Amiga 3000 or Upgraded Amiga 1200 (ECS vs AGA) --- Which should I use for daily use?

[Invisix]

Greetings!

Well, it's certainly been awhile since I have been here; 1+ years I do believe. Last year I updated my Amiga 1200 to a full blown towered system; D-Box 1200, Mediator, Fast-ATA, Blizzard 1260 (beta card? --- it doesn't run any '060 softwares too well and gets uber hot... and yes it definately IS a Blizzard 1260), and I forget what else I upgraded in it.  :lol:

Anyways, a few months ago I obtained an Amiga 3000 at a local thrift shop for only $3 USD! I never used it, never tested it, I tried it today and it worked, it also has a PC Bridge card in it (25Mhz 386sx maxed out ram and even an FPU) -- not bad for $3 USD eh?

I know there is alot of fanboyism when it comes to ECS vs. AGA but I want a truthful and honest answer; I already know AGA Is slower due to lack of chuncky mode.

I *was* using 256-color for my WB but now use 32-color since it seems faster. However AGA 256-color games and scene demos run quite well.

Anyway, I am looking to use a classic "upgraded" amiga for everyday use; internet, music, and games... I am really trying to pull out of the PC realm, I have modern day consoles to get my modern day gaming on, so I really don't need a PC.

My question is what should I do? I've pumped hundred of $USD into my Amiga 1200 to get it upgraded; the only thing I need is a PPC accelerator!

What should I do??? Use my upgraded Amiga 1200 as the everyday use computer, or eventually also upgrade the Amiga 3000 to more "modern" day standards and use it for everyday use? I am/was thinking of just using my Amiga 3000 as a "gaming" system for games that won't run on the A1200; I *could* reverse that though... upgrade (towerize) the A3000 and only use the A1200 for AGA games & scene demos.

I don't want this thread to turn into a debate (ABSOLUTELY NO FANBOYISM); I just want honest answer(s) to know which Amiga is more suitable for everyday use... internet, music, and games.

Thanks in advance. :-D

[Damion]

My opinion...

If I was going to construct another "fully stacked" amiga, I would definitely do it with an A3000... everything in the original case. (BTW, for $3 you absolutely scored. The A3k is a *really* nice machine.)

Keep the A1200 in its desktop case + B1260, and use it for AGA demos... then you have the best of both. :-)

About your Blizzard -- certain mask revisions of the 060 do run a little warmer than others. Mine did, though it was still fine at 66 MHz with a little 486 cooler + fan.

[Invisix]

Thanks for your input -D-... however as I stated my Amiga 1200 is already towered in a D-Box 1200 tower; i've spent hundreds of $USD upgrading it. Upgraded it about a year or so ago: my A1200 specs are in my sig.

Next! :-D

[countzero]

if I were you, I'ld get a blizzPPC and keep A3000 as it is. You can't possibly upgrade the A3000 too much without towerising it (a cyberstorm PPC won't fit in the original case) and it will be a hell of a hassle to tower it and you'll end up with a gigantic tower which can't run AGA stuff. Better stick to your 1200T or tower an A4000 if you want to spend more buckets of $ on your amigas. Besides 3000's original case is the sexiest among the amiga line, it would be a waste to put it in an ugly tower.

[amigakid]

Dude $3.00?? that rocks I wish I could make a score like that.  I would keep the A3k as is with the exception of upgrading the RAM and and maybe a bigger HDD and faster processor if you can get it at a descent price.  I'd get a PPC for the towered A1200 and use that.  Cheers!!!

[Vulture]

just my 2 cents:

I think your original idea of using the a1200 in pc's place and a3000 for games that won't run on a1200 is the best. I'd modify it a bit by putting a big HD in a3000 and use this as the main gaming machine except of aga specifics and keep a1200 for everyday general use.

[McVenco]

I agree with Vulture: just expand the A1200 with a PPC card to get every possible modern bit out of it, and leave the A3000 as it is, with a big harddisk and WHDLoad for the games. Since it's got the onboard SD/FF you don't need any expansions to play those games on a modern monitor.

I'm planning to do the same kind of thing myself, but with an A4000 instead of an A1200...

[starf81]

I had the same doubt... the A3000 is a GREAT machine but it doesn't offer AGA so you can't run all games.

In the end this has been my choice:

- A3000 + OS 3.9 (060/50, 128MB, CV64 4MB, Toccata, Ariadne, MP3@64, CD-R, ZIP...) for a definitive Amiga Classic experience. I can do everything with it!

- A1200 + OS3.1 (030/50 + SCSI, 32MB) just for WHDLoad, demos and gaming

In my opinion, except for the lack of AGA, the A3000 is the best Amiga ever built... but the A1200 in its original case is amazing for gaming. I consider it the definitive Amiga game station :-)

In short, you have to use both :-D
Alex

[derringer3]

My cent is on a1200T. You can upgrade both to ppc and so on, but you will missed AGA games/demos if you choose a3k. In my Bppc with whdload the 99% of the old games/demos run correctly. Of course the best solution will be a4k...

[Damion]

I dunno guys... an A3000 desktop with a Cyberstorm 060 + gfx board would be a pretty sweet amiga...

[motorollin]

Sell them both and get an A4000. You get the benefits of having everything inside the original case, you can expand it just as much as the A1200 with Zorro cards to replace the Mediator and a Cyberstorm (PPC if you want), or even get a Mediator 4000Di and put PCI cards in your A4000. You also have AGA for all the games you want to play. So I really think the A4000 offers the best experience.

--
moto

[Chain]

dont sell it, you will be missing builtin scandoubler for sure  8-)

[Argus]

Throw a 68040/060 w/ some fast ram and a graphics card in the A3000.  Sell the bridgeboard and put an ethernet card in it for high speed and away you go.

[Speelgoedmannetje]

-D- wrote:
I dunno guys... an A3000 desktop with a Cyberstorm 060 + gfx board would be a pretty sweet amiga...

Can't play AGA games on it, though...

[McVenco]

Can't play AGA games on it, though...

That ain't so bad. Just install those few AGA games on the A4000 with WHDLoad. The majority of the games is OCS/ECS anyway (personally, the only AGA game that I play more than once a year is Slamtilt)