CD solution for A1200?

[Jose]

u can also use one of those SCSI to IDE adapters. DMA with the SCSI kit really improves things for stuff like playing videos.

[Kronos]

My advice:
SubWay + USB-CD-RW.

Allows you to hotplug the drives.
Allows you to use the drive on other computers.
Allows you to use other USB devices like kbds mice joypads ....
Will work without any modifications to the case (other than exchanging the
small cover behind the num-pad with one featuring USB-sockets).

Got the SubWay's bigger brother (HIghWay a Zorro-card) in my A4000,
and it is sweeeeeeeeeeet  ;-)

[Acill]

If you get a SCSI contoller I can send you a 12X external panasonic SCSI CD drive for the price of shipping to the UK from the USA. I dont think it will be to bad. I used it on my A3000 for about a year and its just great. I use a 32X IDE now.

[Jose]

@Kronos

Been there but on a PC.
Unless you have a [EDIT]USB2 connection it's gonna be dead slow. 4x or so.  And the subway is slower than the highway according to some bechnmarks, so it's gonna be even slower than a PC with USB1.1 only. It'll take an hour or more to writte a  complete CD.
Also I found that I don't use the portability adavantage much cause virutally most PC's or some PC nearby already has a CDRW/DVDRW. So that's not worth the extra price and the slowness in the case of an Amiga unless U use a mediator with a Spider wich would be fast I guess.

I like the Subway, and will get one for my A1200 as my finances are better, but for CD usage I don't think it's good.

Personally my opinion is, if you're thinking about upgrading your Amiga 1200 to a good usable system even compared to PC's, get a DMA SCSI controler cause that will dramatically improve things on the HD side  too.
But it all depends on what you want to do of course...


[EDIT]
I got to start reading the whole posts....
He said cheapest and easiest way without concerning speed ( "speed immaterial"). I guess an ixternal IDE unit fitted in  a cheap second hand external case or even without it, using a splitter to the A1200's internal IDE port, would be the cheapest. You can pass the cable out through the little expansion port on the rear right side of the A1200 case.  DON'T make the cable too long though.

[doctorq]

Well, I used the Alfa Data CD1200 device, and it's  really easy to use, and no modifications has to be made.

The device is hooked to the PCMCIA port, and power is taken from the floppy port (so an external floppy drive has to be able to connect more drives).

I don't really use it that much any longer as it's at my parents house :-(

[Abou27]

I think I'll try and get a Blizzard SCSI controller.  Maybe not cheapest solution but would give quite a bit extra flexibility.  If my AmigaSuperBit order ever arrives, I'll give them a shot!
Thanks for all info.

@wolfe

That might be a little more complicated than I was thinking :-)   It would be pretty cool, though!

@acill

Thanks for offer - most kind indeed.  I'll give you a buzz if I get hold of a controller.

[Brian]

As anyone here can see the options are almost endless and range from lowcost to pritty expencive deals.

The best way would certanly be to get the SCSI module as you will not only get a nice and strightforward interface for the CDRom but also for other SCSI hardware... downside is the cost... well worth it if you need SCSI for other things, a bit too expencive just for CD support.

The easiest way would probably be a PCMCIA interface such as Alfa Data CD1200 witch should be quite cheap, or Artchos OverdriveCD witch can be expencive (and I've owned these and the cable from the PCMCIA to the CD isn't hi quality and do easily fail), or Sulf/Squirrel SCSI controller witch is almost as expencive as the SCSI solusion for your turboboard (and also with the same cable problem as Archos OverdriveCD).

The cheapest way would be to get hold of a 2.5"->2.5"->3.5" IDE cable and use it with the internal IDE controller... problem here is that you need to get the IDE cable outside the case somehow and that usually meens modding, also the internal SCSI.device doesn't support ATAPI devices so you need some drivers such as Idefix or AsimCDFS.

The most expencive but not a winner in any category is to get hold of the USB controller subway and use a USB CDrom but as other's here already pointed out it lack in speed and is as said the most expencive way.

[HopperJF]

there is a squirrel on amibench with offers from ex long term amiga dealer derek brockhouse