A1200 with PPC or SAM?

RabidRabbit · 02 April 2009, 06:33

Hi All,

Trying to decide on Amiga hardware is a nightmare! Was never this hard back in the day. However, this is much more fun

What do you guys would be the best bet to do; go for an A1200 and try to find a PPC board for it or go for the SAM?

All words of advice greatly appreciated.

NovaCoder · 02 April 2009, 07:48

Depends on what you want to do with it and which OS you want to run.

For me if you like classic machines and software then it only makes sense to apply mild upgrades (eg changing the noisy old Hd for a modern CF card).

If you want to apply the big upgrades (Mediator, PPC, PC Graphics cards) then it prob makes more sense to get a SAM (flex).

Cammy · 02 April 2009, 07:51

Go for the Sam! If you can afford it, it's a great idea. For starters, you wouldn't be able to run OS4.1 on the PPC 1200, because the last version that came out for it was 4.0. The Sam will run OS4.1, 4.2, 4.3... as they come out. Currently OS4.1 is the latest OS for it, and it looks incredible, and has features the A1200 version just can't do, like compositing and the 3D environment. Also, the Sam is new, and easy to get. You could spend months trying to battle your way through eBay to get an A1200 PPC accelerator, and by the time you get it up to similar specs as the Sam (Radeon Graphics card, PCI, USB, Ethernet, 512MB RAM, 16bit Sound...) it could cost you well over what a Sam would cost, and you'd have to fit it in a big ugly tower. The Sam is so small that you can rip out an A600 or CD32 motherboard and replace it with a Sam and have room to spare in there. Or simply get one of the many awesome and cute MiniITX cases that are available from PC websites or shops.

One more point to remember, if you buy a Sam, you're actively supporting the Amiga market and the future of the platform. The Samantha is the new Amiga, and was designed from scratch to be a new platform for AmigaOS4, as well as having applications in the embedded systems market and running Linux too. And she's cute too, only 17cm X 17cm, and hardly uses any power compared to a PC. She doesn't even need a fan, so if you use a solid state hard drive or a Compact Flash drive in there, she'll be completely silent too.

Sam wants to be your new girlfriend, why don't you go ask her out.

keropi · 02 April 2009, 07:59

if you go the SAM way, remember that you can only run classic amiga stuff that use the chipset (games for example) only via UAE emulator...

kriz · 02 April 2009, 08:17

Or look out for a used pegasos 2 system... you can run both Mos 2.x and Os 4.1 .. Also 1ghz, so the fastest you can get now..

RabidRabbit · 02 April 2009, 09:36

Thanks for the replies guys. Much appreciated.

I think i'd like to get the SAM version to be honest with you, maybe get a cheap A1200 too someplace. But if the Winuae runs fine under the SAM, it could be the way to go I reckon.

keropi · 02 April 2009, 09:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by kriz

Or look out for a used pegasos 2 system... you can run both Mos 2.x and Os 4.1 .. Also 1ghz, so the fastest you can get now..

totally aggree, the pegII is a way better machine .
The SAM should be called a ScAM IMHO, you pay 550+ eur for a motherboard and they don't even send you a backplate for it.

RabidRabbit · 02 April 2009, 09:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cammy

Go for the Sam! If you can afford it, it's a great idea. For starters, you wouldn't be able to run OS4.1 on the PPC 1200, because the last version that came out for it was 4.0. The Sam will run OS4.1, 4.2, 4.3... as they come out. Currently OS4.1 is the latest OS for it, and it looks incredible, and has features the A1200 version just can't do, like compositing and the 3D environment. Also, the Sam is new, and easy to get. You could spend months trying to battle your way through eBay to get an A1200 PPC accelerator, and by the time you get it up to similar specs as the Sam (Radeon Graphics card, PCI, USB, Ethernet, 512MB RAM, 16bit Sound...) it could cost you well over what a Sam would cost, and you'd have to fit it in a big ugly tower. The Sam is so small that you can rip out an A600 or CD32 motherboard and replace it with a Sam and have room to spare in there. Or simply get one of the many awesome and cute MiniITX cases that are available from PC websites or shops.

One more point to remember, if you buy a Sam, you're actively supporting the Amiga market and the future of the platform. The Samantha is the new Amiga, and was designed from scratch to be a new platform for AmigaOS4, as well as having applications in the embedded systems market and running Linux too. And she's cute too, only 17cm X 17cm, and hardly uses any power compared to a PC. She doesn't even need a fan, so if you use a solid state hard drive or a Compact Flash drive in there, she'll be completely silent too.

Sam wants to be your new girlfriend, why don't you go ask her out.

Are you sure the A1200 with a PPC card couldn't run OS41?

TCD · 02 April 2009, 09:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by RabidRabbit

Are you sure the A1200 with a PPC card couldn't run OS41?

Yup, only works on AmigaOne, Pegasos II or the SAM440ep (maybe another machine I don't know of

). Have a look here : http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...ds=amigaos+4.1
OS 4.0 can be run on a PPC card though.

