Amiga Buyer's Guide

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Why do you want to buy an Amiga?

The first thing you should ask yourself when you buy any computer, no matter if it's an Amiga, a PC, an Apple or an Acorn, is "why do I want to buy this machine?". What are you going to use it for? What do you want it to do? What are you planning to do with it in a few years time? Keep these ideas in mind when you plan out your purchase - if you've ever bought a computer before, you'll know exactly how important this is.

So, why an Amiga? Choosing an Amiga, or any non-Windows/non-PC machine for that matter is a tricky choice to make. In terms of price/performance, the initial outlay on an Amiga can often seem more than for a PC. However, the Amiga doesn't age as quickly as other 'industry standard' platforms - you can save a lot in terms of software costs, reduced upgrading and maintenance within a few years. I seem to recall from somewhere that the average Windows-equipped PC is obsolete within a year, yet there are ten year old (and older!) Amigas in use which are still running the latest operating system version and applications software, without any major hardware upgrades. I should know, I'm one of them.

Trouble is, the world is dominated by Microsoft and the PC compatible. The Amiga may be an ideal choice of system if you want power, flexibility and a tool for creativity - but you have to face the reality that you will be in a minority. If you want to be an Amiga user, it's tough but rewarding - and if you get in now, you'll be set up for the big Gateway-led offensive for the millennium. The Future's Bright - it's Red and White... or something like that, anyway.

Choosing an Amiga

With the range of Amigas available today, it's tricky giving a list of all the Amiga manufacturers out there. Amiga International keep a list of licensees and distributors worldwide, which should be your first port of call to get a broad view of the options. Visit their site at: http://www.amiga.de/ Without wanting to promote any companies in particular, some of the major Amiga manufacturers/retailers include (but are not limited to): Access Innovations Amiga International Ateo Concepts Blittersoft DCE Eyetech Micronik Power Computing QuikPak Randomize, Inc. Silent Paw Productions (Amiga 'luggable' laptops and laptop conversion kits)

In the days of Commodore, things were easy. You had one company making all the Amigas. Different models with different, but overlapping, markets. Choice was narrow, but easily made - A1200s for the home user, A4000s for high-end users, CD32 for the games player. Back in the very early days it was even easier - an A1000 for everyone.

Commodore's demise led to the Amiga clone market opening up. Okay, cloning had been around earlier with the Draco, but now it's really taken off. Various companies stock their own versions of the A1200 or A4000. You can buy A1200s in towers and traditional 'wedge' cases. You can buy A4000s in every conceivable shape and form. There are Amigas with different processors from 14MHz 68020s to 66 and 75 MHz 68060s. You can even get Amigas with a 233MHz PowerPC 604e! Combine that with emulated Amigas on Alphas and X86s, even Amigas inside PCs, and you realise that buying an Amiga is no longer as easy as it was in "The Good Old Days" (TM). However, this is a Good Thing - the range of Amigas cover the range of applications more successfully than anything Commodore achieved.

Classic or Next Generation?

At the end of 1999, the new Amigas will be launched. Featuring uprated hardware and OS, these are set to leapfrog over the opposition in terms of price and performance. There are an unconfirmed number of major PC manufacturers releasing their own Amiga clones, as well as more traditional Amiga hardware vendors - all to be launched simultaneously. The Amiga will also be able to make a huge stride into the digital convergence market - including set top boxes, Internet connectivity, games consoles and other consumer electronics devices. But you'll have to wait until 1999... this guide is aimed squarely at the 'classic' Amiga, because that's all there is at the moment.

System Requirements

Processor

The lowest specification processor present on currently available Amigas is the 14MHz 68020. While usable, it's not ideal. The 68030 has become the base processor these days. As the proud owner of a 25MHz 68030, I can safely say this is a good minimum level - suitable for most applications except heavy duty data crunching such as raytracing, Quicktime movies... or Quake. I haven't seen a 25MHz 68030 in a long time, you're likely to find ones between 33 and 50 MHz instead, which are (obviously) of more value to the budget user. Most people quote a 68030 @ 50 MHz as a minimum specification.

