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[amiga_3k]

To get even more information on the machine you can use ShowConfig, it should be on your system. As I always keep forgetting where it is I normally start it using the AmigaShell  (Press right Amiga and the E key together, a window opens where you can run a command, type NewShell, a new AmigaShell should open, from that AmigaShell type ShowConfig and enter... and you get all the info about the Amiga it can find).

[amiga_3k]

Normally, 1.3 GB should be enough to keep you busy the next couple of months. Remember that most Amiga games don't eat-up more space than 2 to 3 MB. There are a few that consume a little more, there are a lot that consume less.

Make sure the CD-ROM is working before getting any additional hardware to connect it to the 1200. If it's not working you might be cheaper to find a solution to hook up a bog-standard IDE CD-Drive.

Saving usefull software can still be done on floppies (yikes). You might investigate a Sernet solution to load the data off on your PC (assuming you've got one, a Mac should do as well too). There seems to be a flash-card reader/writer solution for A600/A1200 these days, but I'm not too sure what that's capable of.

[amiga_3k]

Sorry, lost track of this thread a little bit.

The A1200 has an internal IDE controller, the connectors of it are for direct connection to 2.5" IDE devices, the kind you'd normally find in laptops.

It is possible to connect 3.5"/5.25" IDE devices, the kind found in desktops and towers, to it as well, you'd only need an adapter cable (judging from the size of your internal Harddrive chances are you already have 3.5" harddrive and adaptercable to match).

Now, to test the CD-drive you've got, you'll have to find out if it's SCSI-flavour or IDE-flavour. The IDE ones normally are rather easy to identify due to the jumpers for selecting SL (Slave) MA (Master) or CS (CableSelect). The SCSI ones are not too dificult as they should have some jumpers for setting the SCSI adress (and sometimes it's even spelled out on the label ;-)). If it is SCSI you need access to a SCSI controller, if it is IDE you can easily hook it to a PC to check it.

If you've got a SCSI version you'd need a SCSI-controller, which are (hardly) available for PCMCIA-slots. Note that I vaguely remember that those controllers tend to get useless with certain accelerators, so if you're planning on getting an accelerator it's a nice option to no pick-up.

I'd put my money on getting an IDE CD-drive. The biggest dare would be hacking it into your A1200's case (near impossible) or do some nice DIY where you create an external IDE solution. (or you could do the same I did when I was still a student, runnning an A3000 and just route the ribbon-cable and powercable out of the case and leave the drive exposed to the environment).

[amiga_3k]

Its been a while since I've hooked an Amiga to a PC so I can't remember the details. However, if you have a look at Aminet you'll find a few solutions to hook your Amiga to a PC using a null-modem-cable (best way is to bake one yourself or get one that's pre-manufactured specially for Amiga to PC, a null-modem-cable made for PCs can cause serious damage) and Sernet. It's slow, but effective. If you've got a legal copy of Amiga-Forever it comes with AmigaExplorer which makes it easier to browse-around on your Amiga harddrive. It also states how the fysical connection should take place.

[amiga_3k]

Mostly internal Amiga A1200 harddrives are IDE versions. For SCSI a controller is needed, but that one should also show-up in your ShowConfig result, and it didn't.

As to SCART or other ways to connect the A1200 to mothern display devices I'm in the middle of the same process, only my Amiga to hook up is the A4000T.

Best results for native Amiga signals without FlickerFixing/ScanDoubling are established using an RGB to SCART cable (not too expensive at eBay, forget building one of your own as the 23 pin RGB connectors are next to impossible to fine (AmigaKit won't agree on that I assume ;-)). Now I guess an LCD-TV with SCART connector should happily show the Amiga's RGB output. Now, there's another way of connecting the A1200, and that's using the A1200's composite connector. The image is less clear, less sharp but does a reasonable job for game-playing. Now, again, I don't know from experience what this does on an LCD-TV but it could be a way of connecting as well.

There are some boxes for sale aimed for use with Gamecubes, XBoxes and Playstations to hook them to bog-standard VGA monitors. These act as scandoublers and could be of help as well. While the image is not as crisp as from a dedicated Amiga FlickerFixer/ScanDoubler they are not over expensive.

On the A1084, I'm not sure why you're calling it 'Dying' but sometimes contact-cleaner on the connectors and [sh*t, forgot the english translation for pot-meter] ... 'resistors that change impendance depending on the position of a turning knob' improve quality dramatically. Sometimes re-soldering the connector for the RGB cable is needed.

[amiga_3k]

Ah, that's an easy one... ;-)

For one reason or another the IDE device on A1200s and A4000s is called scsi.device. Normally if the development of the A3000 followed the route of evolution the A1200 and A4000 should have come with SCSI controllers. But as the devices for SCSI are more expensive than for IDE late in the development process of both systems the SCSI has been dropped and replaced by IDE. In a rush to get the machines on the market (or trouble on the cash-flow of Commodore) Commodore decided to not change the name of the device. So, the A1200 / A4000D IDE controller is named SCSI. :-)