Anyone seen/got this (Armiga project) - Page 2

02 March 2017, 17:08

Hi Clebin,

Sad/disappointing - agreed. In terms of the sticker prototype/not for resale - that was something that they acknowledged after sale. That is to say it does not mention that the device is a prototype (anywhere) at the point of sale and via their shop (at least as of a few or so ago). But they said that is exactly what it is meant to be - a prototype and a device in development.

Simply put, that's a huge disconnect in messaging. The value proposition, that is to say, what is being advertised and what they were selling is not the same thing. At least that was the case upto a few weeks ago - unless they have updated the site/shop.

From the conversation I had with them and the research that I did, it would seem as though they inadvertently or mistakenly dropped all reference to on going development and prototype when they moved from the indiegogo kickstarter-esque campaign to their own website. They have wanted to present the device in a nice way, but in doing so they have inadvertently misled people. I put this to them in correspondance and they agreed with this summation.

In terms of whether the device I had was a one off with problems or reflective of all devices...

A lot of the problems I put to them were eventually acknowledged in correspondance and/or other customers corroborated the same issues. The number and scale of the problems here are numerous and significant. From working in the games industry and my experience their I would deem this to be at an Alpha stage of development as a project. Not being funny (at all, your questioning is genuine and makes sense) but I am far too experienced to just take one unit and base all comments off of that - that isn't what i've done. I was a tester for Sony, a lead tester and designer for Eidos and designer for Gremlin and I ended up as a corporate whore/senior computer software producer for various companies...sodding which lol...

Do they have the funds to move this product forward and get it where it needs to be?

Hard to say, but I would be very worried for any of their customers. I would be concerned about the project running out of cash. I would also be concerned as to whether they have enough control and understanding when it comes to the hardware and the software elements which have not been created by them - cubieboard2 and UAE respectively. You're quite right about the latter, that is exactly what they are doing from my understanding.

The sad thing in all this is that I did get the impression that they are genuine people, genuine enthusiasts and that they have been trying to bring about something to be proud of that works. In one sense I hope that they progress, for their sake, that of their customers etc. Nobody wants anyones genuines hard work to come to naught or not work out. At the same time, I couldn't in good concience not tell people what they are likely walking into at the present time should they decide to buy. If they change the website and make it clear that this is a prototype and in early development and people still wish to buy-in, with the view of being part of a project, helping to bring it to fruition with bug reporting and feedback etc - I think that's completely different. I'm sure some people are interested in that type of thing - to such people and those behind the project, i'd say good luck.

It certainly wasn't for me though. I was very disappointed given the expectations that I came into this with - on the back of the advertised proposition.

You wondered what the appeal was? I think for some people, myself included, it was the idea of HDMI out connection and all the differing filter options in a conveniently small matchbox that had a claimed - very high compatibility in terms of games and pads in a small form factor. You only have to look at the cost of options when it comes to hooking up an actual Amiga to a modern LED TV via HDMI, to see the potential worth of that to some. With the slightly larger model the floppy drive also claimed that it would allow users to back up their own floppies - again with the convenience of the form factor. The latter is not something you can do with a Rasberry Pi and both versions claimed to have an altered version of UAE that afforded smooth running and that high compatability level.

Clearly I am not trying to sell you or anyone else on the device! lol. I am just saying that if it worked as advertised - well you can see the appeal for some.

Amiga1992 · 02 March 2017, 18:00

Get a Raspberry Pi. Stop the nonsense.
The new Zero W even has wifi, a great option at only $10 for a lot of ECS games!

EugeneNine · 02 March 2017, 18:32

is it fast enough?

I tried the original raspberry Pi with MAME and t was a little slow on some games. The Pi zero and zero W are both the same cpu hardware as the original Pi.

If your going to want emulation get the Pi2 or 3 are they are the faster ones.

Amiga1992 · 02 March 2017, 20:14

I tried a Zero with UAE4ARM and I managed to play a lot of games respectably. Of course the usual processor hogs (like Jim Power) tend to be an issue, but usually it's ok to start with (then you can easily upgrade to a Pi3).

I notice the Zero to be slightly faster than the original Pi for whatever reason, even when configured at the same clock speed.

spannernick · 03 October 2018, 16:02

Just looked at this,wow they didn't even make there own Logic board for it,at least The C64 Mini has its own Logic board .has anyone got the firmware for this i would like to look at it just the Armiga launcher part,that runs the Amiga games not Android part...?

No wonder they stopped making it.

Does anyone know what the drive was,a PC floppy drive or Amiga Floppy drive..?

Thanks..

There is a craz at the moment for Mini computers.Like the Original PS thats coming now,what will be next.

MickGyver · 03 October 2018, 21:02

Another option is the MISTer if you want to go with FPGA, you then need a Terasic DE10-Nano board for around 120€ + an sdram board for about 20€. The Amiga core is based on Minimig and you can also have other cores installed at the same time (C64, Mega Drive etc.). I recently bought one and I must say, the experience so far has been great! It was actually very easy to set up.

malko · 03 October 2018, 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickGyver

Another option is the MISTer if you want to go with FPGA, you then need a Terasic DE10-Nano board for around 120€ + an sdram board for about 20€. The Amiga core is based on Minimig and you can also have other cores installed at the same time (C64, Mega Drive etc.). I recently bought one and I must say, the experience so far has been great! It was actually very easy to set up.