RabidRabbit · 02 April 2009, 10:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Yup, only works on AmigaOne, Pegasos II or the SAM440ep (maybe another machine I don't know of

). Have a look here : http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...ds=amigaos+4.1
OS 4.0 can be run on a PPC crad though.

Hmm, thanks for this. Looks like more research/saving is called for

AmigaFriend · 02 April 2009, 10:36

Just for the word Rabbid, I second what Cammy said. So now, some though about the issue (and penny counting).

Yoto · 02 April 2009, 11:51

Quote:

The SAM should be called a ScAM IMHO, you pay 550+ eur for a motherboard and they don't even send you a backplate for it.

True, but Sam is not "only" a motherboard, its a full Amiga system. Probably its greatest feature, is the fact that its been released in todays market, fully saturated with great PC technology.
But for the price maybe they could add a few more "incentives", like a custom made (amiga styled) mini itx case and keyboard, that would be a nice touch indeed.

keropi · 02 April 2009, 12:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yotoxionomai

True, but Sam is not "only" a motherboard, its a full Amiga system. Probably its greatest feature, is the fact that its been released in todays market, fully saturated with great PC technology.
But for the price maybe they could add a few more "incentives", like a custom made (amiga styled) mini itx case and keyboard, that would be a nice touch indeed.

a full amiga system? hardly, it is just a mITX motherboard designed for embedded/industrial applications that after a deal it just happens to run OS4. The onboard gfx is laughable (though more than enought for it's original purpose that was designed for) , and the board is plagued with flaws (some greek amiga users have it, to some the onboard USB works, to some not or only 1 port is working). If it was cheap OK, but at this price! even the mITX mobos from intel that cost 85eur with Atom cpus are better...

AmigaFriend · 02 April 2009, 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by keropi

even the mITX mobos from intel that cost 85eur with Atom cpus are better...

Good God... AmigaOS for the x86 please...

keropi · 02 April 2009, 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpect

Good God... AmigaOS for the x86 please...

...and look at the specs: http://www.intel.com/cd/products/ser...iew/402991.htm

Form factor Mini-ITX /micro-ATX compatible (6.75 inches by 6.75 inches [171.45 millimeters by 171.45 millimeters])
Processor Integrated dual-core Intel® Atom™ processor 330 with a 533 MHz system bus
Memory One 240-pin DDR2 SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets
Support for DDR2 533/667 MHz DIMMs
Support for up to 2 GBs of system memory
Chipset Intel® 945GC Express Chipset and Intel® I/O Controller Hub 7 (ICH7)
Audio Realtek* ALC662 audio codec (5.1 channel HD audio)
Video Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 and optional S-video output support (only available on D945GCLF2)
I/O Control SMSC* LPC47M997 based Legacy I/O controller for serial, parallel, and PS/2* ports
LAN Support 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN subsystem using the Realtek* LAN adapter device
Peripheral interfaces Eight USB 2.0 ports
Two Serial SATA ports (3.0 GB/s)
One parallel ATA IDE interface with UDMA 33, ATA-66/100 support
One serial port
One parallel port
PS/2* keyboard and mouse ports
Expansion capabilities One PCI Conventional* bus connector

this makes an excellent file/download server , I have one

Cammy · 02 April 2009, 13:17

DON'T BRING THAT HORRIBLE ARGUMENT FROM AMIGAWORLD TO EAB PLEASE!!!

It absolutely ruined that forum. If anyone wants to debate stupid impossibilities like AmigaOS4 on x86, go there and please don't ruin EAB by bringing it up here.

Cammy · 02 April 2009, 13:20

By the way, the Sam was designed by Amiga enthusiasts with the Amiga in mind, even though it was initially only sold on the embedded market. AmigaOS4 was being beta tested for a long time on the Sam before it was officially released for the Sam. The fact that the hardware came out first without its intended OS doesn't make it any less an Amiga.

keropi · 02 April 2009, 14:15

what "amiga specific" design the SAM has? it is a typical embedded-style ppc-based mobo with just the essentials... I fail to see what makes it "designed with amiga in mind" there is nothing extra hardware-ish to support such a claim. when amiga was introduced, it had monster video/audio capabillities, I don't see the SAM comming with a GeForce GTX295 onboard or a high-end 7.1 sound solution... not to mention the laughable cpu it carries

unless you know more, please elaborate

Yoto · 02 April 2009, 19:18

I´m sure Sam glitches will be solved within a few bios updates.
But Keropi, would you prefer Amiga hardware and software ceased to be developed? Even with its few glitches i believe its a good Amiga system. Maybe the internal video chip could be better, i´m sure they will review its specs in a near future, at least its not a Vapourware project like so many others we know so well.

DoogUK · 02 April 2009, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by keropi

if you go the SAM way, remember that you can only run classic amiga stuff that use the chipset (games for example) only via UAE emulator...

Exactly why i will never see it as an amiga...any peecee can run an emulator to achieve this whats the point in having an amiga and not running amiga apps on it?...at least with a PPC based a1200 you can choose between os4 and classic os.

