New member and new Amiga 1200!

[Quaxo76]

Hello all,
I'm a new member here so I'll spend a couple of lines to introduce myself...
My first computer was a Commodore 16 back when just about everybody had a C64 (but it was a gift, I didn't choose it) so I just envied my friends, but eventually got to love the little C16. Then after a few years I found an used Amiga 1000 which I used intensively and extensively for many years, until my father demanded the desk space back for his new PC. Since then (1995? more or less) my Amiga has been stored. But I never forgot the days (years actually) spent playing those wonderful games. I have tried several emulators, and they're ok, but they lack something. The feeling of using the real thing.
Now I'm married and have a home of my own, and I would like to set up an Amiga again; but my wife wouldn't understand the need to set aside much space for another "old garbage geeky gadget" as she would probably call it. So I want to setup an Amiga 1200, which I plan to sort of "hide" below my main PC.
I bought (and am awaiting) an Amiga 1200 with external 850MB HD, and Blizzard 1230/50 accelerator card with 64MB of memory. I paid 180 Euro, I think it's a bit much, but it looked nice.
Then, as I want to be able to use my PC's monitor, I also ordered an Indivision AGA scan doubler, the internal one. That cost me a lot, too! But I couldn't do without it.
Ideally the Amiga will have to reside in a sort of a cupboard that's below my PC; and I'll buy a VGA switcher (a KVM switcher actually) so that I can use the monitor with either computer.
Now here come my questions.
- I would like to be able to use one mouse for both computers. I've found a USB-Amiga mouse adaptor, at this link:
http://cgi.ebay.it/AMIGA-ADAPTER-CONNECT-USB-MOUSE-TO-YOUR-AMIGA-/330437708740?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item4cef9f4bc4
It's expensive, but do you think it would work? That way I could switch monitor and mouse from the PC to the amiga at the press of a button.
- I would also like to find a "splitter" so that I can connect both the mouse and a joystick on the same port, so that I don't have to fiddle with connectors to play games. Does anyone know if/how this is possible?
- I'd like to buy one of those CF-based HD replacements. I've seen a few with a 4GB CF, loaded with software. That looks much more convenient than using my floppies (I have literally hundreds of them, and if I can keep them out of the wife's sight, it's better). What are your experiences, do they work well? Can I expect to play all my old A1000 games if I use WHDload?

Now an unrelated (sort of) question. My old Amiga 1000 is still operative, but in its last months before I stopped using it, its floppy drive broke. I had no money to have it fixed, so I cannibalized my external floppy and installed it internally. But the eject button is in a different place, so I couldn't put the original plastic front back in. Now my Amiga looks really ugly without its front panel.
I've found some A500 floppy drives but they have the same problem. Does anyone know where I could find a proper A1000 floppy replacement, without spending a fortune? Even though it's being stored for now, I'd like to restore my very first Amiga to its original state...

Thank you in advance for any reply!
Cristian

[ChaosLord]

I have a similar setup to you.  A1200 + Accellerator + RAM + FlickerFixer + PS/2 KVM switch sharing NEC multisync monitor + PS/2 Keyboard + PS/2 Mouse between bgcPC & Amiga.  It is awesome!

[lauri.lotvonen]

Hello all,
I'm a new member here so I'll spend a couple of lines to introduce myself...
My first computer was a Commodore 16 back when just about everybody had a C64 (but it was a gift, I didn't choose it) so I just envied my friends, but eventually got to love the little C16. Then after a few years I found an used Amiga 1000 which I used intensively and extensively for many years, until my father demanded the desk space back for his new PC. Since then (1995? more or less) my Amiga has been stored. But I never forgot the days (years actually) spent playing those wonderful games. I have tried several emulators, and they're ok, but they lack something. The feeling of using the real thing.
Now I'm married and have a home of my own, and I would like to set up an Amiga again; but my wife wouldn't understand the need to set aside much space for another "old garbage geeky gadget" as she would probably call it. So I want to setup an Amiga 1200, which I plan to sort of "hide" below my main PC.
I bought (and am awaiting) an Amiga 1200 with external 850MB HD, and Blizzard 1230/50 accelerator card with 64MB of memory. I paid 180 Euro, I think it's a bit much, but it looked nice.
Then, as I want to be able to use my PC's monitor, I also ordered an Indivision AGA scan doubler, the internal one. That cost me a lot, too! But I couldn't do without it.
Ideally the Amiga will have to reside in a sort of a cupboard that's below my PC; and I'll buy a VGA switcher (a KVM switcher actually) so that I can use the monitor with either computer.
Now here come my questions.
- I would like to be able to use one mouse for both computers. I've found a USB-Amiga mouse adaptor, at this link:
http://cgi.ebay.it/AMIGA-ADAPTER-CONNECT-USB-MOUSE-TO-YOUR-AMIGA-/330437708740?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item4cef9f4bc4
It's expensive, but do you think it would work? That way I could switch monitor and mouse from the PC to the amiga at the press of a button.
- I would also like to find a "splitter" so that I can connect both the mouse and a joystick on the same port, so that I don't have to fiddle with connectors to play games. Does anyone know if/how this is possible?
- I'd like to buy one of those CF-based HD replacements. I've seen a few with a 4GB CF, loaded with software. That looks much more convenient than using my floppies (I have literally hundreds of them, and if I can keep them out of the wife's sight, it's better). What are your experiences, do they work well? Can I expect to play all my old A1000 games if I use WHDload?