Never heard about it. Thanks for the information MickGyver !
(MISTer home site)

spannernick · 04 October 2018, 14:46

Does no one have a Armiga any more then,The part I am after is the software that runs from the SD card Armiga OS,PM me if you got a Armiga Please.Thanks..

One funny thing I noticed is its says in the manual on the Armiga website

"The Armiga prototype is not intended for commercialization outside the beta program or reselling."

So people that buy the Armiga are not allowed to sale it if they don't want it no more ..?

Its like Microsoft saying you can buy Windows 10 but can't sale it with your PC.

If you don't want the Armiga anymore you should be allowed to sell it to someone who wants it,you bought it,what ..do they buy it back then..??

FicHitA · 02 January 2019, 02:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by spannernick

Does no one have a Armiga any more then,The part I am after is the software that runs from the SD card Armiga OS,PM me if you got a Armiga Please.Thanks..

Same here.... my microSD card died and the system was lost.... cant find it in the web or in the project page. Today i emailed the devs for any help....

Pyromania · 26 February 2019, 10:35

I wish Armiga was still in stock!

wizard1 · 26 February 2019, 10:55

Hi There,
I dont know if you know about this group or not, but they may be able to help you?.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/armiga/

Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by spannernick

Does no one have a Armiga any more then,The part I am after is the software that runs from the SD card Armiga OS,PM me if you got a Armiga Please.Thanks..

One funny thing I noticed is its says in the manual on the Armiga website

"The Armiga prototype is not intended for commercialization outside the beta program or reselling."

So people that buy the Armiga are not allowed to sale it if they don't want it no more ..?

Its like Microsoft saying you can buy Windows 10 but can't sale it with your PC.

If you don't want the Armiga anymore you should be allowed to sell it to someone who wants it,you bought it,what ..do they buy it back then..??

005AGIMA · 27 February 2019, 05:35

Just to chime in, UAE4ARM seems much better now in terms of compatibility. I'm using the droid version and no issues thus far.

The ARMIGA never appealed to me personally as it "looks" 3D printed (because it is), and at the time, I really wasn't into the whole "mini" concept of any system either.

Now perhaps it would tempt me.

Not everyone has the time/inclination to do DIY builds and turn key solutions have merit.

Pyromania · 11 March 2019, 15:22

I'm still looking for one of these and can't buy it new. Anyone selling a used one please?

spannernick · 22 September 2019, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizard1

Hi There,
I dont know if you know about this group or not, but they may be able to help you?.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/armiga/

Cheers

Now they are not made no more, you can now make one yourself very easily, it would just not have the printed case,there cases are not that great anyway. its would cost to make about £40 to £60 depending on how much the CB2 is (Mine was the 2 SD card slot version and it was £35 from eBay)and the sd card (8gb or 16 gb sd card is ok)and thats all you need.

If you have Android on your Armiga you can install UAE4Arm on it and it works fine,I have. and as well load HDFs too..

The Floppy part of the Armiga is a copy of the Floppy reader made with a Arduino .. https://www.facebook.com/groups/armi...8670179206589/

