To Minimig or not to Minimig?

[skilgannon]

Hi all,

Thinking about getting a Minimig as it looks great and seems to solve the problem with the Scan Doubler issue (allowing 50hz screens which I think most CRT monitors should manage).

Just wanted your opinions on the Minimig and to ask if anyone knows if it can run Workbench 3.9?  I was hoping to use WB3.9 and my licensed copy of WHDLoad to stick a pile of games in a folder but maybe I'm aiming too high? Is it mainly for running ADF games from the memory card that I should be aiming for?

Any thoughts would as always be welcome

Skilgannon

[Piru]

anyone knows if it can run Workbench 3.9?

It can't.

[crawff]

Hi,

I dont know about the Workbench but i have brought a Minimig and I really enjoy using it. I mainly use mine for games which run of the memory card but the memory card can be used as a virtual harddrive with some additional hardware required.

It is always being improved with updated Firmwares etc..and has good support.

I would recommend it as a good purchase. :-)

[dougal]

It can't run workbench 3.9 simply because it's CPU is a 68000 running at 7Mhz , the same as in an A500/600 etc..

If i am not mistaken it only has 1mb of ram (i could be wrong) .

So i'm guessing anything higher than workbench 3.1 will either not work or else be very slow .

Other than that , the Minimig is a very interesting piece of hardware and i would really love to get my hands on one someday when i have the money .

[whiteb]

Hi all,

Thinking about getting a Minimig as it looks great and seems to solve the problem with the Scan Doubler issue (allowing 50hz screens which I think most CRT monitors should manage).

Just wanted your opinions on the Minimig and to ask if anyone knows if it can run Workbench 3.9?  I was hoping to use WB3.9 and my licensed copy of WHDLoad to stick a pile of games in a folder but maybe I'm aiming too high? Is it mainly for running ADF games from the memory card that I should be aiming for?

Any thoughts would as always be welcome

Skilgannon

The choice is ULTIMATELY yours.  Workbench 3.9 is 020+ ONLY, so it will NOT run on Minimig, also given a plain Minimig only has 2MB of ram, I believe 3.9 NEEDS a lot more.

There is a RAM mod to take it up to 4MB of ram (3.5 Usable), I have a 3.1 Hardfile for my minimig, and the ARM addon, and once I add the Ram mod, will load WHDLOAD games.

I suggest 3.1 to run WHDLOAD, but you need to mod the Minimig to 4MB of ram.

[alexh]

It can't run workbench 3.9 simply because it's CPU is a 68000 running at 7Mhz

I think it can be made to run at 14MHz too but still cannot run OS3.9

Not to mention, it only has 1.5MBytes of usable RAM!!

The only Plus part of the MiniMig is its form factor IMO. Anything but that and you get an A600 for £10 off ebay.

[whiteb]

I think it can be made to run at 14MHz too but still cannot run OS3.9

Not to mention, it only has 1.5MBytes of RAM!!

Well, 2MB, but 512KB is reserved for Kickstart, so Yes, 1.5MB.  ARM powered Minimig's can be switched up to 28Mhz (Easy if you have 16+Mhz chips), for those games like Frontier (etc).

68k chips Overclock like Crazy.

[skilgannon]

Thanks everyone for your replies.  I forgot that 3.9 needs an 020 so that's out but my main hope was that I could use my ewxtensive collection of WHDLoad games on it so WB3.1 will be fine but it looks like from what WHITEB was saying that I need to get a 4mb RAM mod.  Is this just a standard old style EDO RAM?  

I think that based on the fact that WB3.1 will work and I can get my WHDLoad files to work with that - I may be on to a winner

Amigakit here I come (where hopefully they are selling a perspex casing for it)!

Thanks again all!

Skilgannon

[alexh]

I think that based on the fact that WB3.1 will work and I can get my WHDLoad files to work with that - I may be on to a winner

Very expensive winner. When you add the cost of the MiniMig, some sort of case (even if it is just two bits of plexiglass), the ARM upgrade, the RAM upgrade you are talking mega money compared with an A600 + HD

Add to that the fact that MiniMig is not 100% compatible with all Amiga software (yet). Core updates have slowed to nothing also.

[Piru]

Is this just a standard old style EDO RAM?

It isn't.

The memory is surface mounted.

[skilgannon]

Hmmm, might need to rethink my strategy then as it sounds like I could be talking approx £200 to get it to work the way I want it too...  I love the form factor but as AlexH reminded me, the A600 is a good option (and I guess I could new 3.1 ROMS and get the CF solution for it).  Only problem then is the screen as it can't use a monitor (other than the usual Philips types or old Microvitek 15hz types).  

I've just scanned eBay and there aren't a lot of A600's around...  Not sure what to do now (aside from continue to use my Amiga Forever on my PC - but even though it's excellent - it's just not the same).

Anyone using the A600 Compact Flash solution?

Thanks again all

Skilgannon

[tone007]

Another thing to consider is that while WHDLoad does work on 68000 machines like the 500 and 600, I've run into a couple of installs that use tools that don't work on less than an '020 (can't recall which at the moment, though) and the occasional game that just won't work (while it did on the 1200.)  That, and with 1.5mb of RAM the Minimig is not ideal for multi-floppy games, and you'll also miss out on the few good AGA games that are around.

If you intended to spend that kind of money, a 1200 wouldn't be out of reach and would do way more for you.

As for CompactFlash, I'm using 4gb CF cards on one of my 1200s and in my 500 and they work very well.

[skilgannon]

Thanks Tone but it's really the form factor I was after as I only recently got rid of my A1200 setup (was a nice setup too as it was accellerated and had 32mb ram and I also had it networked).  Because my Amiga monitor (Microvitec Multisync) died and I couldnt find another one (on eBay or anywhere else) I ended up not using it any more, so sold it.  The thought of a nice small form factor machine to be able to play my favourite games on the actual machine is a nice one but I'm stuck with the monitor issue again, as none of my TV's (All LCD) will run with it so I would need to again try and find one or get the old Philips MK2 style (which is really just a CRT tv).

[tone007]

Indivision is currently out for the A1200 and A4000 which would solve the monitor problem but of course add cost.  It's also supposed to be released for the 500/600/2000 soon, but there really isn't a cheap way around the monitor problem except for good old composite.

The 600 is a nice machine, but it's really only a few inches smaller than a 1200 and ridiculously hard to find upgrades for.

[whiteb]

Very expensive winner. When you add the cost of the MiniMig, some sort of case (even if it is just two bits of plexiglass), the ARM upgrade, the RAM upgrade you are talking mega money compared with an A600 + HD

Add to that the fact that MiniMig is not 100% compatible with all Amiga software (yet). Core updates have slowed to nothing also.

Hardly, a new core was released a few days ago (to Owners of ARM board as a Pre-Release), it is about to hit the Intehweb shortly. (ARM owners cannot Release it either, Its coded Only to ARM for the moment), and Yes I have an ARM board.