Hardware recommendations for a new (to me) A1200

[giZmo350]

Well, nothing is really "cheap" in Amigaland... that said, for the best enjoyment experience and ease of use, just spring for some essential hardware.... if too expensive, you'll have too look around eBay. But, IMHO, after reading years of frustration in posts and going cheap ending up costing you just as much $$$ and a a LOT of wasted time, just go for these....

Accelerator........
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1296

But, IMO, just go for the good stuff here....
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1285

Scan Doubler.....
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=1148

USB......
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=1213

Internet.... for getting files the EASY way!
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=121

or.....
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=116

Really, that's all you need for hardware... trust me this is the easiest way to go....   although some will chime in with many other options. BTW, Indivision products just work.

Software..... gotta have.....

Internet....
http://www.ibrowse-dev.net/

Word processor.....
Final Writer

Games....
WHDLoad http://whdload.de/ game loader
http://www.whdownload.com/ where to get the games
http://www.lemonamiga.com/ check out thousands of games w/DL links

Unreal amount of software... use this, discover it, browse it, learn how to download from it.... it's awesome!
http://ftp://grandis.nu/

user: ftp
pass: any

Aminet.... http://aminet.net/

These will keep you busy for 6 months!

OK..... others will argue my advice till the cows fart the earth apart!!! :lol:

Oh, and install OS3.9 for the love of GEEEEEEEEBUZZZZ! Just get the real thing!!!! Me no likey the pre-packaged OS's.

Keeping it simple is what gives me the most enjoyment when installing hardware and software. And like nearly every Amiga head here... I've tried it all!!!

From there the sky's the limit for software.... audio, productivity, cheap external CD drive for USB, SH!T... too much to list..... :roflmao:

[giZmo350]

Dammit.  Gizmo beat me to it again.  With almost all of the exact same links I was about to post, lol. :lol:

:roflmao::rofl::roflmao::rofl::roflmao::rofl:

O&X's Mike!!!!!

[giZmo350]

Keep in mind.... the PCMCIA card MUST be a 16bit card!  
Also, AmigaKit's EasyNet Wireless is WPA2 compliant - ready to go.

Also forgot to mention.... this item is indispensable - works perfect for storage and LHA backups for both SYS and WORK partitions. Just add LHA to your ERD (Emergency Repair Disk) to restore backups.

EasyADF PCMCIA Compact Flash Transfer Kit

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=440

Very good "how to" by mfilos

http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=673448&postcount=2

[giZmo350]

I'm afraid the AmigaKit's EasyNet Wireless is NOT WPA2 compliant.
They are only WEP, WPA/TKIP capable. So, no WPA2/AES.

Wow Sir_Lucas... you're right... my bad. Geeezze AmigaKit! I do really like their EasyNet Wireless software though. The 16 bit card I use is a Netgear MA401 - I flashed it for WPA2 with my old Thinkpad 600 / Win98 machine as that laptop had a 16bit PCMCIA slot. I still have the files on that machine if needed.

AmigaStore.EU has WPA2 cards though.

http://amigastore.eu/en/571-pcmcia-wireless-card.html

[giZmo350]

Cool - thanks!

The problem is actually getting any of these files to the A1200 in the first place. I don't have another Amiga that's able to get out to the 'net so that leaves being able to write a 720K msdos floppy (?) and then the CrossDos commodity under 3.1 being able to read it or getting files over electronically. Dialup isn't gonna fly so that pretty much leaves a null-modem cable from a Windows machine and a comm program on each end.  I'm gonna check with some guys at the office tomorrow if there's a null-modem cable laying around in a dusty corner somewhere. If not... well, c'mon AmigaKit!

No user group in the area or no buddy with an Amiga to snarf up a couple of files to get this little exercise going again. It's not a show stopper but dambit I want to play with this beast.

Unless there's an option I haven't considered...?

I have an easy solution worked out for the chicken/egg syndrome. I start with WB3.1 then install the USB Trident software (you won't be able to get MUI on yet). There's a couple pieces of essential software that you have to install first from floppy too. Then I start up the Trident software with the CLI, then install MUI, then the rest is easy to get OS3.9 installed from an external CD drive. I gotta get my a$$ to work but I'll dig up the CLI commands when I get home.

[giZmo350]

I'm afraid they are not WPA2/AES as well. They are Thomson SpeedTouch 110, they've got a white connector just like Orinoco Gold and they only support WEP, WPA/TKIP too.
I've got this card.

Here's a guy having issues with this card as well:
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=71550

Your card, that is, Netgear is WPA2/AES once you've flashed it. It's got a black edge connector.
These Linksys cards also support WPA2/AES
http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?81221-25-x-WIFI-CARDS-LINKSYS-WPA2-AES-AMIGA-A600-A1200-PCMCIA-WIFI

Well no wonder peeps have so much trouble with these cards with their newer routers! My Netgear just worked straight away after I flashed it! The EasyNet software then just worked straight away. You're probably wondering how I got the EasyNet software while using a wireless card I got off eBay... I had previously bought AmigaKit's ethernet card with EasyNet - which also worked with my wireless card after I manually installed wireless.device from the disk.

But anyhoo, the best way to start is just get the USB adapter installed and fire up Trident under OS3.1... it's all downhill after that. You could always get the ethernet card in addition since this stuff is (relatively) inexpensive. LOL, told ya nothing was "cheap" in Miggyland! :lol: But, it's all good fun! Gotta go!

[giZmo350]

I did read about adding in HighGFX from Aminet and that lets me get the screen to use from top to bottom but I've got about 2"-3" black bars on the side of the screen. Since I'm apparently a greedy guy is there something I'm missing that'll let me use that screen real estate as well? The monitor I hooked up is a Viewsonic VS13239 (that is suppose to do 1920 x 1080) if that makes a difference.

Have you downloaded and installed the Indi AGA MK2CR tools?

Config/Flash tool V1.1beta and cores V2.6 - for use with all Indivision AGA MK2 models including MK2cr

Config tool version V1.5 - use together with cores V2.6.

http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/Indivision_AGA_MK2

And of course, lot's of tech-no-babble on EAB...

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=78685

Install tips on AmiBay... just in case.

http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?47415-Indivision-1200-AGA-MK2cr-Help-Required

And lots of Google results...

https://www.google.com/search?q=indivision+aga+mk2cr&btnG=Search&hl=en&gbv=1

These scan doubler config tools can be tricky but they can really help in setting up your screen.

Even if you don't use the config tool, I would advise checking to see if you have the latest FPGA core. A lot of times these don't come with the latest core.

Also, to fill the screen, you could try using the Overscan Tool in System Prefs.

Congrats on all your new toys!