My Review of AmigaKit's Sam460ex Complete System

[save2600]

Bravo! Well done. One of the more entertaining and informative reads here in a long time.  

[Kesa]

Plus 1!

I have never used an ng Amiga before and this is the most objective and revealing review i have read about AOS4.x so far

I didn't realise it was this crappy! :hammer:

So what i really want to know is what do you think about the almighty Morphos? And why didn't you get Morphos instead of Workbench4.x as you would have a superior and cheaper product?  :confused:

Please tell me

[number6]

Well, after a bit of delay, I've finally got round to posting Part 4. I hope you enjoy it.

Fantastic effort! btw...

Fri, 15 Apr 2011
UBoot 2010.06-05 for Sam460ex available

http://www.acube-systems.biz/index.php?page=news&id=84

#6

[DCAmiga]

I recently purchased a Sam460ex Complete System from AmigaKit and thought I'd write up an extensive review with photos for those who might be interested. You can find Part 1 on my Amiga.org blog.
 
Part 1 - The Order (Posted)
Part 2.1 - The Hardware (Posted)
Part 2.2 - The Hardware (Posted)
Part 2.3 - The Hardware (Posted)
Part 3.1 - The Software (Posted)
Part 3.2 - The Software (Posted)
Part 4 - The Conclusion (Posted)
 
I hope you enjoy it. I'll update this thread when the next parts to the review are added.

Thank you mpiva!!
I uttery enjoyed your review, though I am curious about how long it would take to boot from the CF
Anyway hope your NG investment works out.
 
DC

[redfox]

@mpiva

Thanks for your excellent review.  I think that maybe Hyperion and OS4 Team still think their users are software developers.  You and I did not purchase our systems to develop new user applications.

Not sure if you have discovered this yet.  Hopefully, you have an Extras Installer icon in your AmiDock which will allow you to install some software that was not installed by the installer script.  The AmigaOS 4.1 Installation CD contains some extra programs and media demos that are not installed by the OS installer.

My CD contains the following extras:
AISS, AmiDVD, AmiFTP, DiskImage, DiskMaster2, DOpus4, DvPlayer, IBrowse, OWB, pFTP, SimpleMail, Tunenet and YAM.  

My CD has a drawer called Media.  In that drawer there are some contributions from Danny and Stephen Fellner (mpg works with DvPlayer) and Susumu Hirasawa (songs and music work with TuneNet).

All the best.  I hope things work out well.  I have been using OS4 for many years.  Some ups and downs along the way.  I went straight from an A2000HD with 68000 CPU and AmigaOS 3.1 to my MicroA1 with an early version of OS4.0.  I purchased the motherboard with CD and built my own system.  You learn quite a bit installing several versions of the OS as it changes.  Currently running AmigaOS 4.1 Update 2.

---
redfox

[Borut]

I am wondering because You said there is no software included? I have only a beta of OS 4.0 an there is a "Contributon" drawer with a lot of software and also a little bit of media.

[redfox]

@Borut

I am wondering because You said there is no software included? I have only a beta of OS 4.0 an there is a "Contributon" drawer with a lot of software and also a little bit of media.

You are right.  The OS 4.0 CD has a "Contributions" drawer.  My AmigaOS 4.1 Update 1 CD has the contributions split up into different drawers.  There is a Media drawer that is quite easy to find, but the contributed software programs are located in an Extras drawer that is hidden deeper in the CD.

Not sure about the CD that comes with the Sam460.  It may have AmigaOS 4.1 Update 2.  Not sure where the Extras drawer is located.

With the AmigaOne version, it was assumed that users would install the extras they wanted using the Extras Installer icon in AmiDock.  Not sure but this is most likely the same with the Sam460  version.

The contributions are still there, it is just a bit harder to find them on your own.

However, programs like Final Writer 97 or TVPaint or PPaint are not included on the CD.  If you want to use these programs, you have to locate them elsewhere or copy over from your older systems.

---
redfox

[mpiva]

Plus 1!

I have never used an ng Amiga before and this is the most objective and revealing review i have read about AOS4.x so far

I didn't realise it was this crappy! :hammer:

So what i really want to know is what do you think about the almighty Morphos? And why didn't you get Morphos instead of Workbench4.x as you would have a superior and cheaper product?  :confused:

Please tell me

Minus 1!

I think maybe you should read the review again or just take your obviously biased opinions elsewhere as you're totally misrepresenting what I said. You obviously have no interest in AmigaOS 4 are just trying to troll.

As to why I didn't get MorphOS instead of AmigaOS... I sense that you don't actually care and are just using it as an excuse to do your evangelizing. Even if I answered you, you wouldn't actually listen to anything I say anyway so why should I bother?

Needless to say, people like you only make me less interested in your OS.

[mpiva]

@mpiva

My CD contains the following extras:
AISS, AmiDVD, AmiFTP, DiskImage, DiskMaster2, DOpus4, DvPlayer, IBrowse, OWB, pFTP, SimpleMail, Tunenet and YAM.  

My CD has a drawer called Media.  In that drawer there are some contributions from Danny and Stephen Fellner (mpg works with DvPlayer) and Susumu Hirasawa (songs and music work with TuneNet).

  AmigaKit did install those programs for me but before I got internet working (and without sound) most of those aren't very useful. Even the filemanagers aren't particularly useful until you have lots of files to manage Those are all good programs but there should also be a Picture viewer included, not just Multiview, but something that shows thumbnails, allows rotating and zooming, etc. Of, a handful of sample pictures should come along with it. Perhaps a picture editor should be in there as well.

