mirror of
https://github.com/skoelle/moonweb-site.git
synced 2026-09-17 17:00:25 +00:00
Remove all em-dashes from website content and documentation
Replace ' — ' with ', ' across 40 files. Hyphens (-) untouched. timecapsule, stefankoelle, LICENSE, CSS comments left as-is.
This commit is contained in:
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
<h1>Running AmigaOS in 2026: MiSTer FPGA vs Amiberry on Pi</h1>
|
||||
<div class="detail-content">
|
||||
|
||||
<p>AmigaOS 3.2.3 runs beautifully both on FPGA and on modern ARM boards — the question is which trade-offs you're willing to accept. Both approaches have their place, and the choice often comes down to what you're trying to do: run demos at perfect timing, or tinker with software at higher resolutions.</p>
|
||||
<p>AmigaOS 3.2.3 runs beautifully both on FPGA and on modern ARM boards, the question is which trade-offs you're willing to accept. Both approaches have their place, and the choice often comes down to what you're trying to do: run demos at perfect timing, or tinker with software at higher resolutions.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>Two Roads to the Same Workbench</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>MiSTer with the Minimig-AGA core</strong> — the most hardware-authentic option. Native resolution tops out around 800×600, with RTG (Picasso96) support pushing that up to 1080p. Timing accuracy and near-zero input latency make it the pick for demos and cycle-sensitive software.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Amiberry on a Raspberry Pi</strong> — the flexible option. Running headless (no X11 desktop, straight from the console/KMS framebuffer) is the single biggest performance lever — the difference between a laggy desktop and a snappy 60fps Workbench.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The HDF minefield</strong> — hard disk image files either carry an RDB partition table or they don't, and getting the geometry parameters (surfaces/sectors/reserved blocks) wrong produces the classic "Not a DOS disk in device DH0" error. Reformatting through HDToolBox from a fresh install is often faster than debugging geometry math.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Picking a monitor</strong> — a 4:3 panel at native 1280×1024 (like an older NEC MultiSync) gives the most period-accurate Workbench experience; anything widescreen needs scaling compromises.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>MiSTer with the Minimig-AGA core</strong>, the most hardware-authentic option. Native resolution tops out around 800×600, with RTG (Picasso96) support pushing that up to 1080p. Timing accuracy and near-zero input latency make it the pick for demos and cycle-sensitive software.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Amiberry on a Raspberry Pi</strong>, the flexible option. Running headless (no X11 desktop, straight from the console/KMS framebuffer) is the single biggest performance lever, the difference between a laggy desktop and a snappy 60fps Workbench.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The HDF minefield</strong>, hard disk image files either carry an RDB partition table or they don't, and getting the geometry parameters (surfaces/sectors/reserved blocks) wrong produces the classic "Not a DOS disk in device DH0" error. Reformatting through HDToolBox from a fresh install is often faster than debugging geometry math.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Picking a monitor</strong>, a 4:3 panel at native 1280×1024 (like an older NEC MultiSync) gives the most period-accurate Workbench experience; anything widescreen needs scaling compromises.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>When to choose MiSTer</h2>
|
||||
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ a Pi to Amiga development without tying up expensive FPGA hardware.</p>
|
||||
Some demos use raster tricks that only work on real AGA hardware or the
|
||||
MiSTer's FPGA core. Some productivity software depends on specific
|
||||
accelerator card features that neither platform emulates perfectly.
|
||||
And the perennial question of Kickstart ROM versions — 3.1 for
|
||||
compatibility, 3.2 for features — applies equally to both setups.</p>
|
||||
And the perennial question of Kickstart ROM versions, 3.1 for
|
||||
compatibility, 3.2 for features, applies equally to both setups.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">Both setups now run side by side without any real winner — MiSTer for authenticity and demos, the Pi for tinkering and RTG resolutions.</p>
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">Both setups now run side by side without any real winner, MiSTer for authenticity and demos, the Pi for tinkering and RTG resolutions.</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -9,15 +9,15 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
<h1>Vampire V4, A600GS or MiSTer: Amiga Hardware Isn't a Simple Speed Race</h1>
|
||||
<div class="detail-content">
|
||||
|
||||
<p>Trying to compare Amiga hardware options by benchmark numbers alone is a trap. A Dhrystone score from a real FPGA CPU implementation and an ARM chip's MIPS rating measure completely different things — and neither tells you much about which system will actually run your favourite demo correctly.</p>
|
||||
<p>Trying to compare Amiga hardware options by benchmark numbers alone is a trap. A Dhrystone score from a real FPGA CPU implementation and an ARM chip's MIPS rating measure completely different things, and neither tells you much about which system will actually run your favourite demo correctly.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>The Contenders</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>Vampire V4 Standalone</strong> — an FPGA-implemented 68080 CPU that's genuinely blisteringly fast (sub-second Workbench boots), but software compatibility suffers since the 68080 isn't a perfect 68060 clone. Best for games and demos, not for daily productivity.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>A600GS / A1200NG</strong> — ARM-based boards running Amiberry underneath, in either a complete mini-PC (A600GS) or a drop-in motherboard replacement with real floppy and CompactFlash support (A1200NG). Cheap, plug-and-play, but with occasional software compatibility quirks.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>MiSTer with the Minimig core</strong> — "loses" on paper to A600GS in raw MIPS numbers, but wins on emulation accuracy and software compatibility. Its D-Cache-on mode is faster still but introduces glitches, so it's best left off for stability.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The real decision factor</strong> — not speed, but compatibility, stability, and how much you value hardware-accurate timing versus raw throughput.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Vampire V4 Standalone</strong>, an FPGA-implemented 68080 CPU that's genuinely blisteringly fast (sub-second Workbench boots), but software compatibility suffers since the 68080 isn't a perfect 68060 clone. Best for games and demos, not for daily productivity.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>A600GS / A1200NG</strong>, ARM-based boards running Amiberry underneath, in either a complete mini-PC (A600GS) or a drop-in motherboard replacement with real floppy and CompactFlash support (A1200NG). Cheap, plug-and-play, but with occasional software compatibility quirks.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>MiSTer with the Minimig core</strong>, "loses" on paper to A600GS in raw MIPS numbers, but wins on emulation accuracy and software compatibility. Its D-Cache-on mode is faster still but introduces glitches, so it's best left off for stability.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The real decision factor</strong>, not speed, but compatibility, stability, and how much you value hardware-accurate timing versus raw throughput.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">Conclusion after digging through all three: if you already own a working MiSTer, there's no compelling reason to chase the newer ARM boards for "better" performance — the practical difference is marginal, and MiSTer's broader core library wins in the long run.</p>
