Amiga 2000, What use?

[trekiej]

I miss the Ole 2000. I thought it was tough like a tank.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Is that 4000 keyboard adapter specific to Amiga or generic? I'd like that.

@gary2000 - it's just a generic "mini-DIN to big DIN" adapter I've had kicking around in a box for years. Think you can still find 'em at some computer stores, or if not ebay has tons of 'em. Most of them have a few inches of cable in-between the two connectors, but I like this one because it's more compact (also it pretty closely matches the color of my Miggy). Here's a few better pictures for your reference.

[smerf]

@Stingray76

If you like video work you can purchase and install a video toaster in it, it will play most amiga games OCS or ECS, but don't bother buying AGA, I use an A500 for a Home inventory program using SoftwoodFile IIgs data base, I like this program because I can make up a data base and use pictures with it. I use Gimp on a PC download the pictures off my camera, then convert them to 320 x 200 gif format, then transfer them to the Amiga where I use a graphics program to convert the gif to ilbm. What I like about the Amiga is that I can backup my database to floppy and put them someplace else but in the house, this way if something happens in the house I still have my home inventory backup with software stored out in my truck, garage and my car. The Amiga 2000 is a very reliable machine, and like my Amiga 4000 I haven't lost any data on it since 1992, try that on a PC, just last week I had to redo 2 of my 4 PC's because someone bombed me with virus's, probably those illegal immigrant invaders.
Anyway really any computer is still useful if you can find a use for it. I even found a use for that old mini mac that I bought to try out MorphOS, it makes a perfect door holder on one door in my house that refuses to stay open, what about MorphOS, well it just doesn't add that much weight to the Mac mini, software bits are very light.

[Djole]

@Stingray76

just last week I had to redo 2 of my 4 PC's because someone bombed me with virus's, probably those illegal immigrant invaders.

What does that mean ?

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

What does that mean ?

Yeah.... I was just going to let that one go.  I think a translation could be "I had to reimage 2 of my PC's because I was looking at sites I shouldn't be looking at, and clicking on things I ought not have clicked on, when using an outdated web browser and lacking antivirus or firewall software."
 
:griping:

[rdolores]

If you use the A2000 for the software it was originally designed for (ie Deluxe Paint, Deluxe Music, ProWrite, Games), it will be fine.  If you can get an accelerator (A2630, GVP, etc...), you could do Raytracing, Desktop Publishing and Desktop Video.  You could also install WHDLoad which lets you run games off your hard drive.  I have an A2500 (which is an A2000 with the A2630 option: 68030 processor and 4 MB 32-bit Fast RAM), GVP HD controller with 4 MB 16-bit Fast RAM) and a A2320 Amber card (which allows me to use modern VGA monitors.  I replaced the original 52 MB hard drive with a 4 GB hard drive from a dead server not too long ago.  It has the ECS Paula (1 MB Chip RAM), but an OCS Denise.  I removed the clock battery when it started to leak.  I also added a SCSI CD-ROM drive to it.  It's kind of like a Resto-MOD computer (restored, but with some updated components).  It's a 6.2 rev motherboard which makes it easy to convert to PAL mode (great for games) if I want to.  I run it about once a week or so just to get that old Amiga magic feeling.  But for the main program I use (Deluxe Music), I use WinUAE (the screen redraw is a lot faster with Picasso mode).  Still a lot more fun than the Windows machines I have to deal with at work.

[AmigaPixel]

First off please excuse my ignorance when it comes to the Amigas. I have owned four different models since about 1985. Have been out of the Amiga scene for many years and the brain just does not work like it use to.

I am contemplating getting an A2000 and was wondering just what use is it? I mean with the A1200/600 and A4000, what can you really do with an OCS chipped machine?  No AGA for nice modern screens. Aren't you limited to WB3.1(w/ 3.1 rom)?? I know there were upgrades but most are long since out of production and the old ones sell for a mint.

Is it possible to find IDE upgrades now?? What about graphics?? I have read about the ACA500 and something like that would really fire up my old 500. Anything similar for the A2000??

Sorry for all the questions but trying to re learn.

Hi Stingray76,

 The A2000 is still a fun machine play with and I would agree with every thing Oldsmobile_Mike listed. I am in the process of revamping my A2000 It needs a new PSU and way to connect to a PC monitor. (All my Amiga monitors died years ago.) Have you seen Oldsmobile_Mike' photos of his A2000? As others have said it is a very robust and versatile machine. The accelerator will be an expensive option but I am sure if you shop around you will find a reasonable deal.  I intend to use the Video Toaster for mine which I purchased a few years ago but never had a chance to use because my monitors dying. Other than that, all of the reasons already mentioned in the thread illustrate just some of the uses for an A2000. I am guessing Commodore may have sold more A500's but the A2000 was next most sold machine with the most revisions to the motherboard. It was considered the work horse for many video and graphics users even after the release of later models.Therefore there were many products made for it.

