Minimig released for real!

[alexh]

It's not an nano-ITX compatible form factor.

Just live with the persepex cover

[A6000]

I expect some joker will install a minimig in the largest atx tower he can find.

[straycat]

Surely there's a case lined up for this (or at least a recommendation to come from ACube what case to use)?

Seems to me like good marketing to have a case around a computer (or am I barking up the wrong tree?).

[alexh]

Barking up the wrong tree me thinks. Tooling cost to make custom cases, even moulded plastic ones are very high.

It's not two bad as a perspex sandwich is it?

http://eab.abime.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=15116&d=1193440340
http://eab.abime.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=15117&d=1193440350
http://eab.abime.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=15118&d=1193440414

If you want to put MiniMig in a case, illuwatar (?) is doing a different MiniMig PCB with headers instead of connectors.

http://www.illuwatar.se/project_pages/mini-minimig/mini-minimig.htm

[straycat]

I think the perspex case looks pretty nice and lets you see the 'workings'...

Will the board come with the perspex case? If not will it be available from ACube?

Also doesn't the exposed sides leave the machine open to dust, liquid spills etc or am I just sounding like a 'soft end-user'?!

[Krusher]

I think Acube should clarify the Minimig is not a finished computer and cannot run out of the box. The amount of information on their website is too little and confusing to end-users (just look at the questions at this thread alone, all those questions have been answered before, but the information is scattered all around the 'net and in some part, outdated.

[straycat]

Krusher wrote:
I think Acube should clarify the Minimig is not a finished computer and cannot run out of the box.

I suppose what I'm getting at is if you wanted to build an A1200 tower you could source a D-Box from Amigakit.com for example. There doesn't seem to be an similar thing for the Minimig yet. I can screw a motherboard into a case, find a spare keyboard and mouse but building custom cases is not really my thing. Perhaps it's just early days and someone will make something. Perhaps ACube reckon on the glass sandwich effect? Still like the look of the Minimig though, looking forward to some reviews!

[Krusher]

Thing is, the Minimig has it's own formfactor, you'd have to build a case from scratch. And you raise a point about the sandwhich case, dust is never a good thing for electronics.

I too like the looks, it's a clean design. I won't be ordering one soon though, too expensive for me and I already have an option on an original Amiga 3000 which will be mine in just under two weeks time.

[ChuckT]

It isn't that hard to find options to put it in.  

You could actually screw it to the inside of any computer case just as easily as he sandwiched it in between two pieces of plexiglass.

There are places on the net that will manufacture aluminum cases to your specifications but leave room for a fan:

http://www.ziegeleng.com/

If there is something you think we should produce, CALL! We always listen to good ideas.

[downix]

A6000 wrote:
I expect some joker will install a minimig in the largest atx tower he can find.

**looks up** What?!??!?

**hides the SGI Crimson chasis under his desk**

[Krusher]

downix wrote:

A6000 wrote:
I expect some joker will install a minimig in the largest atx tower he can find.

**looks up** What?!??!?

**hides the SGI Crimson chasis under his desk**

SGI???

**tries to cover up his Onyx system



 :lol:

[Rob]

@straycat

Also doesn't the exposed sides leave the machine open to dust, liquid spills etc or am I just sounding like a 'soft end-user'?!

There's nothing to stop you making some sides and gluing them on.

[alexh]

straycat wrote:
Will the board come with the perspex case? If not will it be available from ACube?

No and no. But you can order them from wizard66.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250181224669

Also doesn't the exposed sides leave the machine open to dust, liquid spills etc or am I just sounding like a 'soft end-user'?!

Yes, yes and yes.

Krusher wrote:
I think Acube should clarify the Minimig is not a finished computer and cannot run out of the box.

You need to copy kickstart (and a few ADF's) onto the SD card that comes with it, that's all.

Hardly rocket science.

The board is fully assembled, the PIC is programmed and (optionally) it comes with a PSU.

[Krusher]

alexh wrote:

Krusher wrote:
I think Acube should clarify the Minimig is not a finished computer and cannot run out of the box.

You need to copy kickstart (and a few ADF's) onto the SD card that comes with it, that's all.

Hardly rocket science.

It might be for people who don't own anything Amiga related anymore, at least you need Amiga Forever or an original ROM to be legal. Ok, there are ways around it if you do a good search  here and there but that's not my point. They should post that kind of info on their website. For people who followed the Minimig it's easy to get it running, but imagine a newbe interested into it, buy it and to discover they can't use it?

[alexh]

Krusher wrote:
at least you need Amiga Forever or an original ROM to be legal.

Amiga Forever ROM's wont work of course, cos they are encrypted (but you can just dump them in WinUAE using DumpROM to unencrypt them ;-))

Krusher wrote:
Ok, there are ways around it if you do a good search here and there

Dont even need a "good search" these days.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Amiga+kickstart+500+extended+rom

Krusher wrote:
imagine a newbe interested into it, buy it and to discover they can't use it?

Yeah right! There will be no "newbies" buying MiniMig's. I doubt there will be many oldies either. But you never know. I wish Acube all the best, if they get one or two ASIC developers on side (with free devkits, hint, hint, PM me, hint hint) and push the multi-platform angle they could make money.

[Krusher]

alexh wrote:

Krusher wrote:
at least you need Amiga Forever or an original ROM to be legal.

Amiga Forever ROM's wont work of course, cos they are encrypted (but you can just dump them in WinUAE using DumpROM to unencrypt them ;-))

imagine a newbe interested into it, buy it and to discover they can't use it?

Yeah right! There will be no "newbies" buying MiniMig's. I doubt there will be many oldies either.

Amiga Forever gives you the licence to use the roms.

And I already had people asking me about Minimig because they where interested but didn't know anything about it, they just expect it to work just like that (Oh so I just hook up a keyboard, mouse and monitor and I have a working Amiga? And then I go on about explaining it has no floppydrive port but an SD card for floppy images, and the rom situation....