Thoughts on Pegasos

[motorollin]

Hi all. Everything is all set up on my PegII now, and I thought I'd share my opinions after being unsure whether I wanted to invest in this system.

My System
PegII 1GHz G4
512MB RAM
ATI Radeon AIW 128
Stuffed in an AOpen G325

The Hardware
The PegII motherboard seems really well made. Alright so you pay for quality, even so I was very pleased with the quality of the board. The replacement backplate fitted perfectly in the back of the case I bought, and the board conforms to Micro-ATX form factor so fitted perfectly in the case. Incidentally, I absolutely love the case. I gather it's the kind of case people either love or hate. It cost me quite a bit to import it (couldn't find the colour I wanted in the UK). I'll post some pics when it's all tidy.

MorphOS/Ambient
I had a lot of problems initially getting MorphOS to boot. The bootloader would just hang. I eventually tracked it down to a dodgy CD-ROM. So not really a problem with MorphOS itself - though a warning would have been nice. Even so, once the CD is booted, installing MorphOS to hard drive is easy. I was relieved to find that my Radeon was detected automatically, as was the rest of the hardware in my system. I had problems getting 1024x768 working, but I think that's down to a slightly weird screen rather than a problem with MorphOS.

The underlying OS is just like AmigaDOS. The folder structure is identical, as is the syntax for the commands. Ambient is so much like Workbench that it's easy to forget you're not (technically) using an Amiga.

The Ambient interface is very much like Workbench. It is similar enough to be familiar, but a few things don't work quite the same way as they do in Workbench. Themes are supported by Ambient and I have a nice OS4 theme, which adds to the Amiga-esque feel.

MorphOS doesn't come with a TCP/IP stack which I did think was a little strange. I found MOSNet on Aminet which is very easy to get working. Within about 5 minutes I was connected to my network.

I found MUI a bit confusing to start with, as some installers assume you are using classic MUI and bork if it's not there (e.g. iBrowse). This is fixed by installing MUI4 Alpha. I think this should really be included with MorphOS.

The Software
I have UAE set up very nicely. I copied all of my WHDLoad installed games over, and made a script for each one which does the following:

1. Creates an assign to the game's location
2. Echoes "whdload game:.slave" in to my UAE's S:Startup-Sequence
3. Runs UAE in a window

So when you double click the icon, the game just starts, no mucking about with different config files or anything. This feels just like starting a WHDLoad game on a real Amiga. The games play very well. I can't tell any difference in speed with a real Amiga.

I have downloaded native MorphOS ports of Quake and Quake II. These run at full speed, full screen, 1024x768x24, with no lost frames. Impressive. I also bought Wipeout 2097 from Amigakit, which is excellent.

The 68k versions of iBrowse and SimpleMail run nicely - faster than my A1200! Clearly the 68k emulation is very tight. Even so I look forward to native versions.

Summary
This is probably my longest post ever on a.org! I am so pleased with my Pegasos. It feels like an Amiga. It performs quickly and smoothly. It plays my classic games very well. It also plays newer games well. I'm looking forward to investing in some applications and music software.

When I'm using this system, I feel how I always thought I would feel using a "new age" Amiga. I am no longer waiting for the AmigaOne. The PegII is IMO as much an Amiga as my A1200.

--
moto

--EDIT
Various mistakes :-)

--EDIT
Added to software section

[humppa]

Thanks for sharing your opinions on the Pegasos 2. Interesting read!  :-)

[Flashlab]

Seems cool!

I don't need a new computer ATM. So I'll wait and maybe a cool OS4 machine will surface so that I have a choice!

Also I must say that since Apple switched to x86 I'm tempted to buy a Mac Mini as soon as one can be used as full Media Centre with TV Tuner and bootcamp option to use (yes) Windows.

[motorollin]

@Flashlab
Well, I didn't _need_ it :-)

I stopped holding my breath for an OS4 machine a little while ago (I nearly suffocated...) Funnily enough, I always thought the Pegasos machines and MorphOS were second fiddle to AmigaOne/OS4. Now I see it the other way round :roll:

My main machine is my MacBook, which is fantastic. Though Windows ain't getting close to it  :flame:

--
moto

[Flashlab]

Hehe I understand you're feelings about OS4 and the *endless* crap about it...

I never used MOS nor OS4; they both look nice. So I'm not trolling for either. I just want to see both of them in action before I start spending. Also some futureproof commitment would be nice;-)

I'd really like a Mac Mini as a Tivo like system. Wireless and all with remote. That would be cool. That's exactly what I think Amiga should have been in the first place...

I'm using Windows as I find it OK these days. WinXP isn't really that bad. Also cheap hardware and lots of software. I used it extensively for my studies (Maya, Photoshop, SolidWorks etc). All software that's easy to find for Windows, needs fast hardware and I got trained in at my university.

Problem is though that no other computer system makes me enjoy computing as much as my "lowly" miggy... Even booting is fun;-)

[amiga_3k]

@moto:
The info on the Peg is very interesting. It would be nice to see a weekly update on how it grows on you. I guess it wouldn't take to long for you to try MacOS X on it ;-)

@Flashlab:
I think you won't regret getting a MacMini, even if its running on Intel nowadays. In our living at the moment two systems are dominating: An iMac G3/333 running OS X and a Mac 9600/300 on OS9. (don't worry: there are three things needed for an Amiga to be added:

1) The desk needs expansion to accommodate 3 systems.
2) The A4000T needs to return to its home (halfway October :-))
3) I need a bridgeboard for the A4000T (at very low cost)

I really hope some hardware capable of running OS4 will appear and while the Macs continue functioning the money reserved is safe. But... if one of the machines fail before new hardware becomes available I serious think that the money will be moved into Apple's direction for a MacMini or into HP's direction for a slimline Pavilion with AMD/ATI (and a way to install OSX on it ;-)). Or, if Moto gets to test it, a Pegasos with OSX for the tasks not covered by Morphos.