[Jiffy]

It has the ECS Paula (1 MB Chip RAM).

Sorry, there ain't no such thing as an ECS Paula and it also doesn't have anything to do with chip ram. You are most likely talking about Agnus.

[spirantho]

I use my A2000s as hosts for bridgeboards and playing/testing A500 games, as well as for testing my Prisma card (playing mp3s on a 7MHz 68000 Amiga 2000 is cool ).
My main home A2000 has a graphics card, SSD, GoldenGate bridgeboard and 68030 Apollo accelerator: it lives under the main telly for 40" gaming goodness

[Thorham]

Oh well, at least it ain't Sinatra.

Sinatra kicks the snot out of that garbage :p

[motrucker]

I still use an A2000 almost every day. It is '030 fired with 3.5OS. I use it for graphics (DPaint, ImageFX, etc.) DTP (Pagestream 3.4) games, etc., etc..
Damn good machine....

[Tenacious]

One of my favorite configurations is with Supra's Turbo28 MHz 16-bit accelerator.  Usually much more economical than 32-bit accelerators, but, very compatible.  One is up for auction now:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amiga-500-Supra-Turbo-28-Accelerator-/281234322548?pt=US_Vintage_Computing_Parts_Accessories&hash=item417adf3474.

No, I have nothing to do with this auction, just pointing it out because of all the recent discourse about expensive expansions.

[rdolores]

You are correct.  Mixed up my custom chips.

Sorry, there ain't no such thing as an ECS Paula and it also doesn't have anything to do with chip ram. You are most likely talking about Agnus.

[Iggy]

Sinatra kicks the snot out of that garbage :p

That isn't saying much (and the guy sings like Bill Murray - make my hackles stand up).

[gary2000]

Olds Mike- Thanks for info.

Since I can't fix my 4000, might as well use keyboard.

[smerf]

What does that mean ?

It means that I have someone who doesn't like my stand on illegal immigrants or as the liberals say undocumented workers, living in America, they came here illegally and now they are demanding to become Americans, my wife is an immigrant, she came to the country and waited her time (I think 11 years) and then took the test and now she is an American. I just have a bug up my butt, that if this poor girl can do it, so can everyone else. I have no pity for illegal immigrants.

Sorry about talking politics, but you did ask, how do I know, I have the guys phone number and address, and yes he is an illegal immigrant. Just trying to figure out if I should send him a nice virus called the Bugs Bunny virus. It is pretty funny a small movie of Bugs Bunny that pops up and says "Whats up Doc?" This movie pops up at various times and is written completely in binary, it was made by one of our old pranksters when the Navy first got computers back in 1982.

Anyhow this clown knocked out my modem, my big gaming PC, and my old gaming PC, that is the bad news, the good news is he attacked my Amiga 4000 and couldn't touch it. It plays as normal.
Remember the old term, back up, back up, back up. Well it works especially if you have Microsoft junk. The only thing I use Microsoft for is games and surfing the internet. All my important stuff is kept on Linux or my Amiga 4000. Of course for really important stuff it is kept on a USB thumb drive, that stays with me 24 hours around the clock.

And no Iggy it isn't porn pictures.

It is scans of my insurance policies and my new Home Manager Inventory system for keeping an inventory on everything in my house (I hope still updating). I also have a thumbdrive on my Amiga with Softwood File IIGS and a copy of Amiga Forever, so I can mount it on any PC. Yes it is double the work, but backing up especially important files is very important, if you think Computers are expensive then just add up all your software, and important stuff you are keeping track of, then think about the time it took you to do it. Like they say "I can always replace my computer" but the data that it holds is priceless.

Now do I hate illegal immigrants, no, I have sent in letters to our really in tune politicians that if they need these people to work, have a work station set up where they can be given an ID card to work in this country for a certain amount of time and where they will be working, if they do not return the card by the end date, and re-enter their country then if caught they will not be allowed back in the country to legally work again. Of course there are other things I have had in the bill, like citizenship studies, taxes, etc. but I have heard nothing since I sent the bill in. Probably dropped in the circular file because the rich people would have to pay a little higher wages.

Rant over, but now you see how I use my Amiga 4000 for other things and how it just laughs at those trying to mess it up. Of course it only goes on line when I see a file for it I like.

smerf