#DPaint IV AGA
8 messages in this thread
All,
I went into a local CBM Dealer to checkout (showoff) the demo of DPaint IV
AGA, only to find that they had the release version (PAL) installed on an
A1200. They even showed me, somewhat furtivley, the box it came in which
had the AGA sticker on it.
This may be old hat news but I thought that it had'nt been released yet, I
must be wrong. The price quoted here is NZD 499.00
Laurie….surprised
Laurie Carroll AKL NZ
Amiga-Via Falnet.APb
Laurie,
I didn't call any mail order companies yet, but I've seen the NTSC version
selling around $120 – $130 in advertisements through AmigaWorld. Also,
Commodore themselves are shipping a copy of DPaint AGA and ProWrite to all
A1200 buyers if you fill out some registration forms (Free Software!). I'll
have to stop by my dealer to see exactly what needs to be filled out, since
there were no notes fixed to the box of my A1200.
Suprise, suprise… Keith.
Keith,
Just fill out and send in your A1200 warranty registration card.
I just got my Final Copy and DPaint IV AGA in Friday, 3/5.
Joe
Keith,
We dont get Amigaworld down here in the shops, until about 2 months after
the cover date. So we are pretty far behind on what the mail order
companies are selling.
BTW have you got any impressions on what the A1200 would be like as info
kiosk etc driver? With the better graphics ability and the H-drive already
built in, it could be a good choice.
Thanks for the info
Laurie Carroll AKL NZ
Longdistance Autopilot
Laurie,
My opinions on an A1200? Well, I'll start off by saying it's a good machine
for the price. It has a moderate speed increase which is mostly seen in
intense math calculations. File compression and decompression is speedy
compared to my old A500. However, due to the increase in size of the OS and
higher graphics, standard WorkBench useage is about the same. Media storage
may be a problem due to the limits of the 2.5" IDE drive, which has an "average
high" capacity of 120 to 150MB. With my A500, I was already in this area
without the nice graphics. GVP does have a SCSI / Memory expansion card due
out soon, so this will take care of some storage problems. As far as the new
graphics modes, the additional colors and resolution are great. I have noticed
that some of my old hi-res pictures have become "squeezed" from top to bottom.
I think this is to make the new graphics modes more "compatible" with the more
standard IBM-SVGA screen sizes. With any new system, there's bound to be some
mixed reactions. As a demo or home productivity machine, it's a great buy.
However, for serious graphic speed and more storage, I'd recommend an A4000 or
even a A3000 with a decent video card. (Did this help or did I change your
mind on something?) 🙂
Keith.
I just got my A1200 and DPaint IV AGA. Although much different from the
other Amiga's I've used, the A1200 is an awesome machine.
Problems,
You've got to get used to the new graphics modes. You've got to think
about graphics differently now, but with a pallette of 16.8 million colors, it
is worth the trouble.
2 Megs of RAM is too little for most of the new graphics capabilities.
DPaintIV AGA required more to use the AGA modes, even in Lo-res. The Hi-Res
Interlace 256 Color mode is great looking. Once I get more RAM (GVP 1230+) I
can't wait to paint in the new Ham8 modes.
Compatability? I can hardly get any PD or shareware software to work on
the machine. It seems that the programmers didn't follow the rules when they
wrote the stuff. A lot of commercial stuff has trouble too, but mostly games
and stuff that is written kind of strangely (Caligari2 for example).
Overall, the machine is great and has infinite potential. You definitely
can't beat the price, anywhere. AGA has no match in the home PC world and the
old Amigas can't even approach it without graphics cards. Even then, most
graphics cards won't work throughout the system, affecting everything you use.
AGA is a standard they'll have to comply with to do so.
Can't wait for the wave of AGA software that is sure to come.
Todd,
As for graphics, I'm already used to them being slightly distorted due to the
amount of files I swap from my Amiga to my 486. Converting them with some
Windows utility programs to their right visual size has not been a problem. I
just would like to know why Commodore took this approach. One thing I'm
beginning to find a problem with is expansion. The A1200 might have better
graphics, but it can't be hacked like my old A500. Right now I find myself
limited to either speeding up the machine with the GVP 68030 board (along with
MORE memory), or the GVP SCSI / Memory board to allow more HD storage. Either
way I go, I'm going to be losing something. As for compatability, I sort of
realized that there would be more problems. I have found that one problem is
not the new hardware, but WorkBench 3.0. A good percentage of programs work
fine if I boot with a 2.0 disk. And games? A good percentage of older games
work fine too (if not a little too fast) if you disable the cache at boot.
(Have you held down both mouse buttons during a boot for the graphics and
processor options screen?) Once again, any new product will have its ups and
downs.
Keith.
Keith,
I watch a M/Media screen "kiosk" at the gymm I go to. The graphics are
very crude (may be an ordinary TV screen) Amiga Vision CanDo etc would
just blow it away!!
Thats why I thought off the A1200/HD combo. It would be a relativley cheap
way to get into it.
Laurie Carroll AKL NZ
Longdistance Autopilot