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">Conclusion after digging through all three: if you already own a working MiSTer, there's no compelling reason to chase the newer ARM boards for "better" performance, the practical difference is marginal, and MiSTer's broader core library wins in the long run.</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -9,15 +9,15 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
<h1>The Atari Mega ST Fleet: Three Machines, Three Jobs</h1>
|
||||
<div class="detail-content">
|
||||
|
||||
<p>Somewhere along the way, "one Atari ST" turned into three Mega ST 4 machines plus a Mega ST 2. Rather than let them gather dust, each one got a clearly defined purpose — from untouched nostalgia piece to fully upgraded workstation.</p>
|
||||
<p>Somewhere along the way, "one Atari ST" turned into three Mega ST 4 machines plus a Mega ST 2. Rather than let them gather dust, each one got a clearly defined purpose, from untouched nostalgia piece to fully upgraded workstation.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>The Lineup</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>The heirloom machine</strong> — kept as close to factory-original as possible, running the stock TOS 1.04 and a classic floppy drive. Its job is to be a baseline reference: if something breaks on a modded machine, this one proves the fault isn't in the software.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The "Low" machine</strong> — a bargain-bin Mega ST 4 rebuilt with a Cloudy/StormyCloud combo for TOS switching and extra FastRAM, a Gotek floppy emulator, an UltraSatan hard disk emulator, and a SidecarTridge multi-device for ROM, floppy, and Wi-Fi tricks. This is the demo- and game-machine, optimized for fast disk-image swapping rather than serious productivity.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The "High" machine</strong> — the workstation build. A MonSTerBoard adds 8MB of AltRAM, IDE storage, and flashable TOS (currently TOS 2.06), running Geneva for real multitasking. A NetUSB adapter and original Atari keyboard/mouse round it out, with an ET4000 graphics card in the pipeline for higher resolutions.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The spare Mega ST 2</strong> — a reserve and donor machine, kept in largely original condition, used to safely test upgrades before they go into the "real" machines.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The heirloom machine</strong>, kept as close to factory-original as possible, running the stock TOS 1.04 and a classic floppy drive. Its job is to be a baseline reference: if something breaks on a modded machine, this one proves the fault isn't in the software.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The "Low" machine</strong>, a bargain-bin Mega ST 4 rebuilt with a Cloudy/StormyCloud combo for TOS switching and extra FastRAM, a Gotek floppy emulator, an UltraSatan hard disk emulator, and a SidecarTridge multi-device for ROM, floppy, and Wi-Fi tricks. This is the demo- and game-machine, optimized for fast disk-image swapping rather than serious productivity.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The "High" machine</strong>, the workstation build. A MonSTerBoard adds 8MB of AltRAM, IDE storage, and flashable TOS (currently TOS 2.06), running Geneva for real multitasking. A NetUSB adapter and original Atari keyboard/mouse round it out, with an ET4000 graphics card in the pipeline for higher resolutions.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The spare Mega ST 2</strong>, a reserve and donor machine, kept in largely original condition, used to safely test upgrades before they go into the "real" machines.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">Fun fact: two of the "problem" machines turned out to have nothing wrong with the boards at all — a badly soldered CPU socket and a leftover blitter patch bridge were the actual culprits. Moral of the story: check your solder joints twice before blaming the silicon.</p>
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">Fun fact: two of the "problem" machines turned out to have nothing wrong with the boards at all, a badly soldered CPU socket and a leftover blitter patch bridge were the actual culprits. Moral of the story: check your solder joints twice before blaming the silicon.</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -9,15 +9,15 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
<h1>The 15kHz Problem: Finding a Monitor That Speaks Atari</h1>
|
||||
<div class="detail-content">
|
||||
|
||||
<p>Atari ST colour modes (Low-Res and Medium-Res) run at a horizontal scan frequency of 15kHz — a frequency almost no modern VGA monitor supports, since anything made in the last two decades expects at least 30kHz. High-Res monochrome runs at roughly 35kHz and gets along fine with most displays, but colour gaming is a different story entirely.</p>
|
||||
<p>Atari ST colour modes (Low-Res and Medium-Res) run at a horizontal scan frequency of 15kHz, a frequency almost no modern VGA monitor supports, since anything made in the last two decades expects at least 30kHz. High-Res monochrome runs at roughly 35kHz and gets along fine with most displays, but colour gaming is a different story entirely.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>Panel Technology Matters More Than You'd Think</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>MVA/PVA panels</strong> — the surprise winners. Their flexible crystal alignment tolerates unusual 15kHz signals far better than standard panels. A NEC MultiSync LCD1970NXp with an MVA panel handles Medium-Res colour reliably, once you fine-tune the H.Size setting.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>IPS panels</strong> — a mixed bag. Some work (a widescreen Lenovo ThinkVision LT1952p reportedly fills the screen beautifully via an ST2VGA adapter), others don't, and there's no way to tell without testing.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>VA panels</strong> — a dead end. Modern VA displays like the Dell SE2722HX and SE2422HX have a minimum horizontal frequency of 30kHz, ruling out native 15kHz signals entirely.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The universal fix</strong> — an Open Source Scan Converter (OSSC) upsamples the 15kHz signal for any HDMI monitor, at the cost of extra hardware and money.