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Offline lauri.lotvonen

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Re: New member and new Amiga 1200!
« on: June 24, 2010, 11:21:02 AM »
Quote from: Quaxo76;566908
Hello all,
I'm a new member here so I'll spend a couple of lines to introduce myself...
My first computer was a Commodore 16 back when just about everybody had a C64 (but it was a gift, I didn't choose it) so I just envied my friends, but eventually got to love the little C16. Then after a few years I found an used Amiga 1000 which I used intensively and extensively for many years, until my father demanded the desk space back for his new PC. Since then (1995? more or less) my Amiga has been stored. But I never forgot the days (years actually) spent playing those wonderful games. I have tried several emulators, and they're ok, but they lack something. The feeling of using the real thing.
Now I'm married and have a home of my own, and I would like to set up an Amiga again; but my wife wouldn't understand the need to set aside much space for another "old garbage geeky gadget" as she would probably call it. So I want to setup an Amiga 1200, which I plan to sort of "hide" below my main PC.
I bought (and am awaiting) an Amiga 1200 with external 850MB HD, and Blizzard 1230/50 accelerator card with 64MB of memory. I paid 180 Euro, I think it's a bit much, but it looked nice.
Then, as I want to be able to use my PC's monitor, I also ordered an Indivision AGA scan doubler, the internal one. That cost me a lot, too! But I couldn't do without it.
Ideally the Amiga will have to reside in a sort of a cupboard that's below my PC; and I'll buy a VGA switcher (a KVM switcher actually) so that I can use the monitor with either computer.
Now here come my questions.
- I would like to be able to use one mouse for both computers. I've found a USB-Amiga mouse adaptor, at this link:
http://cgi.ebay.it/AMIGA-ADAPTER-CONNECT-USB-MOUSE-TO-YOUR-AMIGA-/330437708740?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item4cef9f4bc4
It's expensive, but do you think it would work? That way I could switch monitor and mouse from the PC to the amiga at the press of a button.
- I would also like to find a "splitter" so that I can connect both the mouse and a joystick on the same port, so that I don't have to fiddle with connectors to play games. Does anyone know if/how this is possible?
- I'd like to buy one of those CF-based HD replacements. I've seen a few with a 4GB CF, loaded with software. That looks much more convenient than using my floppies (I have literally hundreds of them, and if I can keep them out of the wife's sight, it's better). What are your experiences, do they work well? Can I expect to play all my old A1000 games if I use WHDload?

Now an unrelated (sort of) question. My old Amiga 1000 is still operative, but in its last months before I stopped using it, its floppy drive broke. I had no money to have it fixed, so I cannibalized my external floppy and installed it internally. But the eject button is in a different place, so I couldn't put the original plastic front back in. Now my Amiga looks really ugly without its front panel.
I've found some A500 floppy drives but they have the same problem. Does anyone know where I could find a proper A1000 floppy replacement, without spending a fortune? Even though it's being stored for now, I'd like to restore my very first Amiga to its original state...

Thank you in advance for any reply!
Cristian

Hi and welcome to A.org!

I think that your A1200 was a bargain, as I paid well over 800 € for my A1200 setup, not including the LCD monitor that costed  me 200€ :angry:...

For the joystick/mouse switcher :
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=52&products_id=961 . Works like a charm.

Those WHDload games you asked about, they should run fine. Actually  even any AGA game should have no problems with that much RAM installed on your Blizzard 1230.

I, and many here have a CF-HD setup. Also works quietly and reliably.
I recently installed a 8GB card, and filled  it with WHDload game packs, thats over 2000 games :).

You should ask the seller if he/she knows about the mouse adapter compatibility with the KVM switcher.  
BTW, If you get the KVM switcher operational let me know! I would love to use my 24" screen with my laptop and A1200.

/Lauri
A1200, Blizzard 1260 + 64mb, Indivision AGA, Subway USB, 8GB CF-HD, PCMCIA network card, OS 3.9.
And a couple of A600\'s :).