New project for the benefit of all classic computing!

[ChaosLord]

@som99

11 of your keys have 3 symbols on them!!!!

WTF?!?!  Why don't US keyboards get 11 keys with 3 symbols on them?!?  Or how about 20 keys with 3 symbols on them?  That is much much more useful!  That way you can actually type out kewl symbols without having to memorize complicated key combos!!!  I feel so cheated now.

p.s. u have no Amiga keys in your layout diagram.  I can't live without my Amiga keys.  

[anglosaxonusa]

1) An RTG solution for the A1200. maybe a small pcb that fits between the mobo and the accelerator board.
2) A cheap USB solution for the clockport.

I second this, but for the A2000 as well.  A USB card would be very useful for users of A500, A600, A2000, and A3000.  That may be where you want to start.  Zorro ethernet cards will also be in demand.

First preference would be the following:

1) A new 60860 accelerator with 1 or 2 gigs of RAM and an integrated P96-compatable RTG card with > 4 megs of RAM with a fast bus to the proc.

...if that is not possible, the following would be nice:

2) A new 68060 accelerator with 1 or 2 gigs of RAM.
3) New Zorro II and Zorro III RTG cards with > 4 megs of RAM.

...the end goal should be to give classic Amigas enough power to browse the web, hence the push for 060 accelerators and RTG cards.  These expansions are in demand and often sell for hundreds of dollars online, so there is an incentive in creating them.  Also, the Amiga community should fund a bounty for a native port of Netsurf.  Again, the goal is to get classic Amigas surfing the web and at higher colors and resolutions.

If you do take a stab at creating a new motherboard, please target the layouts of the original systems and not new PC cases.  Much of the joy of owning a classic Amiga is in keeping the old girls up and running for as long as possible.  An new motherboard in a new case is a new machine.

[Thorham]

An new motherboard in a new case is a new machine.

I would kill for new A1200 motherboards

[som99]

@som99

11 of your keys have 3 symbols on them!!!!

WTF?!?!  Why don't US keyboards get 11 keys with 3 symbols on them?!?  Or how about 20 keys with 3 symbols on them?  That is much much more useful!  That way you can actually type out kewl symbols without having to memorize complicated key combos!!!  I feel so cheated now.

p.s. u have no Amiga keys in your layout diagram.  I can't live without my Amiga keys.  

I like the 3 symbols setup, helps a lot when programming and such
Then how about this keyboard layout

[lionstorm]

* new joystick in the style of the konix speedking... (yes I know I am dreaming)
* cheap USB solution for all Amiga models (specially A1200)
* cheap adapter to plug USB whell mouse
* cheap PS1/2/3 joypad adapter
* cheap Scandoubler/FickerFixer or something equivalent so that we could use these damned LCD without blur

[ChaosLord]

First preference would be the following:

1) A new 60860 accelerator with 1 or 2 gigs of RAM and an integrated P96-compatable RTG card with > 4 megs of RAM with a fast bus to the proc.

I am all for it... but... by adding an RTG card onto the accelerator the project suddenly becomes 10x more complicated.  I believe it will be complicated enough that he will just keep delaying and delaying and delaying it and then... it never happens.

...if that is not possible, the following would be nice:

2) A new 68060 accelerator with 1 or 2 gigs of RAM.

That sounds 10x easier.  And I would rather have a real 060 card with 2GB of RAM on it than a theoretical version with RTG on it that doesn't exist and has no drivers.

Elbox will happily sell you a Mediator board with PCI slots on it and a 256MB PCI gfx card with drivers for Amiga computers today.

I don't see any compelling reason for him to just duplicate what Elbox already did for us.  Duplicating Elbox does not advance the Amiga community.  Elbox has a website.  They will accept your money.  They will give you a working product.  I have a Mediator that is around 13 years old and still works great.

If he tries to add RTG onto the board then he will right away spend 200 hours shopping around for a gfx chip to put on the board, reading comments about it, looking at source code of drivers, trying to find a good price, etc. etc.  then he has to work out how to control access to the RAM since the gfx chip and the 060 will be fighting each other for access.  It becomes real hard work and will take forever.

[ChaosLord]

@som99

I luv ur naked keyboard.  It soooooo beautiful  :knuddel:

Wow!  You have 4 symbols on some of your keys! :banana:
Reminds me of the old 8-bit days when keyboards had real character (pun not intended)

My only complaints are:
1. I don't like the return key.
2. I don't like that there is no scroll lock key so my KVM switch won't work on it

KVM switch saves me the cost of another monitor.  And saves me a ton of space in my small humble abode.

p.s. Never mind!  There is a Scroll Lock key on the numpad!  Silly me!