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>MVA/PVA panels</strong>, the surprise winners. Their flexible crystal alignment tolerates unusual 15kHz signals far better than standard panels. A NEC MultiSync LCD1970NXp with an MVA panel handles Medium-Res colour reliably, once you fine-tune the H.Size setting.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>IPS panels</strong>, a mixed bag. Some work (a widescreen Lenovo ThinkVision LT1952p reportedly fills the screen beautifully via an ST2VGA adapter), others don't, and there's no way to tell without testing.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>VA panels</strong>, a dead end. Modern VA displays like the Dell SE2722HX and SE2422HX have a minimum horizontal frequency of 30kHz, ruling out native 15kHz signals entirely.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The universal fix</strong>, an Open Source Scan Converter (OSSC) upsamples the 15kHz signal for any HDMI monitor, at the cost of extra hardware and money.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">If you're chasing 15kHz authenticity, buy the specific panel model people have already confirmed working in the forums — don't trust a spec sheet that just says "supports VGA."</p>
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">If you're chasing 15kHz authenticity, buy the specific panel model people have already confirmed working in the forums, don't trust a spec sheet that just says "supports VGA."</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -9,18 +9,18 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
<h1>Getting a 40-Year-Old Computer Online: Atari ST Networking and BBS Access</h1>
|
||||
<div class="detail-content">
|
||||
|
||||
<p>The Atari ST predates the consumer internet entirely, yet a surprising amount of retrofitted networking hardware exists to get one talking to a modern network — or to a bulletin board system straight out of the dial-up era.</p>
|
||||
<p>The Atari ST predates the consumer internet entirely, yet a surprising amount of retrofitted networking hardware exists to get one talking to a modern network, or to a bulletin board system straight out of the dial-up era.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>The Toolbox</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>STinG</strong> — the classic TCP/IP stack for TOS, still the backbone for anything network-related on an original machine, from Telnet sessions to FTP transfers.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>ESP32-based Wi-Fi modules</strong> — small serial-attached boards that emulate a modem over Wi-Fi. Results vary wildly between firmware projects: one variant handles HTTP downloads fine but can't do Telnet, another supports full modem emulation but drops connections unpredictably during longer BBS sessions.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Terminal software quirks</strong> — ANSI art and special characters routinely render incorrectly in period terminal clients, an ongoing annoyance when connecting to text-heavy BBS systems.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>File transfer the easy way</strong> — a plain FTP client on the Atari talking to a NAS on the local network sidesteps most of the internet-connectivity headaches entirely, especially for moving disk images and software archives back and forth.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>STinG</strong>, the classic TCP/IP stack for TOS, still the backbone for anything network-related on an original machine, from Telnet sessions to FTP transfers.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>ESP32-based Wi-Fi modules</strong>, small serial-attached boards that emulate a modem over Wi-Fi. Results vary wildly between firmware projects: one variant handles HTTP downloads fine but can't do Telnet, another supports full modem emulation but drops connections unpredictably during longer BBS sessions.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Terminal software quirks</strong>, ANSI art and special characters routinely render incorrectly in period terminal clients, an ongoing annoyance when connecting to text-heavy BBS systems.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>File transfer the easy way</strong>, a plain FTP client on the Atari talking to a NAS on the local network sidesteps most of the internet-connectivity headaches entirely, especially for moving disk images and software archives back and forth.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>Why connect a 40-year-old computer to the internet</h2>
|
||||
<p>The obvious question is "why bother?" — the Atari ST was never designed
|
||||
<p>The obvious question is "why bother?", the Atari ST was never designed
|
||||
for the internet, and the experience of using it online is objectively
|
||||
worse than any modern device. But that's not the point. The real
|
||||
satisfaction comes from making old hardware do things it was never
|
||||
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ original hardware.</p>
|
||||
<h2>The BBS experience</h2>
|
||||
<p>Bulletin board systems from the dial-up era are still running today,
|
||||
maintained by enthusiasts who keep the old software alive. Connecting to
|
||||
one from an original Atari ST — via a Wi-Fi modem emulation — is a
|
||||
one from an original Atari ST, via a Wi-Fi modem emulation, is a
|
||||
genuinely nostalgic experience. The ANSI art login screens, the message
|
||||
boards, the file sections, the door games — it's all exactly as it was
|
||||
boards, the file sections, the door games, it's all exactly as it was
|
||||
in the early 1990s. The main difference: instead of tying up a phone
|
||||
line, the connection goes over Wi-Fi to a BBS that's accessible from
|
||||
anywhere in the world.</p>
|
||||
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ anywhere in the world.</p>
|
||||
<h2>Lessons learned</h2>
|
||||
<p>The biggest lesson: networking on retro hardware is 90% patience and
|
||||
10% actual configuration. The STinG stack is well-documented but
|
||||
fragile — wrong TCP/IP settings silently break connections without
|
||||
fragile, wrong TCP/IP settings silently break connections without
|
||||
useful error messages. The ESP32 Wi-Fi modules are cheap and flexible
|
||||
but require careful firmware selection for the specific use case. And
|
||||
terminal emulation is a rabbit hole of character sets, escape sequences,
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
<h1>Batocera in the Living Room: One Box, Every Retro System</h1>
|
||||
<div class="detail-content">
|
||||
|
||||
<p>Not every retro session calls for hardware-accurate FPGA timing. Sometimes you just want to grab a controller on the couch and pick something from a big menu — that's exactly what the Batocera station in the living room is for.</p>
|
||||