UNIX support? If you want to run a UNIX OS alongside AmigaOS, you'll need an MMU - so avoid any of the EC versions of CPUs i.e. the 68EC030. Linux, NetBSD and OpenBSD, amongst others, are currently available for the Amiga.

Frequently, you'll find base A1200s being offered with a cheap 030 accelerator board inside to improve the specification. Most of these accelerators will either be equipped with an FPU (for improved arithmetic performance - ideal for raytracing) or have the option to fit one. With FPUs being so cheap, it's worthwhile getting one if the option is there, just to squeeze a little more performance out of a low-end system - particularly if you're thinking of rendering scenes from, say, Babylon 5, or running FPU-enhanced 3D games like Lambda.

Next up from the 68030 is the 68040. Things here are much more in line with current thinking, so if you can stretch to an 040 Amiga, you'd be wise to go for it. With an 040, you'll have access to a lot more speed for heavy duty applications, as well as make better use of some of the latest games. 040s run hot, so make sure the system has adequate fan cooling - a tower case is strongly advised, as the cramped 'wedge' A1200 case can get very hot inside (as do the old A4000 desktop cases...). Heat won't do the hardware any good at all.

For the true power user, the 68060 is the best choice of CPU - and the fastest main processor currently available for the Amiga. 060s are becoming more widespread as costs drop slowly, and open up the best in applications and games - but they aren't an essential purchase to have a usable system.

Cyberstorm PPC (A4000) Blizzard PPC (A1200) Available from Phase 5 Phase 5 are currently the only PowerPC manufacturer for the Amiga. However, other companies are likely to develop their own systems in the future.

Looking for more power? The next step up is PowerPC! However, the PowerPC is not currently an option you can use instead of the 680X0 - it's more like a high-performance co-processor, as the OS still has to run natively on the Amiga's 680X0 CPU. Work is progressing on 680X0 emulation, as featured on the PowerMac, so it's only a matter of time, but until then you'll be using a dual-processor option.

Amiga PowerPC systems are currently featured on a Phase 5 accelerator board alongside a 68040 or 68060 processor, though single/multiple PowerPC systems are planned, such as Phase 5's pre\BOX. The A1200 has a 603e option, while the A4000 has the 604e as a partner. Software support is growing daily, particularly for games and high-end applications (such as raytracing or image processing). PowerPC is probably more of a future-proofing and high-performance option, than a recommended purchasing decision for the moment, though the planned OS 3.5 upgrade for early 1999 will have support for the PowerPC, giving added future value.

RAM

The Amiga has two types of RAM - Chip and Fast. Chip RAM is used for standard graphics and audio data, as it can be accessed directly by the Amiga's custom chipset (hence the name). 2Mb is the current specification, which is adequate for most applications provided you have RAM available elsewhere... Fast RAM. Fast RAM is available for everything else.

A base A1200 will have 2Mb Chip RAM, but no Fast RAM. While it was fine a few years ago, things have progressed - particularly the reduction in memory costs. 4Mb of Fast RAM is a good starting point, and it won't break even the smallest of budgets to achieve - plus it will be essential for the OS 3.5 upgrade due early 1999. If you can afford more memory, go for it. 16Mb is a worthwhile target - I've got 16Mb and rarely make use full use of it, but more won't do any harm, especially if you plan to do a lot of graphics work.

Hard Drive

The Amiga may be a machine which can be used exclusively on floppy disks, but it's not really something you should be doing these days. Hard drives are cheap, fast, incredibly useful, and a requirement for a lot of modern games and applications - particularly if you want to get on the Internet, or manipulate large images and animations. Finding a new Amiga without a hard disk is increasingly more difficult anyway, so there are no real excuses.

The standard A1200 can accept a 2.5" IDE drive internally, and almost all ship with at least a cheap 1 Gb disk, which is actually sufficient for most Amiga use. I have a 2.1 Gb Quantum drive which is just under a quarter full - and that's with every application I need, a few games (including DOOM II) plus data files! A1200 Towers and A4000 systems can accept the more typical 3.5" IDE hard disk. 2.1Gb is a common size.

