/built but I'd be interested in seeing what your case looks like.

Did you make the ones for Wizard? I don't understand...or are you make yet another case?!

>>The engineer I'm building them with has some interesting ideas for other things to add to them but we don't see any reason to go to a different form factor for now as most of the changes will actually save some space!

Mine is just a simple case which encloses the Minimig completely with access to the ports. To cut costs I dropped the reset switch which is now a simple hole like on CD_ROMs.
I am waiting for the sales manager to come back to me about the price of an EMI coating then it should be ready to go into production.

The original would have had a price tag of about £75 but the engineer I saw last Wednesday told me that all the fancy stuff had to go to cut costs. I might get pre-orders since I will have to recover the prototype costs (hundreds of pounds) and get some cash for my next projects.

[TheDaddy]

>>Hah sorry for confusing you.

It's ok, I am often confused :-)

>>I meant that Wizards perspex sheets made a nice simple case for the first MiniMigs that I'm building up

How many have you got??!

>>and that I'd be interested in seeing you case design for future MiniMigs that we're planning.

Oh cool, keep me in mind for future Minimigs motherboards in need of a case, I am already sketching one for the Natami and one for the FPGAARCADE, let me know.

Thanks :-)

[TheDaddy]

@mikej

I think I have found you a name for it:

M.A.C.S

Multi Arcade (and) Computer System

Just let me know if you like it, I might use it on my next case design. :-D

[TheDaddy]

@mikej

>>"Does this new motherboard mean that it is going to be in direct competition with the Minimig and eventually kill it off?"

I was refering to the hardware, since I have made a case for it...

So how about M.A.C.S.?

Multi Arcade (and) Computer System
or
Multi Arcade (and) Classic Systems


 :-)

[TheDaddy]

>>So how about M.A.C.S.?

Multi Arcade (and) Computer System
or
Multi Arcade (and) Classic Systems
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Very nice... but you need to choose a name this isn't going to be easily confused with an existing computing platform...



I thought that was half the fun:-D
Stepping on Apple's toes  :-)

How about A.M.i.C.A = Advanced Multi Computer (and) Arcade

or

M.A.G.I.C = Multi Arcade GamIng Console/Computer

A.C.E. = Advanced Computing Emulation

 :-D

[TheDaddy]

>>I don't think you really want to step on their toes... really, you don't

Yeah why not...Jobs ain't that scary...

It can't be Retro Amiga Computing Emulation because it will emulate other stuff too.

Compromise:

M.E.C.A.T. = Multi Emulated Computer Arcade Technology
  :-D

[TheDaddy]

We got a name!

 :-)

Or have we? It gives the idea of something fast...

[TheDaddy]

>>Some really good suggestions. I think we want to stay away from certain fruit related products.

LOL! I have just spent an hour thinking about:

Banana Computers
Grapes Computers
Kiwi Computers

but I got a winner......PineApple Computers! :-)

>>I really wouldn't recommend even thinking of a case until the thing is manufactured, routing may cause minor placement changes.

But I will need dimensions and possibly a board to work on the case.

Uhm...still thinking about PineApple....pineapple computers...juicy pineapple... :lol: