Amiga questions you've always been too embarrassed to ask

alkis21 · 14 May 2013, 13:23

Did you ever have an Amiga related question that seemed too simplistic, something you should normally know the answer to and are therefore too ashamed to ask? I thought it would be nice to have a thread for such questions. Thread rule: nobody is allowed to laugh, no matter how stupid the question is.

Here's mine:

What does Game & Mini Mag mean?

If nobody else posts a question in a week, I will kill myself

Rob 1 · 14 May 2013, 13:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by alkis21

What does Game & Mini Mag mean?

If nobody else posts a question in a week, I will kill myself

I too would also like to know the answer to this question

Please don't kill yourself

TCD · 14 May 2013, 15:00

"Game & Mini Mag" refers to a kind of 'magazin' that basically only had one or more games on a disk and 1 or 2 pages of printed instructions

I'm not sure about other coutries, but they were quite popular here (most popular Amiga one was 'Amiga Fun'). The games on them varied from shareware to 'close-to-commercial' quality.

Zak · 14 May 2013, 15:28

What does paralax-scrolling mean? Pretended to know what it is when others talked about it but never really understood.

TCD · 14 May 2013, 15:40

You have multiple layers of your 'playfield' and once you move they scroll at different speeds (to create some kind of depth). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_scrolling#Example

demolition · 14 May 2013, 15:41

Parallax scrolling is a way to create a depth feeling using only 2D planes. Consider cutting out some shapes in cardboard. In the back you put the background, then you might add some trees in the next layer, then some grass etc. When you move sideways, you move the front layers faster and the back ones slowest relative to their distance, thus creating a sense of depth, South Park style. This is used in most platform games.

Edit: I was slow

ptyerman · 14 May 2013, 15:46

Play Shadow of the Beast and watch the background as you move around, parallax scrolling at its best.

lordofchaos · 14 May 2013, 16:11

Regarding parallax. Without using more technical terminology..Next time you sit in a moving train, look out of the window, you will notice objects closer to you are moving faster than objects that are further away. This is what programmers hope to achieve when they use parallax scrolling.

chaos · 14 May 2013, 20:49

How is an A4000 different from an A1200? I mean from a software point of view - I heard many times that some software or game works on A1200 but not on A4000. Isn't the AGA chipset exactly the same as on A1200, the only difference being Budgie / Buster?

lordofchaos · 14 May 2013, 20:59

@Chaos. AFAIK the only real difference is the processor. The A1200 houses the "68020" and the A4000 it's the "68040". One is faster than the other with subtle differences in how they operate, these differences are enough to cause incompatibility problems..I'm not 100% on this so I'm sure someone can better explain.

hooverphonique · 14 May 2013, 21:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordofchaos

@Chaos. AFAIK the only real difference is the processor. The A1200 houses the "68020" and the A4000 it's the "68040". One is faster than the other with subtle differences in how they operate, these differences are enough to cause incompatibility problems..I'm not 100% on this so I'm sure someone can better explain.

You are right, and also the fact that one usually has fastmem and the other hasn't, has caused problems in the past...
budgie, buster and gary/gayle differences rarely cause issues for games/demos..

Predseda · 14 May 2013, 22:08

Why the Amiga diskdrives periodically click? There are tools that reduce that clicking and the drives recognise floppy insertion and load it, so why the drives from A1000 thru the whole range up to A4000T do click?

Zak · 14 May 2013, 22:47

I understand Parallax-scrolling now, thanks.

[ Show youtube player ]

thomas · 14 May 2013, 22:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Predseda

Why the Amiga diskdrives periodically click? There are tools that reduce that clicking and the drives recognise floppy insertion and load it, so why the drives from A1000 thru the whole range up to A4000T do click?

The drive moves the head one track up or down. This is the click you hear. AFAIK if the head moves over the magnetic surface of a disk, even if the disk is not rotating, a small electric pulse is generated and the drive knows that a disk is in. If no such pulse appears, then there is no disk in the drive. This is how the drive checks for disk changes.

The programs which switch off the clicking make the head move from track 0 towards track -1 (which does not exist and thus the head is not really moved). Some drives however try to really move the head this way and will damage the head.

That said, the big question is: why does the drive not need to click when a disk is in the drive?

Mrs Beanbag · 14 May 2013, 23:05

pretty sure it will also detect if a plastic dummy disk is inserted. or those drive head cleaners. there is a physical switch in there somewhere that detects the disk but for some reason the drive doesn't sent the status until it receives a command.

Marcuz · 14 May 2013, 23:38

I've always wondered what made the weight of the power unit on A500 and on A1200 so different, with the former being a brick and the other being so light: since I burned a couple of the A500 ones, in very little time, with them being so expensive, I was kind of let down when I got the A1200, because its power unit seemed so cheap.

But I don't remember if the A1200's one never broke down: if it has not, then it is the same I bought in 1994, still working now.

Zak · 14 May 2013, 23:46

My A1200 has the same power brick as the A500. Hmm. They really look the same and have the same connectors.

As far as the disk drive is concerned, there is a small black pin or switch in the drive to notice if there is a disk in it, so I always wondered about the clicking, too.

moijk · 15 May 2013, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zak

My A1200 has the same power brick as the A500. Hmm. They really look the same and have the same connectors.

