Amiga 600 to buy or not to buy

[Colani1200]

Buy it!

[AndyLandy]

There wasn't ever an issue on this thread whether an A1200 is better than an A600! It's silly to just compare these 2.

The OP mentioned wanting an A1200 in his first post. I'm just sayin' that if he can only justify the one, he's probably better off holding out for the A1200.

As for the A500 over the A600, I'd pick the A600 any day. Smaller footprint, more modern hardware. ECS/2MB Chip/IDE/PCMCIA and with all the accessories that Jens makes for it, it's a far more interesting machine.

But if you've got an A1200 for expanding like mad and a pre-existing A500 for the old-skool experience, do you really need an A600 as well?

Again, it all depends on where you're going. It's a hobby. My A3000 is pretty pointless since I have an A1200 and an A4000, but it's still cool to have the 3k. I'm toying with the idea of getting another A600, I gave my last one away.

[gertsy]

The OP mentioned wanting an A1200 in his first post. I'm just sayin' that if he can only justify the one, he's probably better off holding out for the A1200.

.

Agree.

[AmiDude]

A600 is most of the times cheap comparing it with A500+ and personally I never had an issues with cap damage in an A600 (and I had 4 of them).
Only had an cap issue once in an A1200 mobo of mine.

A600 is a nice upgrade from an A500 for the following reasons:
- Mainly DUE to it's easy 2MB Chip (unless you find frequently A500+ without leak damage, or you plan to get expensive MiniMegi boards for your Rev.6A ones).
- Fitting an IDE internally is too easy and cheap. Try doing that with an A500!!! (For example CF2IDE adapters for 80 euro each). Unless you prefer the expensive path of big external enclosures of A590 and SCSI drives!
- Having PCMCIA for easy file transfer via CF adapter is easy and awesome. Unless you find transferring files with your PC via null modem cable or CrossDOS via floppy disks... such full of win!
- Networking is piss easy with PCMCIA Ethernet NICS. I can't recall any easy solution for networking in A500 UNLESS you wanna get a Subway and USB Ethernet NIC. Oh wait... you'd need an 030 then to be able to use networking.
- Acceleration is easy, with neat features and warranty.
- Putting an 1MB 27C800 Eprom with custom Kickstart is easy and doesn't require modding!

Small footprint might be not important to many so I'm not putting that as an upgrade.
Sure there are many fans of A500s and I respect it, but there are also fans of an A600 (like me) as well. In the end... it's just a matter of personal preference. Telling NOT to buy or to BUY is not something that helps really the future buyer. Just point out the pros and cons of both systems and let the buyer be the judge of that.

Personally I'd choose an A600 over an A500 any day. Apart from that... "Opinions are like a**holes. Everybody has one "

@ mfilos

I'm with you on this matter! I also have had multiple (6 or 7) A600's, and never had any issues or bad caps with them. The o'll A500 can't compete with the A600! :biglaugh:

[tone007]

Psh, you'll never get RTG on an A600!

A500 with an expansion slot to Zorro adapter will let you!

[AmiDude]

Psh, you'll never get RTG on an A600!

A500 with an expansion slot to Zorro adapter will let you!

We don't need an expansion slot to Zorro adapter for RTG (it's to bulky),
we have an A4000 for that!  :razz:

[Amiga_Nut]

^ Well you are lucky then, most of us are not with regards to the little old A600, but the fact of the matter is newer Amigas are plagued with CAP issues so the OP asked if he should buy an A600 or keep his old trusty A500, so I threw him my two pennies.  

Not sure about you but If I had a choice in a retro computer where I did not have to constantly be replacing caps I would pick that one.  The A500/2000 series do not have SMD caps to replace like the A600/1200 and 4000.

But hey he can get it and have both!  (Like me I collect all Amigas)  But just don't think you can replace the A500 with a A600 as you might end up having a dead Amiga sooner than you think

A600 has nice and simple standard IDE interface, try finding an AdIDE board for an A500/1000 now anywhere.....end of story. If you never use the HDD then OK but most people would like a reasonably quiet and fast IDE drive inside their Amiga.

[mfilos]

@Amidude
Respect mate!

