Help, New to AmigaOS (Kinda)

[Redfield]

Hello
I'm kinda new to using an Amiga Computer but use to play games on them @ School...
I recently got a Amiga A1200HD/040 (I presume the 040 means the CPU).

First of all
I'm Clueless

2nd
I have assembled it how it is meant to be set up but I turn it on and I get the Information about the Kickstart rom (3.00 ROM 39.106) and the Floppy Disk Animation with the Amiga Logo, btw i was not given a Manual but I can acquire any disks that are needed.

So what do I do next also
Is there anyway of Improving the performance and capability of it?

[AmiDelf]

Great to see a new user. Well... Just before you go wild let me say that you have a machine that runs at max 40MHz. Second is to get info from you if you really have a HD inside of your A1200?

A)
I hope that you have the Amiga Workbench 3.1 Installer disk. As it seems for me that you have no Hard Drive in your A1200.

B)
If you have a hard drive, but still get Kickstart image, then you need a Installer 3.1 diskette so that you can prepare and install AmigaOS 3.1 on your HD.

You can improve a lot. You can build it into tower (you wont do that, because it destroys your lovely A1200 case). You can buy USB extension cards, 060/PPC cards, 20bit soundcards and more. A1200 is very expandable for its age, but got some limits.

I hope that this helps.

Enjoy using your A1200

Regards,
Michal

[Piru]

@Redfield

I recently got a Amiga A1200HD/040 (I presume the 040 means the CPU).

It's the size of the originally included HDD (which may or may not be present today).

It doesn't designate the CPU type or the maximum speed.

[Redfield]

Ok OS 3.1 is installed
Anything else i need to do?

[uncharted]

A bunch of questions for you that might help us help you better if you see what I mean :-)

What disks did you get with it?

What kind of stuff do you want to use if for?

How much memory does it have? (This is shown -as bytes- in the screen bar at the top of the screen.  There are two types, graphics and fast)

What capacity is the hard-disk?  

- EDIT-

Is it hooked up to a TV or to a Monitor?

[Redfield]

I recently Acquired Most of the Amiga Computers from a School i do Networking for...
The school wanted to throw them away because they saw no Value of them.

I Picked up 1x A4000
4x A1200HD
1x A500
1x CD Rom
and What apparently looks like a SCSI Hard Drive
This is also Including Monitors for each Computer.
(Commodore 1084s)

Amiga OS 3.0 and 3.1 Disks
They also handed me a Bunch of Floppy Disk cases that easily contain over 50 Disks per a Case.
I have recieved Disks that contain stuff like Octamed, Scala and Deluxe Paint.

I was hoping to explore what I could do...

Btw it has 1,801,680 Graphics Mem amd 0 Other Mem
it has HD1:? I have installed Amiga OS 3.1 (I think) under Novice Mode...

Anything else i can do?
Also Thanks for the Help...

[meega]

Redfield wrote:
it has HD1:?

Did you set up more than one partition? It's not likely to have two physical hard drives in there.

[Redfield]

I dont think so...

[meega]

under Novice Mode...

Have a look and see.  ;-)

[mbrantley]

It's been a while, but I suspect under novice mode that install defaults to a couple of hard drive partitions. If you install under intermediate mode you can make a few choices about such things, and if you install under the most advanced mode you have to make choices for every annoying little thing.

Looks like you have a partition called HD1: but it's not AmigaDOS formatted. Select the icon with question marks and choose format from the menu bar at the top.

[Redfield]

btw Thank you with the reply, I Formatted it and it is usable

I have known these computers to be a very good Multimedia Machine. What uses could i use them today and what upgrades could i do to them. Would an Accelerator Card help? and What Software and Operating System can make these more user Friendly. Also is it possible to run it through an LCD Monitor?

also Thanks for the Help.

[klx300r]

@ Redeild

holy &^%$%^# you hit the Amiga motherload jackpot there :-D oh & welcome to the site ;-)

[asymetrix]

welcome !

You could :

Install Amiga 3.x to the harddrive and boot off it.

install Amiga OS 3.9 cd (from www.amigakit.com)

preconfigured system(like amikit)
http://amigasys.extra.hu


games, utils (some adf games)

http://www.back2roots.org

Amiga central
http://aminet.net

ps you can do alot with 2mb memory ! alot of games to try like superfrog, alien breed, project x.

accelerators are hard to get hold of. we are all waiting for www.natami.net

have fun

[koaftder]

You'll tinker with it for a while. Then you'll get tired of the constant crashes. It'll wind up in your closet. You'll drag it out of the closet every 4 months for the rest of your life and purchase bits and pieces to interface with it on ebay every now and then. Welcome to the life of an Amiga enthusiast.