Need advice: A500 or A1200?

[ChuckT]

@folks

ok, guys. at amiwest this year i decided i wanted to get a keyboard-based classic amiga for the children to play games on. i really, really liked the A500 -- it seemed very solid and was compatible with just about everything. but the A1200 is faster, and it has AGA. so....

which one should i get? are there any advantages to the A500? i don't really want to go down the emulation route, nor minimig or anything like that. i'm looking for a one-piece amiga that will hold up to a seven year-old boy and his friends. which reminds me: i'm going to need a very sturdy joystick as well.

i welcome your suggestions! :hammer:

-- eliyahu

A younger computer may last longer than an older one but nothing is for certain.
I think I would go for the upgrade.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

On the flipside I guess you could say the A500 is easier to work on (socketed chips), not as prone to leaky capacitors, etc.  Although as others have mentioned it does take up more room on a desk.  Flip a coin!

[amiman99]

I would go with A1200, as you can see, I have all of them.
The A1200 has all the features that you need and A500 does not have.

I'm not sure what monitor/TV setup you'll use, but for A500 you will need some RGB-composite or RGB-to-VGA converter. On A1200 composite video is standard.

A1200 has a PCMCIA port, which gives you LAN or CF Card, hard to do with A500. CF card is good for transferring files between PC and Amiga.

A1200 has a HD, A500 not. For your child to enjoy Amiga games you NEED HD and WHDLoad, trust me, kids today are not too patient like we are and will not wait long to load games and don't get me started on multi-disk games and the swapping it can cause.

As far as choosing A1200, I would go with Amiga Technologies version, that what I have. I think they are more reliable. It's been running weekly w/o problems and it's still sitting on my desk getting use.

Or other Alternative, CD32.

[AmigaOldskooler]

If you go for the Amiga 500, there is a big chance you'll want an Amiga 1200 later. Especially if you consider games like AGA-games/versions like Banshee, Deluxe Galaga, Simon the Sorcerer, Slam Tilt, Super Stardust, Virocop (this game rocks!).

I would personally go for the 1200 right away. Amiman99 pointed out many important factors you should consider (composite video, PCMCIA-port for transferring files, internal HD support - you name it!).

The Amiga 500 was my first Amiga, so I do of course like it a lot. It is not a bad purchase and you get a HUGE software library to explore, but... the A1200 can do most Amiga 500 stuff anyways.

Good luck on your purchase - hope your children will be happy! My daughter loves playing Noddy's Playtime on the A1200.

[kjmann]

Get the A500. Do the 1meg Chip ram Upgrade. make sure it's Rev 6a Mobo. but the ACA500 so you can have hdd on CF card and use WHDload. Also pick up a Cortex Floppy Emulator to install as the main drive. I can get you one ready to go for $35.

Deluxe Galaga works on ECS.

The 500 is much more durable. the 1200 cannot take much abuse. in fact, they're kinda fragile.

[klx300r]

...The Amiga 500 was my first Amiga, so I do of course like it a lot. It is not a bad purchase and you get a HUGE software library to explore, but... the A1200 can do most Amiga 500 stuff anyways.

)

Actuly the 1200 can run anything the 500 since whdload without ROM switchers etc (well with registering WHDLoad :-)

[danbeaver]

Off topic:

You want durable that a kid can't destroy?  Dude, you cannot destroy an A2000!





[Dude -- from the Old Testament/Torah: "Deuteronomy"]

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

You want durable that a kid can't destroy? Dude, you cannot destroy an A2000!

Ha!  +1  :hammer:

[NovaCoder]

Off topic:

You want durable that a kid can't destroy?  Dude, you cannot destroy an A2000!


[Dude -- from the Old Testament/Torah: "Deuteronomy"]

The only things that could survive a nuclear winter...cockroaches and Amiga 2000's.




I vote for an A500 too.   They are bigger, heavier and far more 'retro' than those newfangled A1200's.


Also consider a CD32 for easy of use.

[ElPolloDiabl]

I'd pick the A1200. There would be a lot more games you can play on it.
They are both pretty sturdy.
A500 will do the job, but you may find it lacks in some areas.

[som99]

I would take the A1200 since most of today's kids ain't patient enough for the floppy loading times.
The A1200 needs less work/money to get WHDLoad running.

[gertsy]

If cost is an issue and floppy media desired then the answer is the 500.
If cost is less of an issue then WHDliad on a 1200 with extra ram delivers the compatibility but with effort.
But you can just get both of them and have the best of both worlds.

[Borut]

+1 for the A1200. With an 68030-based-accelerator you also get the most usable Amiga for not so much money.

[Duce]

A1200, by far.  With some trapdoor RAM or a cheap accel with RAM and a CF card expansion they make for a terrific gaming machine with WHDLoad.

Add an accelerator card and a PCMCIA NIC and they are a pretty versatile and affordable little machine.  I never cared for the wedge Amiga's at all for the most part, but I had a lot of fun with the A1200 I owned fairly recently.

Expansion capabilities at a fairly reasonable cost and reasonable availability of expansion hardware for A1200's can't be beat, either.

[danwood]

I did a video on this subject

"Buying an Amiga - Which Model To Buy?"

http://youtu.be/Pi_nQXWYr-M

TLDR: A1200

[fitzsteve]

the 500? or the add on card? delicate?

Sorry for the late reply, the A500 is a sturdy beast so no of course not but the ram/ide upgrade clips in the CPU socket and has two small wires to solder to the motherboard, potentially if the machine was bumped or shoved something could come loose so not ideal for a machine that will be used by youngsters.

I'd just get a big box of used floppies and let them play the old fashioned way!  Most Amiga's have lots of Disks I'm sure they'd love to get rid of  so it would be no trouble finding them.

I give the same advice for the ACA500 which was mentioned earlier in the thread, again a cracking bit o kit but it's exposed outside the machine with delicate CF card slots, I really don't think that's suitable for a 7 year old.

Some of the best racing games, Stunt car Racer and Lotus 2 both work great on an A500 as do most of the best Games.  AGA only make up a small percentage of Games for Amiga.