As for the Media drawer... cool, I didn't know about that. I'm going to have to check it out. I wonder why AmigaKit didn't copy it onto the Hard Drive?

[haywirepc]

Thank you for the review...
 
In truth it confirmed my  belief that unless someone sells me a used system very very cheap, I will never own an os4 system.
 
For 1500$ I can build a ridiculous 3-4ghz quad core, triple booting winxp/linux and AROS rig, with catweasel pci, sblive, 1 gig video memory, 4-8 gigs ram, a couple of terrabytes of disk storage (or better yet an ssd drive) and alot more.
 
a 1ghz intel system can be bought for aros on ebay for 50$ add an sblive, intel pro100 network card and a supported graphics card for another 50$
I'm fairly certain a 1ghz pentium 3 is about the same computational power as this system.
 
Don't want to start an aros verses os4 debate but a 1400$ difference for a computer of the same capabilities is quite extreme.
 
If you go the morphoS route, you can get an emac with the same capabilities for 100-150$. Add morphOS registration, and your still 1100-1200$ ahead.
 
Os4 fanboys can argue all they want, but these are the facts.
 
I wish you the best of luck with your computer though, and I hope your right in that os4 will improve, but how long will they keep saying its a beta as an excuse?

Its a commerical product your selling in stores, it shouldn't be called a beta and that should not be an excuse for how many years now for lack of solid development or progress. Porting linux apps dosn't interest me.
Lack of drivers, lack of real usb support or browsing, there's just too much to not like about os4, the biggest of which is price point.
 
Steven

[magnetic]

Haywire

you are going a bit haywire my friend  I agree with you about the os4 development progress over the years for sure. However, talking about the price being high, I dont agree. Yes its extremely high when comparing it to typical marketplace computers. These kind of boards like the Sam, X1000, A1, Peg, etc are exotic hardware. The total cost of ownership is a lot higher for the company. The market is so small that high prices are necessary.
 OS 4 needed a mid high range system and now it has one! I dig the X1000 project but man talk about price. But then again the same principles I wrote above apply so... I guess the price is justified??

[mpiva]

Speaking of price, Amiga systems, including AmigaOnes, Pegasos, and Sams, tend to retain their value a lot longer than the equivalent price PC. In 5 years, you could probably sell your $1500 PC for $500 whereas you could probably sell your $1500 Sam460 for $1300. Therefore the relative cost difference is a lot less than it first appears.

[Kesa]

Minus 1!

I think maybe you should read the review again or just take your obviously biased opinions elsewhere as you're totally misrepresenting what I said. You obviously have no interest in AmigaOS 4 are just trying to troll.

As to why I didn't get MorphOS instead of AmigaOS... I sense that you don't actually care and are just using it as an excuse to do your evangelizing. Even if I answered you, you wouldn't actually listen to anything I say anyway so why should I bother?

Needless to say, people like you only make me less interested in your OS.

I'm sorry but you have misinterpreted what i was trying to say so i will try again

First i have no bias to Morphos. I have never used AOS4.x so i don't know anything about it except what i hear from word of mouth. So being bias to Morthos is pointless.

Second i have used Morphos only a few times on a friends Macmini so am not really familar with it enough to have an objective opinion about it. So being bias towards it would be pointless.

Third, when i said "almighty Morphos" i meant it as sarcasm. I feel in general people consider it a more polished product than AOS4.x so when i said "almighty" it was meant as sarcasm.

I meant what i said in that your statements about the limitations of AOS4.x was insightful for someone who has never used it before. All you really hear about is subjective advertising garble telling me how good it is so your comments were refreshing.

But my questions remain, why did you choose a SAM over a Morphos setup? Morphos is cheaper, faster and "apparently" a better product. If you did a review on Morphos the same as you did on AOS4.x i will be the first to read it

[Duce]

Your findings are very, very similar to mine when I got my SAM 440, Michael.  My advice - get used to it, have fun.  Anyone buying one of these new Amiga's should be well aware that a modern smartphone has more capability in daily use, sadly.  They will never replace a PC, the software just is not there.  It's like trying to drive a stock 1955 VW Beetle on the Autobahn.  I run a BBS system on my SAM, and I love it.  I enjoy it regardless of the fact that 5 callers a week telnet in, regardless of the fact I paid 900 bucks for this motherboard.  I run an unreg MorphOS macmini machine, nice stuff as well, but I do like OS 4 more now that I am getting into coding.  SDK is very nice.  You'll learn to enjoy it after the sticker shock wears off.  

[spirantho]

@Kesa

I must say I also thought you were trolling when I read your post. You may have been sarcastic but it reads exactly the same as many MOS evangelists' serious posts!

Why did he buy an AmigaOS machine? I'd imagine because a) he wanted to run AmigaOS (which in my experiene - I own both - is the better) and b) because buying new hardware encourages new hardware. Buying a second hand PowerMac doesn't encourage any new hardware - quite the opposite. It's the Hyperion decision NOT to run on old hardware that's the reason the Sams and X1000s exist, so it's a decision I completely concur with.

I'm looking forward to him doing a follow-up article "one month later".

[tasmanian guy]

Great review.  It has certainly turned me off from buying a Sam460 or any other OS4.0 system.  Talk about over expensive crap!  I'm sorry but others are right, this is not a user friendly system, but a system that is like beta.
 
I'll still with my Amiga 1200 rack (with 68040 now) and for when I need the extra speed, WINUAE.
 
I still have a Macmini for Morphos but can't get an answer on a software compatibilty list for it!
 
Hopefully though prices will come down and the system will improve over time, as I always wanted Amiga to continue in some form or another!