Now an unrelated (sort of) question. My old Amiga 1000 is still operative, but in its last months before I stopped using it, its floppy drive broke. I had no money to have it fixed, so I cannibalized my external floppy and installed it internally. But the eject button is in a different place, so I couldn't put the original plastic front back in. Now my Amiga looks really ugly without its front panel.
I've found some A500 floppy drives but they have the same problem. Does anyone know where I could find a proper A1000 floppy replacement, without spending a fortune? Even though it's being stored for now, I'd like to restore my very first Amiga to its original state...

Thank you in advance for any reply!
Cristian

Hi and welcome to A.org!

I think that your A1200 was a bargain, as I paid well over 800 € for my A1200 setup, not including the LCD monitor that costed  me 200€ :angry:...

For the joystick/mouse switcher :
http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=52&products_id=961 . Works like a charm.

Those WHDload games you asked about, they should run fine. Actually  even any AGA game should have no problems with that much RAM installed on your Blizzard 1230.

I, and many here have a CF-HD setup. Also works quietly and reliably.
I recently installed a 8GB card, and filled  it with WHDload game packs, thats over 2000 games .

You should ask the seller if he/she knows about the mouse adapter compatibility with the KVM switcher.  
BTW, If you get the KVM switcher operational let me know! I would love to use my 24" screen with my laptop and A1200.

/Lauri

[Quaxo76]

OK, thank you for the answers! I ordered the joy/mouse switcher.
I can't wait to receive everything!

Can anyone help me with the A1000's floppy question?

Thanks again,
Cristian

[amigakit]

Welcome!

Thanks for the order :-)

[Amiduffer]

You might have to wait until someone sells an A1000 for parts.

[Quaxo76]

My new Amiga 1200 arrived today!
It works OK, as far as I can tell. It has Workbench installed on its hard drive. It has Kickstart 3.0; should I upgrade it to 3.1? Am I missing much with 3.0?
The accelerator is a Blizzard 1230-II. I know the version IV can be disabled at boot by pressing the "2" key, but this doesn't seem to work with this card. Is there another way to disable it? It runs very hot and I'd like to leave it off when not needed.
I tried loading some of my old favorite games from floppy... Many work, but some don't. Some have weird issued (keyboard not recognized, or mouse clicks off-set) while some just don't boot.
Some instead, show funny graphic artifacts (i.e. an intro screen with sprites moving around, the sprites leave "pieces" behind when they move - as if the previous frame isn't cleared correctly). Could this be a sign of hardware malfunction, or just incompatibility with the AGA chipset or the Blizzard card?

Is there a way to check the system (i.e. do a ramtest), and to check the system speed and performance? Preferably with Workbench because I have no easy means to transfer files from the PC to the amiga right now!

Sorry for all the questions and thanks again!

Cristian

[runequester]

My new Amiga 1200 arrived today!
It works OK, as far as I can tell. It has Workbench installed on its hard drive. It has Kickstart 3.0; should I upgrade it to 3.1? Am I missing much with 3.0?
The accelerator is a Blizzard 1230-II. I know the version IV can be disabled at boot by pressing the "2" key, but this doesn't seem to work with this card. Is there another way to disable it? It runs very hot and I'd like to leave it off when not needed.
I tried loading some of my old favorite games from floppy... Many work, but some don't. Some have weird issued (keyboard not recognized, or mouse clicks off-set) while some just don't boot.
Some instead, show funny graphic artifacts (i.e. an intro screen with sprites moving around, the sprites leave "pieces" behind when they move - as if the previous frame isn't cleared correctly). Could this be a sign of hardware malfunction, or just incompatibility with the AGA chipset or the Blizzard card?

Is there a way to check the system (i.e. do a ramtest), and to check the system speed and performance? Preferably with Workbench because I have no easy means to transfer files from the PC to the amiga right now!

Sorry for all the questions and thanks again!

Cristian

3.1 workbench isn't massively different, but there's some small tweaks.

