What can I do with a brand new Amiga 2000? Any suggestions?

[alexh]

If it is BRAND NEW, boxed, with all the manuals, polystyrene inserts, disks etc.

FLOG IT!

Flog (sell) it to a collector or a museum. Spend some time researching exactly which model you have, revision motherboard etc. If you use ebay dont scrimp on your advert, use your own webhosting for extra large photographs, as many as you feel is good, show the seals if they are intact, serial number etc.

Once sold for 4x or 5x what you paid, use the proceeds to get any other Amiga (much higher spec with hard drive and accelerator) you like :-)

Can this thing be "modernized"? Can I make it useable for say web surfing/ basic image editing / email? I know it will never be a power house and replace my main system, but If I could set up a terminal to browse the web, check email, and so on without having to worry about virus's etc

It is not economically viable to upgrade an A2000 (or any Amiga for that matter) to the level you need to do what you ask. It would have to be a labour of love.

To begin with you would need a Phase5 Blizzard A2060 card to come close and they cost perhaps $400 USD and an Ethernet card which is perhaps another $150 + Graphics card $300

If you want to use it just for retrogaming you need to get just a SCSI card with memory upgrade. I would recommend a GVP Impact Series II HC8+ http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=1196

They are very common and so very cheap, 8Mbytes of 30-pin simms also very cheap and SCSI-1 hard drive again very cheap.

With a hard drive and more RAM your Amiga is 100% more useful. (But no where near Web-capable).

[alexh]

The A2000 is unfortunately the worst of the big box Amiga's ( others being A3000(T) & A4000(T) ).

It doesnt have Zorro III which imposes some limits on the resolutions and colour depth of any graphics card you might get.

It doesnt have inline video slot making it difficult / risky to get a graphics card with a scandoubler (needed for VGA monitors)

The 680x0 cards for A2000 are VERY rare and so very expensive even when compared to those for A3000/4000. The A2000 doesnt have a PowerPC accelerator.

A2000 doesnt have the AGA chipset. Not that important, but it does prevent you playing most of the latest (1992 onwards) Amiga games / demos.

If you are going spend over $200 you should consider switching to a different Amiga.

For $250 the best buy for an A2000 is a Blizzard 2040 accelerator which are about $200 when they come up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300008199719

This wont enable you to seriously web-browse as without a graphics card you wont be able to view anything above TV resolution.

[alexh]

If it is brand new and boxed (original Commodore box) with all packaging then you should be able to get enough money for a lower quality A4000@40 and then spend your $250 on a graphics card

Note: I edited previous email with more info including prices.

[alexh]

In the US, 680x0 accelerators for the A2000 are much more plentiful than the ZIII A3000/A4000 (though 68040/68060 and large fastram boards are perhaps rarer).

?? A3000/A4000 680x0 accelerators are CPU slot upgrades not ZIII.

For retro gaming stuff and even internet surfing, a 68030 will do and doesn't present the incompatibilities of a 68040/060.

I challenge you to have an "enjoyable" surf with an 030 and 0.5Mbyte chip RAM and 4Mbyte fast RAM (largest amount the common A2630 can have).

The lack of inline video slot is not a problem

You telling me you wouldnt "crap your pants" when you had to snap your brand new PicassoIV in half to make it fit? I know I would.

Care to rethink your A2000 bashing?

No :roll: