A point in the right direction...

[vroom6sri]

I've been a user of (the amazing) WinUAE and my (wonderful) A1200 for a great many years now but I know I am still quite ignorant of all the amazing things that are available in the Amiga world.

I'd love to be able to attend an Amiga user gathering to see what some folks have done to their machines or emulated setups because I just don't know what options there are. I catch snippets on threads from more learned folks and think "that sounds interesting, but what is it?".

Becuase I have invested in one of those forthcoming Individual Computers A1200 accelerators / memory expansions I would like to enhance my Amiga OS (and maybe later enhance the hardware further as well) but my question is... Is there a sort of compendium that us uneducated folks or noobs can read for all the many options there are for overhauling or enhancing. If so, could you please point me in the right direction.

Many thanks, lovely peeps!

[fitzsteve]

Hi!

Check out Classic Workbench:

http://classicwb.abime.net/

I think this will be perfect for you as a starting point as its fully loaded with all the most useful apps and icon packs.

You can then build on the packs that Bloodwych has created or use them for idea's for your own workbench build.

As long as your TV or Monitor support the 'High Res Laced' screen mode I'd suggest looking at the Classic Workbench ADV and ADV SP packs as these are very pretty indeed

Another option is Amigasys4AGA but IMHO its a bit too busy and I find CWB has the perfect balance

Steve.

[slk486]

I agree vroom6sri, it can be very difficult to keep up on (or read up on) what can actually be achieved. I remember the old Amiga magazines, like Amiga Format had articles on cool utilities, commodities, and the like.

As far as I know, there has been no write-ups like that in many years and rummaging through Aminet for unspecific stuff is not very constructive

My advice would be to try some of the beefier pre-installs in WinUAE, like AmiKit, and see what has been done. Then sort out what you like, what tools are productive, etc.

Don't install them on your real Amiga though

Then, as Dr. fitzsteve suggested, use Classic Workbench as a base for your own custom setup. I find the easiest way is to set everything up in WinUAE and transfer the setup to your real Amiga.

[vroom6sri]

Thanks for the helping hand, folks. Now I've got some OS setups to consider.

SLK486 - Why do you say "Don't install them on your real Amiga though"?

Are card readers as straight forward to setup as they seem? IE plug it in to A1200, install software, use it?

Is it even possible to use a card reader as sort of Hard Drive?

[fitzsteve]

@Vroomski, Amikit wont work on a real Amiga (well not without a lot of modification) but you can draw idea from it if you use in WinUAE.

For setting up your CF cards you can use WinUAE and a normal USB Card reader, you format the CF and partition card under emulation just as if it was an Amiga Hard Drive, this is done with drive safety mode set to 'off' so just be careful not to format a system drive by mistake.

If you don't want to risk that the CF can be formatted with a Workbench 3.1install Floppy on the real Amiga, make sure you set the correct MaxTransfer settings to save any trouble later.

You connect the CF card to the internal IDE of you A1200 with a CF-IDE adapter and this makes the CF card act like an internal Hard Drive.

More info available if you need it!

Steve.

[Zetr0]

@Vroomi

Peterborough isn't that far away from Kings lynn =)

I am hoping (with friends) to put an amiga/reto computer enthusiasts kinda club together in the local area - hopefully organize some bigger meets with other clubs too =)

[slk486]

Yeah, like fitzsteve said

[vroom6sri]

This is all brilliant. Thanks for info and support.

Zetro - I definitely like the idea of physically seeing and experiencing other setups as it really is the best way I learn new things. How about somewhere in (dare I say it) Wisbech? Reasonably mid way point for the Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire areas. Then again, I suck at Geography.

I'm thinking the only other piece of hardware I'll sort later (much later) next year is the card reader setups. I don't have the spare cash for much more and, with the 99 Euro A1200 mem expansion / accelerator from Indiv Com, I think I'll be one happy bunny anyway.

[vroom6sri]

OK, so I think I may have misunderstood things a little IRO the card reader things. I think I can see that, using a CF card as a hard drive is different to using a PCMCIA "card reader" for transferring files between the PC and Amiga. As I already have a hard drive in my A1200 I am thinking of a better way of transferring files so what should I be searching for and will it let me transfer any and all files/folders between my Amiga & PC? I couldn't find much on Amigakit.

[prowler]

Hi vroom6sri,

It sounds like you should check out the EasyADF software and optional CF card and PCMCIA adapter from AmigaKit.

