Mikronik Tower - Worth it?

[xyth]

I might just (fingers crossed) be able to get myself a Micronik Infinitiv II tower for about a quarter the price that I could get a Mirage 1200.

Does anyone have or use to have one of these towers?  Are they any good?  I haven't been able to find much info online.

AFAIK so far it's just just the bare tower with PSU (not sure of rating) and a PC keyboard interface.  No busboards or anything.

I have two key questions:

1)  Am I going to have space to one day get a Mediator and a bunch of PCI stuff in here?

2)  I don't particuarly want to have to use a PC keyboard.  Is there a way to get an A2k/3k/4k/etc keyboard to work with it instead?  Or even better convert my 1200 keyboard?

The guy I'm possibly buying it from doesn't seem to know much about Amigas anymore, and I suspect is just saying 'yes' to anything I ask so he can make the sale.

So I refer to the Amiga.org experts...

[Minion]

Second hand or new?
If its new, dont touch it.  They are 100% plastic, flimsy and crap.  The keyboard adapeter is extra.  The adapter to use the PSU to power your Amiga is extra.  The MD of the company that makes them is a total w*nker.

[Guyver]

i couldn't agree more ;-)  ;-)

The tower sucks, i regret that i got it

[xyth]

It's an old shop display model, which currently has a 1200 set up in it, so I'm guessing that all the necessary adaptor parts are there.

I've arrange to go and check it out in person on Monday.  Anything in particular to look at?

BTW I though it was only the original Infinitiv that was all crappy plastic?

Micronik are deceased now aren't they?

[fnord]

I once had one ... well, I didn't own it very long until I put it on
ebay. It's crap, imho. You always have to fear that you'Re going to
break it, when you touch it

[fnord]

Indeed, I was wrong. I had the original tower, not the 2nd version.
According to the picture at amiga-hardware.com, the Infinitiv-II tower
looks much more "stable" than the first one. sorry

[pVC]

I thought that MicroniK's Infinitiv II is a metal tower, not plastic like Infinitiv. Although I might be wrong, but from pics it showed like that and looked quite cool too

1) At least MicroniK's Classic and Infinitiv 1 towers are just fine with Mediator, so I'd guess InfinitivII will be too.

2) MicroniK has keyboard case which accepts a1200's keyboard inside it and then it works like pc-keyboard. You probably could find one of those and use it with your adapter. I had that kind of setup earlier, but now I have changed busboard and keyboard adapter to e\box's adapter, which accepts both pc and a4k keyboards... so I bought a4k kb for my a1200

[doctorq]

I own a Micronik Infintiv-II tower and all I can say is that it's not some cheap plastic crap...The skeleton of the tower is metal, so no problems there, but the surrounding is plastic plates. It doesn't bother me though :-)

The size of the tower is regullar minitower, and the A1200 mobo only just fits. If you would like to use the PCMCIA port you need a 45 degree converter (if it's not already in there) and Mediator is certanly out of the question, unless you are totally willing to destroy your tower, which I recon you are not.

The best choice for Mediator is obviously Mirage, as they are designed for it, but I have an RBM Towerhawk which I have fitted the slots into, but it took some handywork :-)

As mentioned Elbox' keyboard adaptor takes both kind of keyboards, so mayby your lucky. If you need to buy a new adaptor then buy the Elbox adaptor, and find another way around to make your reset button work (in case you buy the tower).

[SilvrDrgn]

Minion wrote:
Second hand or new?
If its new, dont touch it.  They are 100% plastic, flimsy and crap.  The keyboard adapeter is extra.  The adapter to use the PSU to power your Amiga is extra.  The MD of the company that makes them is a total w*nker.

That's the original Micronik Tower.  I agree it's crap - used to have one.

However, user "xyth" says he can get the Infinitiv II tower.  That one has more metal parts in it so it's much more sturdy.

[duesi]

Yeah ! crap Tower is the right description
I have one with ZorroII Board (Micronik) in it

The Tower is ugly and not user friendly and the ZII-Board accepts only some cards..

edit: I'm talking about the first series (not the Infinitv II)

[pVC]

"That's the original Micronik Tower. I agree it's crap - used to have one."

Wrong Original _Infinitivs_ were plastic and crap. The older (pre Infinitiv) MicroniK towers are quite good. They're called "classic" models and they are full metal and very firm. I have one myself and I have been very satisfied with it. Worked fine with it's zorro2-bus (all tested zorro cards worked fine) and nowadays with ZIV+MediatorZIV. When I bought it the Infinitivs were just coming on sale, but luckily I didn't wait for them and bought the classic tower

[DanDude]

I agree!  Numerous problems I encountered when I had it:

1. custom keyboard interface is too slow and sometimes do not work after power-up or only accepts pc AT keyboards until you press a key.

2. when I had the Micronik expansion bd, I waited too long to get software to operate the PCI slots.  This also includes a 80% compatibility rate with all the Zorro II cards released.

3. the case is all plastic--difficult to ship without bubble-wrapping inside.  It just falls apart.  An inconvienence to those receiving it.  It is also prone to static charges since there's no proper case grounding.

[PulsatingQuasar]

I agree on the Micronik Infinitiv I tower. Unless you could get this tower very, very cheap, I wouldn't bother. I had one and got rid of it. I now have an E/Box tower from Elbox( Power tower) and a V-tower from Eyetech. Much better.

I liked the design of the Infinitiv-II tower and it's indeed much better then the first tower. I wish I had one and if you can get it a quarter of the original price, then I think it's a good deal.

I also think some people need to unwind or get classes.  :-)

[doctorq]

Yeah, but the man says he wants to expand with mediator, so I would say don't buy the Micronik and go for the Elbox tower.

I sincerely doubt that there will be much room for hd, cd, acc. board, mediator, PSU in that small tower, and I think it will be hard to make a new backside for the tower. At last he still needs to cut a big hole in top plastic deck of the tower...

I do barely have room for the same in my RBM Towerhawk!

[xyth]

Well I've had a look at the wee beastie.  It's nice and sturdy and it looks very cool, but there ain't much room in there.

I found an old discussion thread on Yahoo Groups today.  One guy said that he had a Infinitiv II and that a Mediator fit inside fine.  Unfortunately he didn't say if he had any PCI cards though.

Apparently the real problem with the Infinitiv II is that not all accelerator cards will fit.  Apparently a Blizzard 1260 with the SCSI kit won't, which is another problem since I hope that one day I can get on of these too.

And it doesn't come with a PCMCIA adaptor (though everything else necessary seems to be there) so unless I can find one of those then that's one less port I can use.

Oh well, I think unless I can bargain the guy down significantly more I won't bother.  It would be nice as a temporary arrangement as I have many pieces of hardware strewn out ths side of the 1200, and the PSU would be nice.  And it does look cool.

But then I'd have to put up with a PC keyboard...

Ultimately it sounds like the Mirage/Mediator combo is the best and most compatible way to go, and I'll have to find an A4000 keyboard somewhere.
 
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