@tone007
It's true. RTG on A600 isn't possible but on A500 with a side Zorro expansion is possible for sure. If you find Mr. Frankenstein sexy or usable... it's up to you I guess
Tbh I don't need RTG on A600 when it runs awesomely well on 640x512 @ 16 colors and the awesome palette of Rebel!






I seen very sexy A500 setups converted to desktop or Tower projects that could make an old man burst into tears due to elegance and quality of the mod.

I also agree that if your expectation is having a game machine for loading floppy games... THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON for you to buy an A600 or any other Amiga. A500 is the best choice you got.

For any other option I insist on getting an A600 for awesome look and features and if you want extra pwnage get an A1200 or A4000 if you can spare da bucks and be done with (A3000 is for the collectorz and tis is an awesome machine to have).

[tone007]

If you find Mr. Frankenstein sexy or usable... it's up to you I guess

[mfilos]

Hahahaha! Nice one!

I always had a vision of putting an RTG card under the A500 making a custom PCB or wiring teh Zorro slot under it :O
Making an 1cm extension base (in same width-length of the A500) to host this custom PCB along with an RTG card and an 2060 would be a neat option.

[Brian]

Hahahaha! Nice one!

I always had a vision of putting an RTG card under the A500 making a custom PCB or wiring teh Zorro slot under it :O
Making an 1cm extension base (in same width-length of the A500) to host this custom PCB along with an RTG card and an 2060 would be a neat option.

I've seen a commersial product like that almost... a box underneath the A500 about 2-3cm tall housing 2 Zorro slots and DF1.

The other route if you can live with existing A500 accelerators is to get a defective GVP HD8+ controller, gutt it and install a Picasso2+ in it through a Zorro addapter... should fit and keep the A500 look intact... no frankenstein.

It's still nothing easily trown in a bag like the A600 though.

[a1200]

I had one of the 030 a600's project's on the web. Similar to Amiga600.de, mine was amiga600.net - now domain is used for my blog, but you can still see the old site if you go back 3-4 years on archive.org. The A600 doesn't have the same quality feel to it as the A500 but having a small size, on-board IDE and PCMCIA made for a credible machine. That said if I had to just have one Amiga it would be the A1200 - AGA, still in a relatively small case and easy to expand.

[scuzzb494]

An oppertunity to buy an amiga 600 has come up and I cant decide if I should or not! Basicaly I have a 500 and have wanted a 1200 for some time but not really been fussed about the 600. I sort off see it stuck in the middle with ECS being not much better than the 500 but with the chance to fit a harddrive which is something I have wanted on an amiga which would be cool! I do think its the best looking of the amigas though!

So basicaly I wondered what you all think of the 600 should I buy it??

I would wait and buy an Amiga 1200. Simply because there are/were far more accelerators made for the 1200 and they had the SCSI KIT on say the Blizzard. You can Squirrel the 600 but I like the SCSI through the back leaving the PCMCIA free for a network card. The 1200 is just easier to expand.

I do have quite a few 600's, see below, and wouldn't suggest they were inferior, but once you use and expand an A1200 you would never go back to the 600.

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz93.htm

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz33.htm

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz107.htm

The best conversion ever of the 500 was the Checkmate... I have two.

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz86.htm

The 500 is a classic machine. I just leap frogged the 600 to the 1200 and then went and got a 600 for the odd games. However I mothballed it in favour of more 1200's. Once bitten I guess.

My main A1200 has an internal hard drive, two external SCSI hard drives, ZIP drive, CD drive, HD drive, network card , internet connection via broadband and still works perfectly since 1993. Great machine.

[runequester]

Scuzz! Havent seen you in forever

[XDelusion]

PAL A1200 makes sense due to boot options, but what type of set-up do you have here for your PAL A600?

I have:

A604 Memory Expansion
Indivision ECS Internal Flicker Fixer
Subway USB Controller
IDE to Compact Fash Interface
8BG CF Card Used as Hard Drive
4Gb CF Card used with PCMCIA Compact Flash Adaptor
ACA 630/25 Stealth Accelerator with 32Mb of RAM.
MIDI 1 MIDI Controller

...and a few other odds and ends I use from time to time.

Next step, a sound card to use in conjunction with my beloved Paula.

[runequester]

thats a pretty badass 600