Would you buy a cloned classic amiga?

[Linde]

I don't see the point when you can probaly get the real thing for cheaper (at least in my parts that is) :-)

With the verious FPGA projects I think the key point is reconfigurability, I think. How about just loading a new core when it turns out game X doesn't work with a 68030? How about loading a C64, an Atari ST, an MSX or whatever? That's what's happening over at fpgaarcade.com for example.

That, and small form factor, reliable and new hardware, low power consumption, etc.

[maffoo]

I would buy a cloned classic Amiga if it came with AGA, 030 and a few meg of Fast RAM, and included some sort of hard drive support (whether a physical hard drive/compact flash card on an IDE interface or HDF read from an SD card.) I only tend to use UAE for WHDLoad games, so these specs would be ideal for me - anything more would be a bonus.

[Tron2k2]

I'd love to see a 1200 form factor machine, except with USB instead of ser/par ports, HDMI instead of 23 pin video, (Heavily implying Jen's fantastic flicker fixer built in!) and a DVD player on the other side of the case-original floppy drive intact for old games, or at least the header on the board to hack the connector in.  Oh, and wifi, ethernet, or both.

For most people's old school game needs, an 040@40MHz is more than enough, just give it 256MB RAM or else a laptop DIMM slot.  Make it $200, with modern connectivity, and full AGA/old game compatibility.

The 1200 was just the right size, and today's electronics make the case hugely roomy.

I've already got other computers with tons of CPU power, I just want an 'Amiga' that I can plug into a modern television, get on my LAN, and have enough browser (OWB) to find those old games and  get my retro on :-)  Haujobb demos on big screen yummm!!!

[quarkx]

ok! so you are saying than people that pay (for example) +50000$ for a new ford mustang are crazy for not pay less than 10000$ for an old second hand one

We are talking CLONES here Not the real thing. Its like saying would I pay for a $50000 custom kit car,based on a ford Taurus, that looks like a mustang, than a real mustang.
No matter what people say, the Clones will never be able to do everything that the real things can do. Maybe 98%, but I would never pay more for a clone than the Real thing.

[a1200]

With AGA or someone getting hold of the blueprints for AAA, definitely. ECS/OCS - been done.

[ElPolloDiabl]

No it means it would be handbuilt like a Ferarri. I think name brand products are more likely to end up dodgy.

[itix]

This is just pipedream speculation since nobody makes any of the chips etc anymore.
 
But given the success of the minimig, if someone was capable of putting out what was basically an original A500 / 1200 / whatever, whether using FPGA's, magic faerie dust to produce the original chips again or whatever, would you buy it?
 
More importantly, how much would you pay for it ?

If it is small, 100% compatible with Amiga 500 and costs less than ~100 euro I will buy one.

[alexh]

Most definitely no. The cost is prohibitive. You can get an A600 for around £10.

I would also argue the commercial "success" of Minimig. It must have been a resounding commercial failure, this is reflected by the hardware prices having not coming down and no commercially viable clones having been produced nor commercial updates to the original PCB.

Plus there is little or no "scene" developing new cores. Just one or two users.

[AndyLandy]

What I'd like to see is a Phoenix-like board for the A600/A1200 case. AGA chipset, at least an '030 with a bunch of FastRAM and a built-in scandoubler.

[dougal]

A nice idea would be a cloned A1200 motherboard which can fit inside the A1200's original casing replacing the original motherboard.

A nice spec would be:

68030 @ 50Mhz (with an option to upgrade using a real 68060)
32bit memory (Like on accelerator boards) upgradable with standard DDR/2 ram
Built in USB + LAN/Wifi (original A1200 case would need modding)
2 Fast IDE connectors
Support for PC floppy drives including HD drives (If that is possible)
Built in SD card slot (Case would need modding)
Upgraded sound hardware

Something like that which would fit into the A1200's original casing with very little modding required on the casing would really give an A1200 a modern computer feeling whilst still retaining the original looks.

Obviously same could be designed for the 500, A4000 and so on. Maybe even the A600.

[dammy]

This is just pipedream speculation since nobody makes any of the chips etc anymore.
 
But given the success of the minimig, if someone was capable of putting out what was basically an original A500 / 1200 / whatever, whether using FPGA's, magic faerie dust to produce the original chips again or whatever, would you buy it?
 
More importantly, how much would you pay for it ?

I wouldn't buy one.  The only thing I can think of wanting to run would be old games, UAE is good enough even operating on a single core.  I remember my old Apple][+ days, there is just not a single piece of software I would even want to see again, let alone buying a ][+ clone.  Day by day, Amiga software is becoming more and more obsolete and grabbing my attention less and less.  Too much has flowed under the Amiga bridge to look too far back on it's glory days.  I want something modern and portable that will keep my attention, much like my old A500 did for me so many years ago.

[kolla]

Most definitely no. The cost is prohibitive. You can get an A600 for around £10.

I have two A600s and one Miminig, which one do you think I use most?

[kolla]

If it is small, 100% compatible with Amiga 500 and costs less than ~100 euro I will buy one.

And, I suspect, in your view, the A500+ and A600 do not count since neither of them are 100% compatible with A500?

Really, people are asking for way too much here.

[kolla]

What I'd like to see is a Phoenix-like board for the A600/A1200 case. AGA chipset, at least an '030 with a bunch of FastRAM and a built-in scandoubler.

A 030 is a challenge - voltage and availability, both rising the cost alot.
Another challenge - AGA chipset.

A workaround for the availability is to just offer cards with CPU socket, and leave it to the user to find CPU. Softcore 030 and AGA implemented on FPGA is science fiction at this point - one is better off with UAE.

[AndyLandy]

AGA implemented on FPGA is science fiction at this point - one is better off with UAE.

Isn't that in essence what the Indivision AGA is? An FPGA Lisa chip? I guess we'd still need a replacement Alice though.

As for the CPU, it doesn't need to be softcore, Freescale still make '040 and '060 CPUs.

Either way, it's still just a pipe dream. :-)

[Hell Labs]

Softcore 030 and AGA implemented on FPGA is science fiction at this point - one is better off with UAE.

No it isn't. Do you forget the natami, which already has motherboards printed, and already runs aga hardware banging stuff? Inivision AGA?