One thing to note is that the current version of the standard filesystem (FFS) is currently limited to 4.3 Gb disks, though there are updates available from Amiga International which support bigger disks, and OS 3.5 will certainly support larger. Alternative filesystems, such as PFS, are also available if you need something bigger - and they offer more advanced features too, if you are a true power user seeking the best available. The 4.3 Gb isn't actually much of disadvantage on the Amiga, given the rather lean size of applications and data files - by the time you've filled that disk, OS 3.5's filesystem will be the standard.

In short: make sure you have at least a 1 Gb hard disk fitted. If you're buying a basic A1200, make sure the hard drive is fitted by the dealer (particularly if buying separately from the same place), unless you feel confident about opening up the case and fitting the 2.5" drive yourself. Not something for the novice... or your warranty. Also, make sure the hard drive has been formatted and installed with at least Workbench - ask if they install any other applications supplied with the machine, if you want everything ready right from the start.

CD-ROM Drive

Also an essential purchase for the new Amiga user. Most Amiga software is distributed on CD-ROM these days - the floppy disk versions are becoming less and less value for money in comparison, plus all future versions of the OS (i.e. OS 3.5) will be shipped on CD only. CDs are the way to go, particularly as they are almost indestructible in comparison to floppy disk - an important factor if you want to preserve your software collection from accidents, viruses, rogue magnets and dodgy write-protection toggles!

For tower users, IDE CD-ROM options are always available, so it's worth splashing out to get one if it isn't included as standard. As with the hard drive, make sure the dealer fits it if you buy separately from the same source.

The base A1200, however, is not so lucky and will have to opt for the more expensive option of an external drive. If you haven't bought your A1200 yet, look at a tower system and make comparisons in terms of price, taking into consideration the external drive units which will probably be SCSI. Consult the dealer about external units for any A1200 you are considering buying.

Expansion Options

The standard A1200 has two primary expansion capabilities - the 'trapdoor' slot for memory and accelerator cards, and the PCMCIA port on the side. Both have a good selection of expansion options, including CPUs, SCSI, Ethernet and memory. However, for a wider selection, the expansion card route is far superior - though you will need a tower or A4000 system equipped with card slots. Cards come in three (four) styles: Zorro (II and III), ISA and PCI. The latter two are recognisable as PC slots, and are relatively new to the Amiga.

Zorro is the Amiga's typical expansion card system. It's proprietary, but does offer some advantages over equivalent PC technology. However, Zorro expansions are becoming quite rare for some types of upgrade (particularly IO cards) and are more expensive than equivalent ISA/PCI cards. Zorro III is faster than Zorro II, though few cards take full advantage of the system - graphics cards are the main consumer of Zorro III bandwidth, so make sure you have Zorro III if you want to invest in a graphics card - and check that at least one slot is suitable for video. I've got four Zorro III slots, which is sufficient for a graphics card, SCSI interface and extra IO. Four is a good minimum - but think in advance about what options you are likely to aim for in the future: graphics card, SCSI interface, Ethernet board, IO card, sound card, video capture?

ISA was present on the 'big box' Amigas at an early stage for PC compatibility. However, they aren't activated as standard - you'll need a PC bridgeboard to use them with PC emulation software, or a suitable Zorro board which makes them available for Amiga use. ISA is far cheaper than Zorro, but you'll lose a slot to get them activated, and it's an expensive activation card too!

Alternatively, some Amigas feature ISA as dedicated slots. Check with the dealer first, and find out what drivers area available - it's common to have at least IO card and Ethernet drivers, but others are available. As long as the card doesn't use DMA transfers, it should be okay for use.

AteoBus is available from Ateo Concepts. AteoBus is currently featured on the Ateo A1200 tower system - check with Ateo for other manufacturers using, or compatible with, the system.

Ateo, who make a good set of towers and conversion kits, have developed AteoBus which adapts ISA as a Zorro alternative for A1200s, adding Zorro's plug and play capability to the ISA system. A 2Mb graphics card called Pixel64 is already available, and support is planned for sound cards, SCSI cards, IO cards, Ethernet and so on. ISA cards are cheaper and more widespread than Zorro, so it's a good system to check out if you're looking at an A1200 tower.