I don't have any links to hand, but if you search for those items on the AmigaKit site, I'm sure you will find everything you require.

[fitzsteve]

@vroom6sri

The easiest way to trasfer files is with the EasyADF transfer kit that Amigakit sell or you can make your own kit, i.e buy a CF card and PCMCIA Card reader, you still have to get the drivers onto the Amiga which is where the EasuADF makes this easy, however you can just buy the floppy disk from Amigakit which is what I done since I already had a PCMCIA card reader.

What Zetr0 is suggesting though is replace the Hard Drive with a nice low power CF card on a CF-IDE adapter, these are very cheap and I can reccomend the following setup:

One of these and and a 4gb CF Card, I bought a couple of these and they work a treat.

All you have to do is format the CF Card as an Amiga Hard Drive, you can do it in UAE or on the real Amiga, then add the CF as a HDD in UAE (connect it to your USB Card CF reader) and copy your working Workbench setup along with all the WHDLoad games to your CF card and then install it in your Amiga.

This is by far the quickest and easiest way to do it as UAE is so much faster than copying the files via the PCMCIA port, I lost a whole evening moving 700mb of WHDLoad games via PCMCIA, takes about 45mins to do a whole 4gb CF via UAE in Turbo mode.

Again, suggest Classic Workbench as its ready to go with WHDload and even has the PCMCIA drivers for using CF adapter

Steve.

[vroom6sri]

Thanks to both of you for the further info. Will any PCMCIA CF Card reader work with my A1200? A quick flea-bay check shows they are reasonably priced.

Also, just to confirm, is it only ADF files that I can transfer using this setup? I was hoping of a way to move folders of WHDload games between my PC and Amiga.

PS - It looks like Amigakit are only doing the EasyADF software from what my searches revealed.

[prowler]

Hi vroom6sri,

Don't worry that the EasyADF software seems very ADF orientated; it will actually facilitate the transfer of any files/directories from your PC to your Amiga via a CF card plugged into your Amiga's PCMCIA slot via a suitable adapter, and it will set up the drivers necessary to get your CF card recognized by the Amiga.

For best compatibility, both with the PCMCIA and IDE ports of the Amiga, try to get hold of a SanDisk CF card.

The adapters (both CF-PCMCIA and CF-IDE), unfortunately, are a different story, and it seems that compatibility cannot be guaranteed. Most do work, however, and they are certainly cheap enough to buy.

It's possible that you will get a personal recommendation from someone here who has bought one recently.

[fitzsteve]

As Prowler says, you can transfer any files via the PCMCIA and CF however as I mentioned earlier its quite a slow method when it comes to WHDLoad games becuase a lot of games have many small files and it takes a long time to copy them. Its really a much more pleasant experience to connect the HDD or CF to a PC and use UAE to copy the files.

If you were just moving a few games or even <50 it wouldn't be too bad but if you want to grab the whole KG pack and transfer it, I dread to think how long that would take!

The IDE adapter and CF card I linked I have personally bought and used serveral, they work 100% including the HDD LED which does not work on some CF adapters.

Steve.

[vroom6sri]

This is great info. Thanks.

I have connected my A1200's Hard Drive direct to WinUAE previously with great success. However, I am now slightly scared to do so again as, due to my clumsy fat-hands, I bent one of the pins on the HD but managed to straighten it enough to get it connected back again.

The more I think about it, and with the help of the detailed information you have given me, I think the CF Hard Drive option sounds the best - I know it means I've got to open the A1200 up each time but at least I'm only pulling the CF card out of it's adapter rather than disconnecting cables with PINS!!!!!

Thinking about it (as I have for the past few hours) I suppose I could use a longer length IDE cable and leave the CF Hard Drive unit outside of my A1200, couldn't I?

[vroom6sri]

Helloooooooooooo again!

So, I'm about to place an order for a 4GB CF Hard Drive and noticed that Amigakit offer the SmartFileSystem setup as an option but I have some questions:

1.) Is SFS good because it has less limitations?
2.) I was hoping to use my adf versions of Workbench to setup the CF Hard Drive through WinUAE as has been suggested but will I need to do anything speclial in WinUAE to get all this to work if I opt for SFS?
3.) Are they any compatibility issues with SFS?
4.) In your opinions, is it worth going for SFS?

Many, many thanks for all the help so far.

Cheers