<p>Not every retro session calls for hardware-accurate FPGA timing. Sometimes you just want to grab a controller on the couch and pick something from a big menu, that's exactly what the Batocera station in the living room is for.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>What's Under the Hood</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>Software emulation, not FPGA</strong> — Hatari for Atari ST, UAE for Amiga, DOSBox for DOS, MAME/FBA for arcade, plus the usual console emulators (NES, SNES, Mega Drive, PlayStation). It's the go-to place for Atari ST gaming in this setup, since MiSTer's own ST core is unreliable.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>ROM organisation</strong> — following the TOSEC standard and cleaning up collections with RomVault DAT files, aiming for "1G1R" (One Game One ROM) sets to keep launcher menus from turning into an unmanageable wall of duplicates.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Curated sources</strong> — a well-known "scene DVD" collection covers Atari ST releases comprehensively; Amiga has no equally tidy equivalent, since TOSEC's Amiga archive is comprehensive but messy, mixing dozens of crack-group releases per game.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Division of labour with MiSTer/MiST</strong> — Batocera wins on convenience and breadth, MiSTer/MiST win on accuracy and low-latency feel for serious sessions.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Software emulation, not FPGA</strong>, Hatari for Atari ST, UAE for Amiga, DOSBox for DOS, MAME/FBA for arcade, plus the usual console emulators (NES, SNES, Mega Drive, PlayStation). It's the go-to place for Atari ST gaming in this setup, since MiSTer's own ST core is unreliable.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>ROM organisation</strong>, following the TOSEC standard and cleaning up collections with RomVault DAT files, aiming for "1G1R" (One Game One ROM) sets to keep launcher menus from turning into an unmanageable wall of duplicates.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Curated sources</strong>, a well-known "scene DVD" collection covers Atari ST releases comprehensively; Amiga has no equally tidy equivalent, since TOSEC's Amiga archive is comprehensive but messy, mixing dozens of crack-group releases per game.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Division of labour with MiSTer/MiST</strong>, Batocera wins on convenience and breadth, MiSTer/MiST win on accuracy and low-latency feel for serious sessions.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">If you're building a similar box: don't skip the DAT-file cleanup step. An unsorted TOSEC dump makes browsing physically painful once you cross a few thousand entries.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -9,30 +9,30 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
<h1>The 486 DX2-66: Rebuilding a DOS Era on MiSTer FPGA</h1>
|
||||
<div class="detail-content">
|
||||
|
||||
<p>Long before Atari ST and Amiga took over the retro corner, a Vobis-Highscreen 486 DX2-66 in its distinctive Colani-designed tower case was the main PC. The original hardware is long gone, but the entire setup has been recreated 1:1 on MiSTer FPGA — same DOS version, same drivers, same AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, same directory structure.</p>
|
||||
<p>Long before Atari ST and Amiga took over the retro corner, a Vobis-Highscreen 486 DX2-66 in its distinctive Colani-designed tower case was the main PC. The original hardware is long gone, but the entire setup has been recreated 1:1 on MiSTer FPGA, same DOS version, same drivers, same AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, same directory structure.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>The original hardware</h2>
|
||||
<p>The Vobis-Highscreen was a premium PC in its day — the Colani design gave it a distinctive curved case that still looks futuristic. Inside it ran an Intel 486 DX2 at 66MHz with 8MB of RAM, a Sound Blaster 16, and a Tseng ET4000 graphics card. A 200MB hard drive and a 3.5" floppy drive completed the setup. The machine was the go-to system for early-90s classics like Doom, Wing Commander, Duke Nukem 3D, and Lemmings.</p>
|
||||
<p>The Vobis-Highscreen was a premium PC in its day, the Colani design gave it a distinctive curved case that still looks futuristic. Inside it ran an Intel 486 DX2 at 66MHz with 8MB of RAM, a Sound Blaster 16, and a Tseng ET4000 graphics card. A 200MB hard drive and a 3.5" floppy drive completed the setup. The machine was the go-to system for early-90s classics like Doom, Wing Commander, Duke Nukem 3D, and Lemmings.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>The MiSTer recreation</h2>
|
||||
<p>The AO486 core on MiSTer FPGA reproduces the original hardware with near-perfect accuracy. The key was not just getting the hardware emulation right, but rebuilding the exact software environment: the same MS-DOS version, the same memory managers (HIMEM.SYS, EMM386), the same Sound Blaster drivers, and the same AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS tuning that made the original machine run smoothly. Even the directory structure and file names match the original setup.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>Context: DOSMENU</h2>
|
||||
<p>A key part of the preserved environment is <strong><a href="https://28k8.moonweb.org/bbs/pc/dosmenu/">DOSMENU</a></strong>, a boot configuration utility written in Turbo Pascal 6.0 in 1994 — originally developed specifically for this Colani 486 machine. DOSMENU let you choose at boot time which AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS commands to load — a critical feature in the DOS era, where memory management was manual and games often required different driver configurations. Features included saveable presets, a built-in MOD player, PCX picture display, and a DoubleSpace memory unloader. The original source: ~50k of Turbo Pascal, roughly 1900 lines plus some inline assembler.</p>
|
||||
<p>A key part of the preserved environment is <strong><a href="https://28k8.moonweb.org/bbs/pc/dosmenu/">DOSMENU</a></strong>, a boot configuration utility written in Turbo Pascal 6.0 in 1994, originally developed specifically for this Colani 486 machine. DOSMENU let you choose at boot time which AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS commands to load, a critical feature in the DOS era, where memory management was manual and games often required different driver configurations. Features included saveable presets, a built-in MOD player, PCX picture display, and a DoubleSpace memory unloader. The original source: ~50k of Turbo Pascal, roughly 1900 lines plus some inline assembler.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>Why a 1:1 recreation</h2>
|
||||
<p>The point isn't just to play DOS games — it's to preserve the exact computing experience from that era. The way DOS memory management worked, the way sound drivers had to be configured manually, the way batch files chained together to create a usable environment. This level of detail is lost when you just launch a DOS game from a modern frontend. The MiSTer setup recreates the entire boot process, from BIOS POST to the C:\> prompt, just as it was in the mid-90s.</p>
|
||||
