The Red One X vs x1000

[spirantho]

The X5000 will have much the same limitations as the X1000, so I'd go for the X1000 now. If you want the power to run classic Amiga games (including AGA) you need at least a 460ex and preferably an X1000, but it will be in UAE as modern Amigas don't contain the original chipset - there's nothing like a real 68K Amiga for classic games, and no emulation will ever beat it IMHO.... but if you also want to mess around with OS 4.1 then the X1000 is the current best, and you won't notice the lack of use of the second core much. You can use a PCI graphics card if you need 3D, the on-board sound works fine, and the X1000 comes usually with a supported network card.

The X1000 is the best bet for what you want - fast enough for AGA emulation and the current fastest OS 4.1 machine there is.

[spirantho]

I think it's worth reminding ourselves that the OP did specify he wanted to run OS4 and follow its development as well as play classic Amiga games, and the X1000 remains the best machine to do that.

My main use will be to have one system where I can put all of my classic amiga games into and fiddle with os4.1. I'm not going to get any true work done on this, so it's more of a hobbyist system to see where os4 goes.

[spirantho]

Sorry but for running 68k games and following Os4 development WinUAE PPC on a fast PC is a way better/cheaper. Maybe after releasing 3d drivers X1000 would be useful but now WinUAE provides similar support except speed.

You can't truly follow OS 4 development on WinUAE. For starters, WinUAE still has some bugs in it, and is likely to cause instability.
Secondly, WinUAE supports 128MB RAM max, which is very limited when you want to run things like Odyssey, let alone Timberwolf.
Then there's the composite support which is completely missing under WinUAE.
Then the fact that WinUAE's FPU emulation is incredibly slow.

WinUAE's emulation of a CS-PPC is not a good indication of OS4 and should only be seen as a small taste of what can be achieved.

[spirantho]

WinUAE is good to get a taster, but if you want to follow OS4's development progress, then you should get a machine that is fully supported by OS4.... otherwise most of the development you'll never see or appreciate.
If you just want to try OS4, though, WinUAE is the way to go - as long as you don't think it's the same experience as you'd get on a full machine like an X1000.

[spirantho]

AmigaOS 4 isn't PPC Linux. It's AmigaOS.

AmigaOS 4 runs most software which doesn't use the chipset, so games you'll need to run UAE for (which is part of AmigaOS 4 now, via RunInUAE) - but anything else runs. You can even run things like PC-Task if you're particularly crazy. Compatibility with AmigaOS 3.1 is very good on AmigaOS 4, and uses a JIT interpreter called "Petunia" which is very fast - much faster than you'd get on a real 68K Amiga.

Classic 68K Amigas are better than the NG Amigas only for games. Almost anything that uses the OS is better on an X1000, as it runs most OS 3 programs alongside OS 4 programs seamlessly.

Edit: Incidentally, if you have a Catweasel Mk4, you can install 68K Amiga games using WHDLoad exactly as you would under OS 3. Install the game (e.g. Gods or something), then double-click on the "Gods" icon and it'll start up UAE and boot Gods automatically. There's a little bit of setting up of the Catweasel drivers, but not much, and after that's done you can play your 68K games just by running them.

UAE will never be as good as a real 68K Amiga, but it's a pretty good emulation now and is integrated into OS4.

[spirantho]

OK, NEARLY anything else runs. . But the ones that don't I come across a lot less frequently than the ones that do.