PCI is very new to the Amiga, and is only supported by a few tower systems. As with the ISA option, you'll need to question the dealer about drivers for cards. However, while PCI is faster than Zorro and ISA, it is expensive in comparison - ISA is probably more useful to the Amiga user, and better supported anyway.

Finally, a brief look at CPU slots. A1200 systems will usually feature the A1200 trapdoor system, while all A4000 (and some A1200 tower) systems will feature an A4000 CPU slot. The A4000 slot is probably more useful for high-end expansions - including the Cyberstorm PPC boards with 604e PowerPC technology, SCSI interface and plenty of slots for RAM. The A1200 is useful for cheap accelerators and the low-end 603e PowerPC cards. It's probably more down to personal choice than anything, with the decider likely to be the need for a 604e in the future, or RAM expansion.

Tower, desktop or 'wedge'? Desktops are now quite rare for the Amiga, and other systems these days, to be honest. The traditional all-in-one wedge-shaped A1200 keyboard design is limited in expansion capability, so the answer is: Tower. However, if you aren't interested in much expansion and have a budget to think of, the standard A1200 case does bring the cost down slightly - you can always upgrade to a tower conversion at a later stage.

Sound & Graphics

The Amiga is blessed with perfectly good sound and graphics capabilities as standard - courtesy of the custom chipset (AGA - Advanced Graphics Architecture). AGA provides VGA style resolutions with up to 262144 colours on screen from a 24-bit (16.8 million colour) palette, and many screenmodes are TV compatible. However, AGA is looking a little dated in comparison to modern graphics cards, and it consumes Chip RAM.

Cybervision CV64/3D or BlizzardVisionPPC Available from Phase 5 Picasso IV Available from VillageTronic Pixel64 Available from Ateo Concepts

If you have Zorro slots, a graphics card is recommended - the Cybervision CV64/3D and Picasso IV cards, both 4Mb video cards, offer powerful graphics capabilities for the Amiga. PowerPC owners also have a non-Zorro graphics card available, the BlizzardVision, which features the ultrafast Permedia chipset. AteoBus users have the option of the Pixel64. There was also the Graffiti graphics card which attached to the standard Amiga video output, if you lack Zorro - but I haven't seen this in action... and it seems to have vanished.

Internal sound is 4 channel, 8-bit Stereo. Not much these days, but it's capable of 14-bit stereo via some clever routines. However, you can obtain Zorro sound cards (such as the Prelude) if you want the best in 16-bit stereo sound, and there are several non-Zorro and Zorro sound cards in preparation. Sound cards on the Amiga are not cheap, so I'd only recommend them if you're a musician or have lots of spare cash - for the moment, the benefits to the average user outweigh the cost.

Monitors and TVs

At present, all Amigas can output to TV. They all handle TV (PAL and NTSC) compatible screenmodes, and can be connected to a TV either via an output on the back of the machine, or using a TV modulator. However, while it's great to be able to use a TV and render animations and other prized graphics work to video, you do miss out rather a lot - particularly high resolution graphics. If you've got a graphics card, a TV is out of the question, anyway.

On the next step are the standard Amiga monitors. Older Amiga monitors are perfectly okay to use, but support only the 15kHz modes - i.e. the same ones as the TV. You get a sharper picture than TV, but you still lose all the fantastic higher resolutions, and they don't work with graphics cards. So the next step up is either a VGA or a Multisync monitor.

VGA monitors don't support 15kHz, and neither do most modern multisync monitors, curiously. Check to make sure your monitor supports 15kHz, or is a proper Amiga monitor, such as either the Commodore, Amiga International or Microvitec multisyncs. I have a Microvitec 1438 which works perfectly, and handles everything I can chuck at it... though it's now shared between an old A500 and a 486SX NetBSD box.

So, what if you can't get a 15kHz compatible monitor? Well, some people are happy to discard these modes, but a lot of old applications software, as well as most games, use these modes. It's possible, but I wouldn't recommend it - so the next option is to scandouble!