<p>The point isn't just to play DOS games, it's to preserve the exact computing experience from that era. The way DOS memory management worked, the way sound drivers had to be configured manually, the way batch files chained together to create a usable environment. This level of detail is lost when you just launch a DOS game from a modern frontend. The MiSTer setup recreates the entire boot process, from BIOS POST to the C:\> prompt, just as it was in the mid-90s.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>What's preserved</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>DOS boot environment</strong> — the exact AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS from the original machine, including memory manager configuration and Sound Blaster IRQ settings.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Game installations</strong> — original game installations with their setup utilities, configuration files, and saved games, all in the same directory paths as the original.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>System utilities</strong> — Norton Commander, PKZIP, the usual toolkit of the era, all configured the way they were used daily.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong><a href="https://28k8.moonweb.org/bbs/pc/dosmenu/">DOSMENU</a></strong> — a custom boot configuration utility written specifically for this Colani 486 in 1994. Built in Turbo Pascal, it let you choose at boot time which AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS commands to load — essential for managing DOS memory across different games and applications.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The quirks</strong> — the specific workarounds and tweaks that were needed to get everything running together, the kind of institutional knowledge that only exists on a well-used personal machine.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>DOS boot environment</strong>, the exact AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS from the original machine, including memory manager configuration and Sound Blaster IRQ settings.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Game installations</strong>, original game installations with their setup utilities, configuration files, and saved games, all in the same directory paths as the original.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>System utilities</strong>, Norton Commander, PKZIP, the usual toolkit of the era, all configured the way they were used daily.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong><a href="https://28k8.moonweb.org/bbs/pc/dosmenu/">DOSMENU</a></strong>, a custom boot configuration utility written specifically for this Colani 486 in 1994. Built in Turbo Pascal, it let you choose at boot time which AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS commands to load, essential for managing DOS memory across different games and applications.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The quirks</strong>, the specific workarounds and tweaks that were needed to get everything running together, the kind of institutional knowledge that only exists on a well-used personal machine.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>AO486 vs real hardware</h2>
|
||||
<p>The MiSTer AO486 core handles the emulation convincingly. Timing accuracy is good enough for games that rely on cycle-sensitive behavior. Sound Blaster emulation covers the standard OPL3 FM synthesis and digital audio. The main trade-off is that some hardware-specific quirks — like the exact timing of the ET4000 graphics card or the behavior of specific ISA bus peripherals — aren't perfectly replicated. But for the purpose of preserving a working DOS environment, it's more than sufficient.</p>
|
||||
<p>The MiSTer AO486 core handles the emulation convincingly. Timing accuracy is good enough for games that rely on cycle-sensitive behavior. Sound Blaster emulation covers the standard OPL3 FM synthesis and digital audio. The main trade-off is that some hardware-specific quirks, like the exact timing of the ET4000 graphics card or the behavior of specific ISA bus peripherals, aren't perfectly replicated. But for the purpose of preserving a working DOS environment, it's more than sufficient.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -13,14 +13,14 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>What Went Wrong</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>Power supply overload</strong> — the stock Mega ST PSU simply wasn't designed to feed a MonSTerBoard, an ET4000, and a MegaBus adapter at the same time. The 5V and 12V rails ended up right at their instability limit.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The missing -12V</strong> — the ET4000 needs -12V for its output drivers, usually tapped from the RS-232 port, adding yet another drain on an already stressed supply.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Heat with nowhere to go</strong> — the card runs hot, and the Mega ST case has zero provision for active cooling.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Signal integrity issues</strong> — the ISA-to-MegaBus adapter introduces reflections at higher frequencies, and access to ET4000 RAM is roughly 65% slower than native ST RAM, with no hardware BitBLT to make up for it.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Power supply overload</strong>, the stock Mega ST PSU simply wasn't designed to feed a MonSTerBoard, an ET4000, and a MegaBus adapter at the same time. The 5V and 12V rails ended up right at their instability limit.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The missing -12V</strong>, the ET4000 needs -12V for its output drivers, usually tapped from the RS-232 port, adding yet another drain on an already stressed supply.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Heat with nowhere to go</strong>, the card runs hot, and the Mega ST case has zero provision for active cooling.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Signal integrity issues</strong>, the ISA-to-MegaBus adapter introduces reflections at higher frequencies, and access to ET4000 RAM is roughly 65% slower than native ST RAM, with no hardware BitBLT to make up for it.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>The Practical Fallback</h2>
|
||||
<p>FPGA cores on MiSTer and MiST only emulate the native ST Shifter — there's no ET4000 emulation on the horizon given the FPGA resources it would require. The real answer for higher resolutions turned out to be software: Hatari running in VDI mode on a Raspberry Pi 400, which comfortably delivers 1280×768 with far more colors and zero PSU drama.</p>
|
||||
<p>FPGA cores on MiSTer and MiST only emulate the native ST Shifter, there's no ET4000 emulation on the horizon given the FPGA resources it would require. The real answer for higher resolutions turned out to be software: Hatari running in VDI mode on a Raspberry Pi 400, which comfortably delivers 1280×768 with far more colors and zero PSU drama.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">Lesson learned: "just add a graphics card" on 40-year-old hardware is never "just" anything. The ET4000 project isn't dead, but it's shelved until there's a properly beefed-up power supply and cooling solution to go with it.</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
+2
-2
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
|
||||
---
|
||||
title: "Retro Computing — Vintage Hardware & FPGA | moonweb"
|
||||
title: "Retro Computing, Vintage Hardware & FPGA | moonweb"
|
||||
section: "retro"
|
||||
tags: "retro"
|
||||
description: "Physical retro hardware collection — Raspberry Pi units, Pi 400, and vintage computing setups."