Hmm... half a bottle of wine makes it hard to type things that make sense.

[motorollin]

I'll update this thread as I discover new and exciting things about MorphOS :-) I do want to try MacOS X, but sadly no longer have a PPC version since I sold my iBook. The only version I have is the Intel version from my MacBook.

One thing I will say about the Mac Mini as a media center is that Frontrow isn't up to the job, and while EyeTV is pretty good, it doesn't come close to Windows XP Media Center. Sorry to have to endorse an MS product, but XPMCE really is very good. Sorry but I couldn't recommend a Mac as a media center until the software catches up with MCE.

--
moto

[Colin_Camper]

Thanks, nice review!

It is all the better coming from a Newbie to MOS and Peg - I don't like to post 'stupid' questions on Morphzone because I sometimes get the feeling that they are waiting to jump on a Newbie!

Maybe you could post a follow up. I am interested in the CLI and also a 'hello.world' walk thru for c++ and maybe a review of Freepascal on MOS!

THanks again!  :-)

[Flashlab]

That's what I read about using a Mac Mini too. So no new computers for me ATM. When some cool OS4 hardware or Mac Mini with Tivo/PVR ability out of the box a la XP Media Centre appears I'll reconsider.

[Wilse]

@motorolin:

Congratulations. Glad you like your Peg - lovely wee machines.

[Legerdemain]

I have downloaded native MorphOS ports of Quake and Quake II. These run at full speed, full screen, 1024x768x24, with no lost frames. Impressive. I also bought Wipeout 2097 from Amigakit, which is excellent.

I'm really curious if there is any way of enabling VSync? Because, in my humble opinion, a stable 85FPS, if running in 85Hz, is way much more pleasant than 327FPS when running in 85Hz (you can't really get more perfect screen updates than when using VSync since you wont have to do with 1/4 update or 1/2 update of the screen at times which makes way for a very 'flickery' visual experience).

I have always been bothered that it does seem like classic AOS GFX-drivers lacks support (or simply doesn't make use of) VSync, ever, since it is almost impossible to have things scrolling nicely if VSync isn't enabled...

[Piru]

@Legerdemain

I'm really curious if there is any way of enabling VSync?

VSync is default in MorphOS tinygl.


To (temporarily) disable VSync you need to set environment variable:

Code: [Select]

1.> setenv TGLSYNC 0

And then flush the tinygl.library (if loaded):

Code: [Select]

1.> flushlib tinygl.library

If you want to have no VSync permanently:

Code: [Select]

1.> setenv SAVE TGLSYNC 0

Regarding Classic AOS CyberGraphX: CGX has "VSync" for all well behaving apps (double/triplebuffering using screenbuffers). I have no clue whether W3D has such concept, or if it depends on the app using W3D.

[Legerdemain]

@Piru

Aha, thanks for the information! I didn't have a clue about CGX (I have only been toying around with P96 due to my Mediator solution).

Double/triplebuffering... does that count as VSync, or am I getting a bit offf track here (looking at your answer concerning CGX)? See, I am getting a bit confused since I, on the PC side, often have come across video settings applications which have offered both 'buffering: double/triple' and 'vsync' as separate options.

[Piru]

Double/triplebuffering... does that count as VSync, or am I getting a bit offf track here (looking at your answer concerning CGX)?

It doesn't necessarily count as VSync, but the intuition/graphics screenbuffering offers nice OS-friendly way to have it. It depends on the way you use the buffering, it offers the facility for VSync, but can also be used without.

See, I am getting a bit confused since I, on the PC side, often have come across video settings applications which have offered both 'buffering: double/triple' and 'vsync' as separate options.

Those two are separate, but AOS doesn't offer compatible VSync without screenbuffer buffering (at least not compatible with all native graphics, CGX and P96).

[ferrellsl]

I decided today to go ahead and buy a complete PEG II system.   It's a bit pricey when compared to Intel boxes but the cost is in line with Apple systems that still use a 1 GHz G4 processor.  See:  https://www.pegasosppc.com/special_odw.php?partner=morphos

I'm just tired of waiting and even more tired of all the broken promises and missed deadlines.  The businesses who say they are designing new hardware for OS4 deserve to go out of business.  I can't imagine them making a profit based on their business models, their work ethics or just ethics in general.  It's appalling to promise a product by a certain date, only to miss those target dates without even an apology or explanation.  And even worse to offer excuses.  Buyers want results.  Most of the the proposed hardware out there for the upcoming OS4 release appears at best to be vaporware or "hope ware" and at worst, a hoax.  If any of these vaporware companies actually do succeed in producing OS4 hardware, I can only imagine how bad their customer support will be based on how well they treat their future customers now.

PEG II boards have been out there for some time now and although they are not bleeding edge technology, they are more advanced than anything else out there that runs Amiga apps without emulation.  If Genesi can do it, then why can't these other companies?  Just a thought.....