02 April 2009, 06:33	#1
RabidRabbit Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Zealand Posts: 60	A1200 with PPC or SAM? Hi All, Trying to decide on Amiga hardware is a nightmare! Was never this hard back in the day. However, this is much more fun What do you guys would be the best bet to do; go for an A1200 and try to find a PPC board for it or go for the SAM? All words of advice greatly appreciated.

02 April 2009, 14:15	#18
keropi . Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Ioannina/Greece Posts: 5,040	what "amiga specific" design the SAM has? it is a typical embedded-style ppc-based mobo with just the essentials... I fail to see what makes it "designed with amiga in mind" there is nothing extra hardware-ish to support such a claim. when amiga was introduced, it had monster video/audio capabillities, I don't see the SAM comming with a GeForce GTX295 onboard or a high-end 7.1 sound solution... not to mention the laughable cpu it carries unless you know more, please elaborate Last edited by keropi; 02 April 2009 at 14:25.

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02 April 2009, 07:48	#2
NovaCoder Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne/Australia Posts: 4,400	Depends on what you want to do with it and which OS you want to run. For me if you like classic machines and software then it only makes sense to apply mild upgrades (eg changing the noisy old Hd for a modern CF card). If you want to apply the big upgrades (Mediator, PPC, PC Graphics cards) then it prob makes more sense to get a SAM (flex).

02 April 2009, 07:51	#3
Cammy Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tasmania, Australia Age: 39 Posts: 1,189	Go for the Sam! If you can afford it, it's a great idea. For starters, you wouldn't be able to run OS4.1 on the PPC 1200, because the last version that came out for it was 4.0. The Sam will run OS4.1, 4.2, 4.3... as they come out. Currently OS4.1 is the latest OS for it, and it looks incredible, and has features the A1200 version just can't do, like compositing and the 3D environment. Also, the Sam is new, and easy to get. You could spend months trying to battle your way through eBay to get an A1200 PPC accelerator, and by the time you get it up to similar specs as the Sam (Radeon Graphics card, PCI, USB, Ethernet, 512MB RAM, 16bit Sound...) it could cost you well over what a Sam would cost, and you'd have to fit it in a big ugly tower. The Sam is so small that you can rip out an A600 or CD32 motherboard and replace it with a Sam and have room to spare in there. Or simply get one of the many awesome and cute MiniITX cases that are available from PC websites or shops. One more point to remember, if you buy a Sam, you're actively supporting the Amiga market and the future of the platform. The Samantha is the new Amiga, and was designed from scratch to be a new platform for AmigaOS4, as well as having applications in the embedded systems market and running Linux too. And she's cute too, only 17cm X 17cm, and hardly uses any power compared to a PC. She doesn't even need a fan, so if you use a solid state hard drive or a Compact Flash drive in there, she'll be completely silent too. Sam wants to be your new girlfriend, why don't you go ask her out.

02 April 2009, 07:59	#4
keropi . Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Ioannina/Greece Posts: 5,040	if you go the SAM way, remember that you can only run classic amiga stuff that use the chipset (games for example) only via UAE emulator...

02 April 2009, 08:17	#5
kriz Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: No(R)Way Age: 41 Posts: 3,185	Or look out for a used pegasos 2 system... you can run both Mos 2.x and Os 4.1 .. Also 1ghz, so the fastest you can get now..

02 April 2009, 09:36	#6
RabidRabbit Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Zealand Posts: 60	Thanks for the replies guys. Much appreciated. I think i'd like to get the SAM version to be honest with you, maybe get a cheap A1200 too someplace. But if the Winuae runs fine under the SAM, it could be the way to go I reckon.

02 April 2009, 10:36	#11
AmigaFriend Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: CLI Posts: 1,462	Just for the word Rabbid, I second what Cammy said. So now, some though about the issue (and penny counting).

02 April 2009, 13:17	#16
Cammy Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tasmania, Australia Age: 39 Posts: 1,189	DON'T BRING THAT HORRIBLE ARGUMENT FROM AMIGAWORLD TO EAB PLEASE!!! It absolutely ruined that forum. If anyone wants to debate stupid impossibilities like AmigaOS4 on x86, go there and please don't ruin EAB by bringing it up here.

02 April 2009, 13:20	#17
Cammy Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tasmania, Australia Age: 39 Posts: 1,189	By the way, the Sam was designed by Amiga enthusiasts with the Amiga in mind, even though it was initially only sold on the embedded market. AmigaOS4 was being beta tested for a long time on the Sam before it was officially released for the Sam. The fact that the hardware came out first without its intended OS doesn't make it any less an Amiga.

02 April 2009, 19:18	#19
Yoto 1 Potato to Spam´em all! Join Date: May 2008 Location: Lost in a Wine Country Age: 47 Posts: 572	I´m sure Sam glitches will be solved within a few bios updates. But Keropi, would you prefer Amiga hardware and software ceased to be developed? Even with its few glitches i believe its a good Amiga system. Maybe the internal video chip could be better, i´m sure they will review its specs in a near future, at least its not a Vapourware project like so many others we know so well.

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