When are AOS4 released?

[Ryu]

Have you guys read my article on OS4 on classics?

http://intuitionbase.com/static.php?section=en_OS4_Classics

Also rewatch the video.. it does show a beta version of JIT running Amplifier and a plug to show you the speed increase..

As for IDE performance.. same hardware same speed...

[cgutjahr]

@Jethro_Tull:

a) Are there any B-Vision drivers for OS4, if yes, are they PPC native or still 68k? Can you switch between AGA chipset and B-Vision from the OS, or better still, use both at the same time?

Yes, ppc native BVision drivers are available, switching to AGA is possible (works just like OS3 in that regard).

b) Does OS4 support the Paula chip

Yes.

c) How's the hard disk speed using the regular IDE adaptor?

As slow as ever. If there's a speedup, it's not really that big.

d) How responsive is the system in general use?

Extremely responsive ;-)

g) What are realistic memory requirements for OS4 on the classic Amiga?

96 or 128 MB. You *can* boot with 64 MB (I did that a few months ago), but there's really not much memory left afterwards. You may be able to gain a few MB by dropping parts of the eye candy, but probably not enough to run some bigger application.

Keep in mind that PPC code is nearly twice as big as 68k code, so even 96 MB is not all that much.

[Kronos]

@cgutjahr

Either your definition of "not much memory left" is quite different than mine or OS4 is a resource-eater compared to the competion.

MOS1.4 with JIT, and all standart eyecandy eats just 29MB out the 128 on my Peg1, and I can't remember ever running out of RAM on this baby (except when I tried to unarc big archives into RAM: offcourse :oops: ). And it was mainly used for developing.

Also note that PPC code maybe twice as big, the data your are handling is still the same size, and even the most advanced Amiga-apps will stay quite a way from having 20MB or so in exe-files :-P

64MB should leave you with ~30MB free, which should be enough for standard tasks.

[patrik]

@Jethro_Tull:

c) I would really recommend you to get a ppc card with scsi-controller as the ide-interface will give you a very nasty performance, holding the computer back severely, disregarding if you run OS4 or OS3.9.


/Patrik

[Jethro_Tull]

To All:
Thanks for your overwhelming response!  Very much appreciated!
Another question! (Aaargh!) how much would you expect to pay for a Blizzard PPC Card in good working condition. Seeing that this is the only card which is capable of running OS4, it would be silly going for anything else, wouldn't it?  

I've just enquired on Amibench and the prices were exorbitant!  The asking price for a 200MHz PPC 040-25MHz was 425 Euros, more then an AMD64 3000+, NForce Mainboard + 1Gb RAM!!  I know pricing in Amigaland is somewhat pecuiliar, but an old 200MHz board for 425 Euros is just crazy!!

@Patrik
So you're suggesting I should follow the SCSI route?  If so, seeing that most of the old PPC accelerators had SCSI anyway, where can I get hold of a SCSI hard disk?  I haven't seen any in ages!  Buying a second hand hard disk is definitly not a good idea in my books, so much that can go wrong!

Would adding a FastIDE or similar product be worth it?  Or is it simply a major expense for a marginal improvement?

Thanks to All, Cheerio!
Jethro tull

[x56h34]

@Jethro_Tull:

I just sold an 040/200Mhz BPPC card on eBay for $281USD.
That Amibench quote that they gave you sounds like a bit too much. Perhaps if the card was an 060/240Mhz/SCSI, the price would have been more realistic.

[bloodline]

I've just enquired on Amibench and the prices were exorbitant! The asking price for a 200MHz PPC 040-25MHz was 425 Euros, more then an AMD64 3000+, NForce Mainboard + 1Gb RAM!! I know pricing in Amigaland is somewhat pecuiliar, but an old 200MHz board for 425 Euros is just crazy!!
 

Get the Athlon64!! Oops, sorry wrong thread :-D

[Mr_Capehill]

@Jethro:

Sounds like expensive. Better save money for micro-A1 if you want to run AmigaOS 4.

[Mr_Capehill]

@Kronos: I have used 29-30 MB after booting to WB so I guess the resource requirements for AOS4/MOS are about the same.

[itix]

Keep in mind that PPC code is nearly twice as big as 68k code, so even 96 MB is not all that much.

It is not PPC code really that takes up all RAM. It is data.

MMU tables, 32bit gfx, 16bit sound, JIT buffers... 50MB has disappeared faster than you can say "cat".

[patrik]

@Jethro_Tull:

You could buy one on ebay for a little amount of money. Don't worry too much if SCSI-disk is a few years old, they are built to last much longer than regular drives they have plus they have usually been run in a server at continiously low temperatures.

For a cheap and ok drive, I would recommend an IBM Ultrastar 36LP at 10GB. It is more than fast enough for the BlizzPPC SCSI-interface (30MB/Sec with my CSPPC and 6.8ms avg seek) and doesn't sound very much. You can find such drives on ebay for around 20EUR. Though this is just an example, there are plenty of other good drives. Also make sure you get adequate SCSI cabling and termination.

If you can have SCSI instead, I wouldn't bother with the FastATA option as is doesn't use DMA transfers to/from memory.

There is also the solution with an IDE<->SCSI bridge produced by Acard which will allow you to use a regular IDE-drive on the SCSI-chain.


/Patrik

[lavo]

x56h34 wrote:
@Jethro_Tull:

I just sold an 040/200Mhz BPPC card on eBay for $281USD.
That Amibench quote that they gave you sounds like a bit too much. Perhaps if the card was an 060/240Mhz/SCSI, the price would have been more realistic.

Do you still have the other one for sale?  I replied to your email weeks ago but never got a reply back.  From memory, I actually offered more than what the accelerator actually went for on ebay.  That's got to be a first!

[x56h34]

Are you the guy that offered $300CDN? That's $245USD. :-) I've still got the other one, but I'll most likely list it on eBay sometime soon.

[lavo]

x56h34 wrote:
Are you the guy that offered $300CDN? That's $245USD. :-) I've still got the other one, but I'll most likely list it on eBay sometime soon.

Yep, that was me, but I did send through another email saying I had more cash to offer.  I guess by that time you had already listed on ebay :-)  Oh well, I'm sure others will pop along.

[EntilZha]

Yes, of course it is very professional of you as a representative of Hyperion, to slam a bitter rival on a totally unneccesary level?

As professional as Nate Downes commenting on their rival on last year's wired vaporware list ?

Sorry, the door swings both ways... take care not to let it hit your nose...

Besides, do we have to reapeat each and every time that we are not talking for Hyperion ? Guess you "missed" that little point, right ?

[Rogue]

Did I ever say that ACK would be lying ?

Your posting seems to imply that.

I didn't comment on the thread you linked to for a simple reason, the info on the "Peg3" where just as thin as they were on the Peg2 a year earlier, which contrary to many doubts turned out to be real....

Then, why comment on this one?