Yet Another Retro Amiga Hello from Chicago!

[Beast96GT]

Hello!  I used to own an A500 back in the day--great little box.  I sold it in college like an idiot, but I needed the money.  Anyway, I just bought an A2500 with a toaster that will hopefully be here in a week or so (picking it up in Dallas).  I really don't know whats in the box, but I thought I'd take a chance for $66:

ebay

It was sold by a iSold it, so who knows what's in it.  I do have a few questions if someone can help:

1.  What should (can) I update the ROM to?  3.1?  
2.  Does anyone recognize what the cards in the slots are?
3.  Is there anything Amiga-wise still going on in Chicago?
4.  What do I need to watch out for on this thing since I'm buying something with questionable history?  

If everything works, I'd like to add the Denub USB card and try and get some kind of network going.

If nothing works, I guess I'm out $66 and I'll look some more... but I figured I couldn't pass it up.  

Currently, I do game programming (PC/Consoles) for a living,  and wondered if it's efficient to write anything for the Amiga using C/C++?  I don't know any M68K, and only a little x86.  Most everything I do is in C++.    

Thanks for reading this and see on the forums!  

Chris

[Beast96GT]

Wow, what a wealth of info!  You guys are great, especially Plaz, you ROCK. (the sound card spot was nice!)  

Maybe it's something about reminiscing on old times, but I swear I'm like a kid in a candy store in wanting to get my hands on this 20 year old machine.  Of course I have to remember this is an "Amiga grab bag" of sorts--I have little clue what condition this setup is going to be in (the slight rust on the ports has me a bit worried).  I still can't wait.

As a side note:  I'm thinking the lack of bidding on the auction surely had to do with the local pickup requirement.  It's funny I just moved up to Chicago from Dallas when I saw this, so I called my cousin to pick it up for me.  I'm sure shipping is going to be high...  BTW:  Why would anyone need an old Paintjet?  Are compatible printers that hard to come by?

I'm not worried about doing anything with the toaster, really.  I like having it, but I'm a damn programmer.  

This is turning into a long post, sorry!    

/me waves back to ZeBeeDee!  I've been to the UK, though it was 18 years ago--in fact, I visited a fellow Amiga junkie in Cardiff.  Beautiful country!

Rabbi:  I'd be very interested, bro.  I have a co-worker who drives in from Skokie.  I'm in Hoffman, not that far away.

Like I said:  kid in a damn candy store.  

[Beast96GT]

@Rabbi

Keep us in the loop, too, man.  Let me know how I can help.  

Chris