As far as the disk drive is concerned, there is a small black pin or switch in the drive to notice if there is a disk in it, so I always wondered about the clicking, too.

A500 and a1200 puss are interchangeable. The 500 ones are better

Dastardly · 15 May 2013, 00:17

What's an "Amiga"?

There, I've said it.

Marcuz · 15 May 2013, 00:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zak

My A1200 has the same power brick as the A500. Hmm. They really look the same and have the same connectors.

Really I'm sure about it: A500 one weighed a ton. Maybe different models then.

14 May 2013, 13:23	#1
alkis21 Zone Friend Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Age: 49 Posts: 1,408	Amiga questions you've always been too embarrassed to ask Did you ever have an Amiga related question that seemed too simplistic, something you should normally know the answer to and are therefore too ashamed to ask? I thought it would be nice to have a thread for such questions. Thread rule: nobody is allowed to laugh, no matter how stupid the question is. Here's mine: What does Game & Mini Mag mean? If nobody else posts a question in a week, I will kill myself

15 May 2013, 00:17	#19
Dastardly Into the Wonderful Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: England Age: 49 Posts: 2,335	Amiga questions you've always been too embarrassed to ask What's an "Amiga"? There, I've said it.

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14 May 2013, 15:00	#3
TCD HOL/FTP busy bee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Germany Age: 46 Posts: 31,522	"Game & Mini Mag" refers to a kind of 'magazin' that basically only had one or more games on a disk and 1 or 2 pages of printed instructions I'm not sure about other coutries, but they were quite popular here (most popular Amiga one was 'Amiga Fun'). The games on them varied from shareware to 'close-to-commercial' quality.

14 May 2013, 15:28	#4
Zak Zap´em Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 596	What does paralax-scrolling mean? Pretended to know what it is when others talked about it but never really understood.

14 May 2013, 15:40	#5
TCD HOL/FTP busy bee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Germany Age: 46 Posts: 31,522	You have multiple layers of your 'playfield' and once you move they scroll at different speeds (to create some kind of depth). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_scrolling#Example

14 May 2013, 15:41	#6
demolition Unregistered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Copenhagen / DK Age: 43 Posts: 4,190	Parallax scrolling is a way to create a depth feeling using only 2D planes. Consider cutting out some shapes in cardboard. In the back you put the background, then you might add some trees in the next layer, then some grass etc. When you move sideways, you move the front layers faster and the back ones slowest relative to their distance, thus creating a sense of depth, South Park style. This is used in most platform games. Edit: I was slow

14 May 2013, 15:46	#7
ptyerman Registered User Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Worksop/UK Age: 59 Posts: 1,328	Play Shadow of the Beast and watch the background as you move around, parallax scrolling at its best.

14 May 2013, 16:11	#8
lordofchaos TinkerTailorContentMaker Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bedfordshire Age: 45 Posts: 1,205	Regarding parallax. Without using more technical terminology..Next time you sit in a moving train, look out of the window, you will notice objects closer to you are moving faster than objects that are further away. This is what programmers hope to achieve when they use parallax scrolling.

14 May 2013, 20:49	#9
chaos Registered User Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Slovenia Posts: 138	How is an A4000 different from an A1200? I mean from a software point of view - I heard many times that some software or game works on A1200 but not on A4000. Isn't the AGA chipset exactly the same as on A1200, the only difference being Budgie / Buster?

14 May 2013, 20:59	#10
lordofchaos TinkerTailorContentMaker Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bedfordshire Age: 45 Posts: 1,205	@Chaos. AFAIK the only real difference is the processor. The A1200 houses the "68020" and the A4000 it's the "68040". One is faster than the other with subtle differences in how they operate, these differences are enough to cause incompatibility problems..I'm not 100% on this so I'm sure someone can better explain.

14 May 2013, 22:08	#12
Predseda Puttymoon inhabitant Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tromaville Age: 46 Posts: 7,539	Why the Amiga diskdrives periodically click? There are tools that reduce that clicking and the drives recognise floppy insertion and load it, so why the drives from A1000 thru the whole range up to A4000T do click?

14 May 2013, 22:47	#13
Zak Zap´em Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 596	I understand Parallax-scrolling now, thanks. [ Show youtube player ]

14 May 2013, 23:05	#15
Mrs Beanbag Glastonbridge Software Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Edinburgh/Scotland Posts: 2,243	pretty sure it will also detect if a plastic dummy disk is inserted. or those drive head cleaners. there is a physical switch in there somewhere that detects the disk but for some reason the drive doesn't sent the status until it receives a command.

14 May 2013, 23:38	#16
Marcuz Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: . Age: 48 Posts: 5,562	I've always wondered what made the weight of the power unit on A500 and on A1200 so different, with the former being a brick and the other being so light: since I burned a couple of the A500 ones, in very little time, with them being so expensive, I was kind of let down when I got the A1200, because its power unit seemed so cheap. But I don't remember if the A1200's one never broke down: if it has not, then it is the same I bought in 1994, still working now.

14 May 2013, 23:46	#17
Zak Zap´em Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 596	My A1200 has the same power brick as the A500. Hmm. They really look the same and have the same connectors. As far as the disk drive is concerned, there is a small black pin or switch in the drive to notice if there is a disk in it, so I always wondered about the clicking, too.

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