As far as games running, two things to try:

Go into the boot menu (hold down both mouse buttons while booting or resetting) and switch display to "enhanced" instead of "best available"

When playing from hard drive, this is needed for some games, like Dune, Monkey Island and the Battle Isle games.

Download relokick and use that. This will make the vast majority of old games run just fine.

also, although it shouldn't be a big issue on a 1200, try switching between NTSC and PAL in the boot menu.

As far as file transfers... you absolutely want to get one of the PCMCIA compact flash kits. You can put it together yourself but I've been massively satisfied with the kit I got from amigakit.com

[rrete]

"My first computer was a Commodore 16..."

Hey!!!  My first computer was a Commodore 16....too and bought in TIVOLI in a hollydays in Italy in 1984 or 1985!!! and the price....  199.000 lire!!! only C-16 + power supply. Oh what feelings brings it to mee...
And yes all friends with C-64s at the same time (better machine than C-16 of course) but we had 121 colors, basic V3.5, funtion keys with Graphic modes, machine code monitor and reset button.
I can write a lot of these days... but it's only a time to remember

Wellcome,

[Quaxo76]

Thanks for the reply!
I tried the boot menu (I had no idea this thing existed, my previous amiga was a 1000 and afaik it doesn't have this menu).
A few games work better with the settings you said. But most games that had problems before, still don't work. I noticed that at least one (I'll have to experiment more) work when I physically unplug the Blizzard card.
Could this be a faulty accelerator? Or it's an incompatibility due to the extra RAM or different CPU?

So is there no way to disable the card via software?

For file transfers, I already ordered the PCMCIA thing, but it's still to be delivered... so for now I have to do with what I have! I've also ordered the IDE-CF adaptor because the IDE cable coming out of the back of the Amiga is really ugly.

If there's no RAM testing utility in WB, I might try removing one or the other RAM stick, to see if things improve... but I have to find the Blizzard manual to reconfigure the jumpers.

[trekiej]

welcome

[mbrantley]

Hello, and welcome back to the world of Amigas. I'd say you never fully left because you kept your 1000. I had my Amiga stuff in storage a few years, too, until nostalgia got the best of me. Now I have a room full of 'em.

I have had a Microbotics 68030 @50mhz accelerator in my 1200 since those things were new, and it also gets a little toasty. Because of this, I leave the trapdoor cover off and and a small fan rigged to blow across the opening. It's hidden underneath the little monitor stand I have, and I've raised the 1200 a little with some rubber stick-on feet to allow better airflow.

Before doing all this my 1200 would lock up when left running for a long time in all but a cold room. But I've been doing it this way forever and it never locks up anymore, so thermal problem solved.

I'm running with Kickstart 3.1 chips and OS3.9. One bit of weirdness I noticed with the Indivision flicker fixer in my 1200 is that I will get artifacts in the screen when running large fields (like Web browser background) in pure white. If I tone it down to a light gray, the artifacts go away. I sometimes still see them in my white menus, however. May have to adjust my palette some more.

One day I'm going to try the CF card replacement for the hard drive, but for now I'm using a 2.5-inch IDE drive swiped from a broken iBook. The capacity is huge by classic Amiga standards, but the CF route appeals to me since I'm now running two other classics Amigas on USB memory sticks.

Have fun, and good luck getting your 1000's floppy problem solved. The only spare parts 1000 I have in the closet has no floppy whatsoever, so I can't help there.

[amigakid]

Welcome back to the world of fun computing.  I love my miggys and i made sure to make room for all mine:)  have fun with it.

[runequester]

yeah, the CF as hard drive is awesome. Totally quiet and cheap to replace.
 
I had to fiddle a bit with the startup sequence to get it to work (idefix messed things up but once I took that out, everything is peachy, at least with a 4 gig card)
 
What are the games you are having trouble with ?
There's a few old games that don't play nice with expanded machines.

[Quaxo76]

These are the games that don't work (I still haven't checked them on the A1000 though, so there's a chance that the disks have gone bad, though I tested them all about a couple of years ago):
Nitro (starts loading then stops after 10-15 sec. before showing the first screen)
Tetris Plus - after the intro, it hangs
R-Type - immediately after boot it hangs with a garbled b/w screen
Flight Simulator - shows a shell-like screen, with the 1> prompt
Another World - hangs early in the boot
Pinball Dreams - Loads OK but has sound glitches, and when the actual game is loaded, the keyboard doesn't respond.

Then, there are some games that work but with some glitches (i.e. Test Drive works but has glitches like digital noise in the music). Other games too show garbled/out-of-sync music.

This is a partial list as I'm still testing more games (it takes time, as I actually play with every game that works! )

Are these characteristic symptoms of incompatibility? I'm trying to rule out hardware problems!

Cristian