dilemma

[amiga_3k]

If it's a base A2000 you own, both the 4000 and 1200 are a big step forward.

It's not the 'extras' you should worry about too much: CD-drives, harddisks and the other industry-standard parts can be picked up rather cheap, both used and new.

What matters is what you're planning to do. I'd suggest you take a piece of paper, write down whatever you like to use on the machine in the near future and then look at the availability and pricing of add-ons. Think about PCI-bus-boards, ZORRO expansions... the lot.

Keep in mind that the A4000 has been targeted to the serious user, but for the 1200 far more expansions seem to be available.

If the 1200 comes with a zorro-expansion board I'd go for that.

[amiga_3k]

@Akiko:

He could also go for the A1200, get a dirt-cheap A1200 accelerator board for it and start playing. When he arrives at a point where he wants more, he still can get the Mediator PCI expansion for the A1200.

@Amazing:
Keep in mind that certain Amiga ZORRO expansions are near impossible to get hold of these days. Most noteable are the GFX cards for ZORRO Amigas. I've seen on eBay that it seems easier to get hold of an Blizzard PPC accelerator and Blizzard Vision (both intended only for use with Amiga 1200s) then to get a Cyberstorm PPC with Cybervision or Picasso IV (intended for use in Big-box Amigas like A3000 and A4000). My feeling says that for the most Amiga users an A1200 with Blizzard PPC and BlizzardVision is enough to get a lot of fun with. If you're lucky (please, I need some extra backing on this from other Amiga.org members) the PCMCIA slot of the A1200 still functions with the Blizzard PPC enabling you to use a rather cheap ethernet solution.

With the A1200 in a tower, adding CD-Drive and HD-Drives bigger then 2.5" should be no problem.