[Plaz]

What I want from you now is what do you want NOW

Can you do replacement pal/gal chips for 3640/040 cards? Lots of those out there that need repair.
Matter of fact, the schematics for the 3640 are available. Could be a cheap start to a cpu card project, Though there are a lot of reasons it's not a well performing card, it's still a nice bump up from stock.

Plaz

[ChaosLord]

* cheap adapter to plug USB whell mouse
* cheap PS1/2/3 joypad adapter
* cheap Scandoubler/FickerFixer or something equivalent so that we could use these damned LCD without blur

The solutions already on the market and publicly available for sale today are as cheap as you are going to get.

[kickstart]

I like the 3 symbols setup, helps a lot when programming and such
Then how about this keyboard layout

Same keyboard on my a1200 =)

[som99]

@som99

I luv ur naked keyboard.  It soooooo beautiful  :knuddel:

Wow!  You have 4 symbols on some of your keys! :banana:
Reminds me of the old 8-bit days when keyboards had real character (pun not intended)

My only complaints are:
1. I don't like the return key.
2. I don't like that there is no scroll lock key so my KVM switch won't work on it

KVM switch saves me the cost of another monitor.  And saves me a ton of space in my small humble abode.

p.s. Never mind!  There is a Scroll Lock key on the numpad!  Silly me!

Yepp, was taking a photo to show you well here they are

Same keyboard on my a1200 =)

Wohoo

[TheRogue]

Can you do replacement pal/gal chips for 3640/040 cards? Lots of those out there that need repair.
Matter of fact, the schematics for the 3640 are available. Could be a cheap start to a cpu card project, Though there are a lot of reasons it's not a well performing card, it's still a nice bump up from stock.

Plaz

I will absolutely see about doing replacement PALs for this. I already have a programmer that handles PLDs, and I will see if I can get the JEDEC files. Any PLDs that people need I will be happy to program.

I love the idea of some sort of replacement keyboard with tactile switches. Perhaps it could even be worked out as a replacement assembly for the current models of Amiga keyboards, so people can keep the original look with a much better feel to it. Sorry I don't have much time today to reply, I am really running around. Back tomorrow with full responses to everything! In the meantime, keep those comments and suggestions coming!

[J-Golden]

I'm going to throw my bid in with the Accelerator plus a few gigs. of ram.  We have enough solutions for all the other ideas but there are some real shortages in the Accel. department...

[Plaz]

I will see if I can get the JEDEC files.

I have them somewhere if you'd like to give it a try. Looked at doing some myself but would have had to upgrade or replace my burner to handle them.

Plaz

[paul1981]

I am all for it... but... by adding an RTG card onto the accelerator the project suddenly becomes 10x more complicated.  I believe it will be complicated enough that he will just keep delaying and delaying and delaying it and then... it never happens.


That sounds 10x easier.  And I would rather have a real 060 card with 2GB of RAM on it than a theoretical version with RTG on it that doesn't exist and has no drivers.

Elbox will happily sell you a Mediator board with PCI slots on it and a 256MB PCI gfx card with drivers for Amiga computers today.

I don't see any compelling reason for him to just duplicate what Elbox already did for us.  Duplicating Elbox does not advance the Amiga community.  Elbox has a website.  They will accept your money.  They will give you a working product.  I have a Mediator that is around 13 years old and still works great.

If he tries to add RTG onto the board then he will right away spend 200 hours shopping around for a gfx chip to put on the board, reading comments about it, looking at source code of drivers, trying to find a good price, etc. etc.  then he has to work out how to control access to the RAM since the gfx chip and the 060 will be fighting each other for access.  It becomes real hard work and will take forever.

I know you're right, but it would be really brilliant to have a new 060/graphics card combo all in the 1200 case (I'm not a fan of towers).
Personally I don't mind waiting for something truly amazing. I mean, what's the rush? If this chap can really do this, then lets do it proper and have a real think about it. Without a super graphics capability, I don't see the need for all that RAM.

[Plaz]

I don't mind waiting for something truly amazing.

Paul I'm not picking on your post at all, just referencing to add my point.....

I'd much rather see some smaller doable projects get done first, then build up to larger things if possible. I've lost count of the times we've all waited on some lofty hardware only to endlessly bash each other over the details, then watch it all end in tears yeeeears later with no product. Absolutely no offense to Rouge, but at this time I'd think the best authority on a 060 type card would be Jens. There must be good reasons he's not tackled one yet.

Rouge do you have any tangible game plan for an 060 design or starting out here from scratch?

Plaz