|
||||
description: "Physical retro hardware collection, Raspberry Pi units, Pi 400, and vintage computing setups."
|
||||
layout: base.njk
|
||||
sections:
|
||||
- heading: "Atari ST Corner"
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>What to Watch For</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>The bootleg trap</strong> — devices built around VT369-style chips (NES-compatible, not real arcade hardware) often bundle 200+ "games" that turn out to be unlicensed clones and homebrew hacks, cataloged in enthusiast bootleg-game wikis. No Pac-Man, no Donkey Kong, just look-alikes.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Genuinely licensed compact options</strong> — devices built around real Namco or SNK licenses deliver actual classics (Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, dozens of Neo Geo titles) with premium displays, at a similar price point to the bootleg boxes.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Expandable options</strong> — some cabinet-style devices accept extra MAME ROMs via SD card, letting you add real arcade classics after the fact — the one feature the bootleg boxes almost never offer without heavy soldering.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The maximalist route</strong> — a Raspberry Pi running RetroPie, or a MiSTer FPGA setup, both scale to tens of thousands of games or hardware-accurate arcade cores respectively, at the cost of more setup effort.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The bootleg trap</strong>, devices built around VT369-style chips (NES-compatible, not real arcade hardware) often bundle 200+ "games" that turn out to be unlicensed clones and homebrew hacks, cataloged in enthusiast bootleg-game wikis. No Pac-Man, no Donkey Kong, just look-alikes.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Genuinely licensed compact options</strong>, devices built around real Namco or SNK licenses deliver actual classics (Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, dozens of Neo Geo titles) with premium displays, at a similar price point to the bootleg boxes.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Expandable options</strong>, some cabinet-style devices accept extra MAME ROMs via SD card, letting you add real arcade classics after the fact, the one feature the bootleg boxes almost never offer without heavy soldering.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The maximalist route</strong>, a Raspberry Pi running RetroPie, or a MiSTer FPGA setup, both scale to tens of thousands of games or hardware-accurate arcade cores respectively, at the cost of more setup effort.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">If a mini-arcade's game list reads like a string of titles you've genuinely never heard of, that's the tell. Real arcade classics have instantly recognisable names — bootlegs hide behind vague, generic-sounding ones.</p>
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">If a mini-arcade's game list reads like a string of titles you've genuinely never heard of, that's the tell. Real arcade classics have instantly recognisable names, bootlegs hide behind vague, generic-sounding ones.</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
<h1>MiST and MiSTer: Two FPGA Boxes, Two Very Different Personalities</h1>
|
||||
<div class="detail-content">
|
||||
|
||||
<p>Both boards run classic computers as hardware-accurate FPGA cores rather than software emulation, but living with them side by side reveals they're not interchangeable — each one is simply better at certain jobs.</p>
|
||||
<p>Both boards run classic computers as hardware-accurate FPGA cores rather than software emulation, but living with them side by side reveals they're not interchangeable, each one is simply better at certain jobs.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>Division of Labour</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>MiST for Atari ST</strong> — older and more limited in scope than MiSTer, but its ST/STE core is rock solid. It's the default choice for anything Atari, paired with a network-capable configuration for file transfers.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>MiSTer for everything else</strong> — Amiga, DOS (via the AO486 core), and a huge library of other systems. Its Atari ST core, oddly, is the less reliable one of the two boards — reason enough to keep MiST around instead of retiring it.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Native resolution ceiling</strong> — both boards only emulate the original Shifter chip on Atari ST: Low-Res (320×200), Medium-Res (640×200), and High-Res (640×400 mono). No ET4000-style graphics card emulation is on the table; a Falcon030 core with higher native resolutions has been rumoured for years without shipping.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Known rough edges</strong> — accessory programs loading but not appearing on the desktop, and disabled XBOOT support, are still open items to chase down on the MiST side.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>MiST for Atari ST</strong>, older and more limited in scope than MiSTer, but its ST/STE core is rock solid. It's the default choice for anything Atari, paired with a network-capable configuration for file transfers.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>MiSTer for everything else</strong>, Amiga, DOS (via the AO486 core), and a huge library of other systems. Its Atari ST core, oddly, is the less reliable one of the two boards, reason enough to keep MiST around instead of retiring it.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Native resolution ceiling</strong>, both boards only emulate the original Shifter chip on Atari ST: Low-Res (320×200), Medium-Res (640×200), and High-Res (640×400 mono). No ET4000-style graphics card emulation is on the table; a Falcon030 core with higher native resolutions has been rumoured for years without shipping.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Known rough edges</strong>, accessory programs loading but not appearing on the desktop, and disabled XBOOT support, are still open items to chase down on the MiST side.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">The takeaway after months of use: don't assume the shinier, newer board wins every category. Sometimes the "older" FPGA implementation is simply the more mature one for a specific chipset.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
|
||||
title: "PiMiga 3 to 5: Chasing the Perfect Amiga-on-a-Pi Distro"
|
||||
section: "retro"
|
||||
tags: "retro"
|
||||
description: "Three generations of PiMiga later, here's what actually changed — and why newer isn't always better."
