My Amiga 1200 (photo by Old School Game Blog)

Hello everyone,

Hope you all are well and looking forward to the upcoming summer. :) It’s pretty hot weather here right now and I like it. :D

Thought I’d share some info on my current Amiga 1200 project. You see, I sold the AmigaOS 4.x computer on AmiBay not long ago. “Why?”, I can hear you ask. Well, honestly, the computer didn’t see much use after it was all set up and ready to go. I spent a bit of time configuring it and trying out some software, but sadly it didn’t do it for me. The machine ended up gathering dust in the cupboard due to lack of space. :( I must say that the OS looks great though and it is VERY fast and responsive, but I guess that was not enough to keep my interest. Due to this I’m back on classic again and currently adding some bits and bobs to my trusty old ESCOM Amiga 1200 computer.

Here’s the setup so far:

- ESCOM Amiga 1200 with Kickstart 3.1
- 4/8 MB Magnum RAM-expansion
- 40 GB 2.5″ IDE HD with Workbench 3.5 + external Zappo Overdrive HD for backup etc
- Zappo Overdrive CD-ROM
- PCMCIA Ethernet Network Card

It is a nice setup and works fine for most stuff, but like a lot of other Amigans I’m on the lookout for some additional goodies in the hardware department.. My Amiga is currently powered by the stock 68020 CPU clocked at 14.7 MHz, so I want something with a bit more punch. I’ve considered the 68060 turbo-cards, but they are horribly expensive at the moment – we’re talking prices ranging from like £350 and upwards. I can’t justify spending so much, so I’m considering a 68030 or a 68040 instead. 68030′s are cheaper and both fast and reliable and I have had a couple of those boards before, like the Blizzard 1230 IV. Still, I might want to invest a bit more and get a 68040. I know these have a bit of a bad reputation due to issues with overheating and lack of compatibility, but my personal experience with these are OK – a lot depends on the manufacturer of the board in my opinion. Anyway, if a good deal emerges, I might get my hands dirty with a 68040 – and that will be that. :) Time will show.

I’m also interested in adding a MAS-Player Evolution from AmigaKit. Have you seen those? These units are really cool! Click here for more info if you are interested. It is a MP3 music decoder for classic Amiga systems, so you don’t have to spend tons of CPU-power to play MP3′s. I want, I mean need, one, now! :D

Now, anyone else out there currently working on Amiga or other retro computer/console project? If so, I’d love to hear from you. :) Thanks in advance.

Thanks for reading and have a good evening!