Micronik Scan Doublers Available from Micronik Scan Magic Available from Power Computing Both of the above systems are available as External or A1200 Internal. The Internal versions aren't recommended as they require opening up the A1200 case and fiddling with the motherboard. Both also have flixer fixer options, which are useful for removing annoying flicker on 'interlace' modes (meaning better use of some of AGA's higher resolution modes).

Scandoubling promotes those troublesome 15kHz modes to frequencies supported by modern VGA monitors. Scandoublers are widely available these days, and allow you to use a cheap VGA monitor with your Amiga. You can either obtain them as a small box which plugs into the standard monitor port on your Amiga, or they come available on a graphics card - the Picasso IV has it already, while the CyberVision 64/3D is available with or without (which is good if you only want the graphics card resolutions, or fancy a dual monitor system).

I'd strongly recommend a monitor if you want to use more than a few games or the odd application - looking back, I can't imagine how I spent 4 years programming, word processing and gaming on a blurry TV screen connected to my A500. It actually works out well to purchase a standard VGA monitor and scandoubler. 14" is perfectly okay (my 14" 1438 was fine), but the 15" is a very good choice. 15" monitors are rarely much of a difference price-wise these days, but the slight increase in screen size is actually quite significant - the 15" SVGA monitor I currently use feels roomier, crisper and much more comfortable to use. 17" is very nice, though it's definitely more useful to graphics cards users who can take advantage of the extra room on screen - I've seen a PC using a 17" monitor at 640x480, and it isn't nice...

Software Bundles

Useful starter applications: Wordworth (Word Processor) Personal Paint (Paint & Animation Package) Turbocalc (Spreadsheet) TurboPrint (Printer enhancement software) Photogenics (Image processing) Netconnect 2 (Internet software)

On the PC and Macintosh, software bundles are all the rage - lots of applications, games and other goodies supplied with your system. Software bundles on the Amiga used to be similarly lavish affairs, but now the actual packages tend to be much more minimal.

Amiga International machines currently have the Amiga Magic pack which includes word processor, database, spreadsheet, organiser, graphics and image processing software, and a few games. Other manufacturers may have their own packages available too, so hunt around.

Alternative Options for Windows Users

So, what's SiamesePCI? Well, this takes the system to the next logical step. Rather than have an Amiga connected to a PC via null-modem or Ethernet, you buy an Amiga on a PCI card. The PCI-based Amiga then uses the host PC for everything, except running the actual Amiga applications. The SiamesePCI card costs about as much as a basic A1200 with hard drive, yet has a far better specification... it's the option to be employed by the 'November Box', PC-based Amiga development system (though that system will run AmigaOS) - official approval!

Emulation!

Failing all this, if you want a really cheap Amiga for a few items of software, you could always pick up the Amiga Forever CD-ROM which features Amiga emulators for various systems. Of course, it's not quite so much fun as owning a real Amiga... and it's slower, but it's a very low-cost solution and might be worthwhile for deciding if the Amiga is really your thing or not).

The Final Word

Buying any computer is a large and tricky subject. As a result, this buyer's guide is very much a work in progress, based upon personal experience and a look at the Amiga community today. If you have any questions, or would like to make a contribution (such as links, advice or corrections) please get in contact with me. I'd also be pleased to hear from anyone who found this guide useful - your experiences of buying an Amiga are more than welcome.

Remember: The continued survival of the Amiga until the 1999 relaunch is heavily based upon the following key points:

• Demand - Ask your local computer retailer to stock Amiga products. Pester your favourite software company to develop their software for the Amiga.
• Support - Assist local retailers and users in supporting the Amiga. Buy Amiga software and hardware - DON'T PIRATE!!!
• Recommend - Recommend Amiga hardware and software to others.

If everyone does a little something, it all adds up. Any Amiga is a wise investment. I hope the Amiga you choose gives you as much happiness, creativity and power as my A500 has from 1990, and my A4000/030 has from 1994.

Amiga: The computer for the best of us