How is the SAM?

[runequester]

So the SAM machines ..I am looking for experiences from people who either own one, or have used one.

If work plays out well over the next few months, I am tempted to get one, unless the X1000 manages to materialize and I strike gold

So.. how is it?

Sell me on it!


And since this is the interwebs.. I am not interested in running MorphOS at this point, and I am not interested in AROS. I am interested in the SAM.

[spirantho]

Oh, further to my post on How is OS4 - I have a Sam 440ep too. I don't use it as much though as my A1 is more powerful, but it's an incredibly nice piece of kit. Mine's got a 30GB SSD hard disk on it so it's practically silent - a very neat little box. It's a little sluggish occasionally (mine's 600MHz) but I think the the 460 will be better, and even the 440 flex would be.

[lsmart]

As you can read in my blog on this site, I like the SAM and use it, whenever I have time to. I still go back to Mac or PC for some tasks and I still play games on classic hardware. But using SAM is fun.

[Crumb]

So.. how is it?

It's quite slower than second hand Pegasos2 running OS4.x

I am not interested in running MorphOS at this point, and I am not interested in AROS. I am interested in the SAM.

Too bad, you should try out both.

[Karlos]

It's quite slower than second hand Pegasos2 running OS4.x

Especially a G4 system I've always considered the post Peg/A1 machines (Sam and Efika to be precise) to be a bit of a step backwards in many ways really. Not including the Mac mini, of course.

Too bad, you should try out both.

I have to wonder, if it were someone considering MorphOS and stated that they had no interest in OS4/AROS, would you be as keen to promote the above balance?

[Crumb]

@Karlos

That depends on the person needs. I usually list all amiga flavours and obviously I would never suggest using PPC hardware to users only interested in games and demos (classics and emulators are fine for that) but IMHO*right now MorphOS is the best choice for PPC stuff and if OS4 crew had released Moana you can bet I would suggest users to try it out (I still do if the user has a 1.5Ghz G4 Mac Mini but just as a curiosity of what could have been).

For x86 (or users with no income who can't even afford an eMac) the two options are AROS and emulators.

[Karlos]

@crumb

Off-topic, buy why are there so many asterisk characters in your recent posts?

[runequester]

I'd love to try out AROS but I always run into trouble with my monitor being out of range. I havent tried it in a few months so I'll give it another shot soon.
 
Not super interested in the second hand mac stuff at the moment, so I'll pass on Morph for right now.

[antikk]

I've got a sam 440ep 667mhz. It's a very good machine,no problems with it at all. The flex 733 should be a bit faster and with more gfx ram it would be very nice. Never tested the flex version. The only negative about the ep is only 64mb gfx ram.

If you want one now get the 733mhz flex, or wait for the 460 which will be out in septememer afaik. :-)

And os 4.1 works very good on this hw.

[Framiga]

@crumb

Off-topic, buy why are there so many asterisk characters in your recent posts?

probably is due the huge speed of the system he is using. Electrons goes crazy at such speeds!

[halvliter'n]

I do want to buy a AMigaOne.

[Trev]

The Sam440ep is slow, and frankly, I do all my real work, including running OS3 in WinUAE, on a Core i7 running Windows 7. If you're going to mortgage your house to buy a new "Amiga," you might as well wait for the X1000.

[DAX]

@runequester
You surely read my reply to your previous thread here (post N.71) let me add that the recent alpha of Timberwolf that was suspected to run slow on Sam HW actually runs as good as other browsers (and that, while still in Alpha state, a version that was declared by the developers as much slower than the final version) and that very soon you will be able to get the 1000Mhz 460EX which runs things faster still (I'm telling you this because 533-667-and 800Mhz models are sold out).
Acube is also famous for factory overclocking their best samples (even the 733Mhz SamFlex is factory overclocked) and in the past they said they had a 460 running at 1.2Ghz so I believe we're gonna see a few of those too (the 460 also comes with faster memory, and PCI-E).
It's a nice system that you can buy brand new and comes with full 2 years warranty.

EDIT:and sure, as trev said it's not as fast a CoreI7 monster, but alas I prefer OS4 and feel no need to run OS3 at all

[Trev]

I agree that Timberwolf runs as well as other OS4 browsers, but that's not saying much. ;-) It works well enough for the four or five sites I read daily, though.

[kolla]

@Crumb
MorphOS blows.