|
||||
description: "Three generations of PiMiga later, here's what actually changed, and why newer isn't always better."
|
||||
layout: base.njk
|
||||
parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
---
|
||||
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>What Changed Across Versions</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>PiMiga 3.0 (2022)</strong> — the original recipe: Amiberry under DietPi with an XFCE desktop and the iGame v2 launcher. Now effectively retired, with no further updates.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>PiMiga 4.0 (2024)</strong> — brought multi-architecture support (ARM and Intel/AMD) and swapped in the MegaAGS launcher, with roughly 4,800 games pre-installed. Its biggest strength: MegaAGS ships with strong trainer/cheat support baked into its game profiles.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>PiMiga 5.0 (Dec 2025, final release)</strong> — the creator's last planned version. Switches back to the simpler iGame v2 launcher, drops in 600+ auto-switching backdrops, and adds native support for the newest Pi hardware — but loses much of the trainer-focused depth that made version 4 so useful for casual replay sessions.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The real decision criterion</strong> — not "which is newest" but "do I care more about trainers/cheats (stick with v4's MegaAGS) or about the latest hardware support and polish (go with v5's iGame)". Running both on separate SD cards sidesteps the choice entirely.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>PiMiga 3.0 (2022)</strong>, the original recipe: Amiberry under DietPi with an XFCE desktop and the iGame v2 launcher. Now effectively retired, with no further updates.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>PiMiga 4.0 (2024)</strong>, brought multi-architecture support (ARM and Intel/AMD) and swapped in the MegaAGS launcher, with roughly 4,800 games pre-installed. Its biggest strength: MegaAGS ships with strong trainer/cheat support baked into its game profiles.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>PiMiga 5.0 (Dec 2025, final release)</strong>, the creator's last planned version. Switches back to the simpler iGame v2 launcher, drops in 600+ auto-switching backdrops, and adds native support for the newest Pi hardware, but loses much of the trainer-focused depth that made version 4 so useful for casual replay sessions.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The real decision criterion</strong>, not "which is newest" but "do I care more about trainers/cheats (stick with v4's MegaAGS) or about the latest hardware support and polish (go with v5's iGame)". Running both on separate SD cards sidesteps the choice entirely.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">Also worth knowing: getting the display right on an older 4:3 monitor is almost never a Raspberry Pi config.txt problem — it's nearly always an Amiberry/X11 scaling setting. Check the emulator's Integer Scaling option before touching boot config files.</p>
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">Also worth knowing: getting the display right on an older 4:3 monitor is almost never a Raspberry Pi config.txt problem, it's nearly always an Amiberry/X11 scaling setting. Check the emulator's Integer Scaling option before touching boot config files.</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -13,20 +13,20 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>Room by Room</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>The office</strong> — home base for the serious gear: three Atari Mega ST 4 machines plus a Mega ST 2, a MiSTer FPGA covering Amiga/DOS/arcade cores, and a MiST FPGA dedicated to Atari ST. A Raspberry Pi 400 running Hatari and PiMiga rounds things out as the flexible, high-resolution alternative to hardware that can't quite keep up on screen quality.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The living room</strong> — a Batocera box for casual, couch-friendly sessions across dozens of systems, from Atari ST to arcade to consoles, no FPGA timing precision required.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>On the move</strong> — a small collection of handheld emulation devices for retro gaming away from a screen.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The focus, unmistakably</strong> — Amiga and Atari ST are the heart of the collection; everything else (DOS, arcade, handhelds) exists to fill in the gaps around those two platforms.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The office</strong>, home base for the serious gear: three Atari Mega ST 4 machines plus a Mega ST 2, a MiSTer FPGA covering Amiga/DOS/arcade cores, and a MiST FPGA dedicated to Atari ST. A Raspberry Pi 400 running Hatari and PiMiga rounds things out as the flexible, high-resolution alternative to hardware that can't quite keep up on screen quality.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The living room</strong>, a Batocera box for casual, couch-friendly sessions across dozens of systems, from Atari ST to arcade to consoles, no FPGA timing precision required.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>On the move</strong>, a small collection of handheld emulation devices for retro gaming away from a screen.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The focus, unmistakably</strong>, Amiga and Atari ST are the heart of the collection; everything else (DOS, arcade, handhelds) exists to fill in the gaps around those two platforms.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>The office setup in detail</h2>
|
||||
<p>The office houses the main retro computing workstation. The three Mega ST 4 machines each have a defined role: one runs GEM-based productivity software, one is set up for MIDI music production with a connected synthesizer, and one serves as the development machine for ST software. The Mega ST 2 is the backup and testing machine. The MiSTer FPGA handles Amiga and DOS emulation with near-perfect timing accuracy, while the MiST provides a dedicated Atari ST experience without the overhead of the MiSTer's larger feature set.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>The living room setup</h2>