02 March 2017, 17:08	#21
Chris CC Posts: n/a	Hi Clebin, Sad/disappointing - agreed. In terms of the sticker prototype/not for resale - that was something that they acknowledged after sale. That is to say it does not mention that the device is a prototype (anywhere) at the point of sale and via their shop (at least as of a few or so ago). But they said that is exactly what it is meant to be - a prototype and a device in development. Simply put, that's a huge disconnect in messaging. The value proposition, that is to say, what is being advertised and what they were selling is not the same thing. At least that was the case upto a few weeks ago - unless they have updated the site/shop. From the conversation I had with them and the research that I did, it would seem as though they inadvertently or mistakenly dropped all reference to on going development and prototype when they moved from the indiegogo kickstarter-esque campaign to their own website. They have wanted to present the device in a nice way, but in doing so they have inadvertently misled people. I put this to them in correspondance and they agreed with this summation. In terms of whether the device I had was a one off with problems or reflective of all devices... A lot of the problems I put to them were eventually acknowledged in correspondance and/or other customers corroborated the same issues. The number and scale of the problems here are numerous and significant. From working in the games industry and my experience their I would deem this to be at an Alpha stage of development as a project. Not being funny (at all, your questioning is genuine and makes sense) but I am far too experienced to just take one unit and base all comments off of that - that isn't what i've done. I was a tester for Sony, a lead tester and designer for Eidos and designer for Gremlin and I ended up as a corporate whore/senior computer software producer for various companies...sodding which lol... Do they have the funds to move this product forward and get it where it needs to be? Hard to say, but I would be very worried for any of their customers. I would be concerned about the project running out of cash. I would also be concerned as to whether they have enough control and understanding when it comes to the hardware and the software elements which have not been created by them - cubieboard2 and UAE respectively. You're quite right about the latter, that is exactly what they are doing from my understanding. The sad thing in all this is that I did get the impression that they are genuine people, genuine enthusiasts and that they have been trying to bring about something to be proud of that works. In one sense I hope that they progress, for their sake, that of their customers etc. Nobody wants anyones genuines hard work to come to naught or not work out. At the same time, I couldn't in good concience not tell people what they are likely walking into at the present time should they decide to buy. If they change the website and make it clear that this is a prototype and in early development and people still wish to buy-in, with the view of being part of a project, helping to bring it to fruition with bug reporting and feedback etc - I think that's completely different. I'm sure some people are interested in that type of thing - to such people and those behind the project, i'd say good luck. It certainly wasn't for me though. I was very disappointed given the expectations that I came into this with - on the back of the advertised proposition. You wondered what the appeal was? I think for some people, myself included, it was the idea of HDMI out connection and all the differing filter options in a conveniently small matchbox that had a claimed - very high compatibility in terms of games and pads in a small form factor. You only have to look at the cost of options when it comes to hooking up an actual Amiga to a modern LED TV via HDMI, to see the potential worth of that to some. With the slightly larger model the floppy drive also claimed that it would allow users to back up their own floppies - again with the convenience of the form factor. The latter is not something you can do with a Rasberry Pi and both versions claimed to have an altered version of UAE that afforded smooth running and that high compatability level. Clearly I am not trying to sell you or anyone else on the device! lol. I am just saying that if it worked as advertised - well you can see the appeal for some. Last edited by Chris CC; 02 March 2017 at 17:44.

03 October 2018, 16:02	#25
spannernick Retro Nuts Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: London/UK Age: 53 Posts: 1,184	Just looked at this,wow they didn't even make there own Logic board for it,at least The C64 Mini has its own Logic board .has anyone got the firmware for this i would like to look at it just the Armiga launcher part,that runs the Amiga games not Android part...? No wonder they stopped making it. Does anyone know what the drive was,a PC floppy drive or Amiga Floppy drive..? Thanks.. There is a craz at the moment for Mini computers.Like the Original PS thats coming now,what will be next. Last edited by spannernick; 22 September 2019 at 15:29.

04 October 2018, 14:46	#28
spannernick Retro Nuts Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: London/UK Age: 53 Posts: 1,184	Does no one have a Armiga any more then,The part I am after is the software that runs from the SD card Armiga OS,PM me if you got a Armiga Please.Thanks.. One funny thing I noticed is its says in the manual on the Armiga website "The Armiga prototype is not intended for commercialization outside the beta program or reselling." So people that buy the Armiga are not allowed to sale it if they don't want it no more ..? Its like Microsoft saying you can buy Windows 10 but can't sale it with your PC. If you don't want the Armiga anymore you should be allowed to sell it to someone who wants it,you bought it,what ..do they buy it back then..?? Last edited by spannernick; 04 October 2018 at 15:01.

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02 March 2017, 18:00	#22
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,646	Get a Raspberry Pi. Stop the nonsense. The new Zero W even has wifi, a great option at only $10 for a lot of ECS games!

02 March 2017, 18:32	#23
EugeneNine Registered User Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Ohio Posts: 185	is it fast enough? I tried the original raspberry Pi with MAME and t was a little slow on some games. The Pi zero and zero W are both the same cpu hardware as the original Pi. If your going to want emulation get the Pi2 or 3 are they are the faster ones.

02 March 2017, 20:14	#24
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,646	I tried a Zero with UAE4ARM and I managed to play a lot of games respectably. Of course the usual processor hogs (like Jim Power) tend to be an issue, but usually it's ok to start with (then you can easily upgrade to a Pi3). I notice the Zero to be slightly faster than the original Pi for whatever reason, even when configured at the same clock speed.

03 October 2018, 21:02	#26
MickGyver Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Finland Posts: 643	Another option is the MISTer if you want to go with FPGA, you then need a Terasic DE10-Nano board for around 120€ + an sdram board for about 20€. The Amiga core is based on Minimig and you can also have other cores installed at the same time (C64, Mega Drive etc.). I recently bought one and I must say, the experience so far has been great! It was actually very easy to set up.

26 February 2019, 10:35	#30
Pyromania Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 3,386	I wish Armiga was still in stock!

27 February 2019, 05:35	#32
005AGIMA Re-loading. Please wait. Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Perth, Australia & England Age: 49 Posts: 472	Just to chime in, UAE4ARM seems much better now in terms of compatibility. I'm using the droid version and no issues thus far. The ARMIGA never appealed to me personally as it "looks" 3D printed (because it is), and at the time, I really wasn't into the whole "mini" concept of any system either. Now perhaps it would tempt me. Not everyone has the time/inclination to do DIY builds and turn key solutions have merit.

11 March 2019, 15:22	#33
Pyromania Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 3,386	I'm still looking for one of these and can't buy it new. Anyone selling a used one please?

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