|
||||
<p>The Batocera box in the living room takes a completely different approach — it's not about hardware authenticity, it's about convenience. A compact PC boots directly into the Batocera frontend, providing a console-like experience for casual retro gaming on the TV. Controllers are wireless, the interface is controller-friendly, and the focus is on games that work well from a couch rather than demos or productivity software that needs a keyboard and mouse.</p>
|
||||
<p>The Batocera box in the living room takes a completely different approach, it's not about hardware authenticity, it's about convenience. A compact PC boots directly into the Batocera frontend, providing a console-like experience for casual retro gaming on the TV. Controllers are wireless, the interface is controller-friendly, and the focus is on games that work well from a couch rather than demos or productivity software that needs a keyboard and mouse.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>How it all connects</h2>
|
||||
<p>All machines share the same network infrastructure, with FTP access to the NAS for file transfers. Disk images and software archives are stored centrally and served to individual machines as needed. The MiSTer and MiST both use SD cards for storage, while the original hardware uses CompactFlash adapters or SCSI-to-IDE bridges depending on the machine. The Raspberry Pi 400 accesses the same NFS shares as the other Pis in the flat.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">The honest status update: several open items remain — documenting the exact handheld models, and waiting on the A1200 Mini pre-order. Retro computing, it turns out, is never really "done."</p>
|
||||
<p class="redacted-note">The honest status update: several open items remain, documenting the exact handheld models, and waiting on the A1200 Mini pre-order. Retro computing, it turns out, is never really "done."</p>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -9,20 +9,20 @@ parent: "/retro/"
|
||||
<h1>The A1200: What We Know Before It Ships</h1>
|
||||
<div class="detail-content">
|
||||
|
||||
<p>Retro Games Ltd. opened pre-orders for The A1200 in November 2025, with delivery slated for June 2026 at a suggested price of 189.99 Euro. As with their previous mini-consoles, official details have trickled out slowly — deliberately, it seems.</p>
|
||||
<p>Retro Games Ltd. opened pre-orders for The A1200 in November 2025, with delivery slated for June 2026 at a suggested price of 189.99 Euro. As with their previous mini-consoles, official details have trickled out slowly, deliberately, it seems.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>What's Confirmed So Far</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong>Games</strong> — 25 titles pre-installed in total, with only 9 officially confirmed at time of writing: the Turrican trilogy, Defender of the Crown I & II, Beneath a Steel Sky, Lure of the Temptress, Ruff 'n' Tumble, and The Settlers II. The rest are being held back, likely on purpose, as a marketing drip-feed.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Hardware essentials</strong> — a fully functional keyboard in the original design, a CD32-style gamepad, a tank-mouse replica, HDMI output, USB-A ports, and USB sideloading support for ADF/HDF game files.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The mystery SD slot</strong> — a slot spotted at Gamescom 2025 in the position of the original floppy drive, widely speculated to be for SD-card-based game loading, but not officially confirmed.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Expected internals</strong> — likely an Allwinner ARM SoC running Amiberry underneath (following the pattern of the earlier A500 Mini), rather than genuine 68EC020 silicon.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Games</strong>, 25 titles pre-installed in total, with only 9 officially confirmed at time of writing: the Turrican trilogy, Defender of the Crown I & II, Beneath a Steel Sky, Lure of the Temptress, Ruff 'n' Tumble, and The Settlers II. The rest are being held back, likely on purpose, as a marketing drip-feed.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Hardware essentials</strong>, a fully functional keyboard in the original design, a CD32-style gamepad, a tank-mouse replica, HDMI output, USB-A ports, and USB sideloading support for ADF/HDF game files.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>The mystery SD slot</strong>, a slot spotted at Gamescom 2025 in the position of the original floppy drive, widely speculated to be for SD-card-based game loading, but not officially confirmed.</li>
|
||||
<li><strong>Expected internals</strong>, likely an Allwinner ARM SoC running Amiberry underneath (following the pattern of the earlier A500 Mini), rather than genuine 68EC020 silicon.</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>Context: where this fits in the retro landscape</h2>
|
||||
<p>The A1200 sits in a growing market of mini-consoles and FPGA recreations.
|
||||
Unlike MiSTer FPGA, which aims for cycle-accurate hardware reproduction,
|
||||
the A1200 is a software emulation box — similar to the A500 Mini that
|
||||
the A1200 is a software emulation box, similar to the A500 Mini that
|
||||
Retro Games Ltd. released in 2022. The A500 Mini was well-received but
|
||||
had its quirks: limited game selection, no keyboard support, and an
|
||||
emulation layer that didn't quite match the original hardware in all
|
||||
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ monitor is the purist approach, but requires maintenance and debugging.
|
||||
MiSTer FPGA offers near-perfect hardware reproduction but costs
|
||||
significantly more. Amiberry on a Raspberry Pi is the budget option,
|
||||
with good compatibility but occasional timing issues. The A1200
|
||||
positions itself as a plug-and-play alternative — set it up in minutes,
|
||||
positions itself as a plug-and-play alternative, set it up in minutes,
|
||||
no configuration required, at the cost of some flexibility.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
<h2>What this means for the Amiga community</h2>
|
||||
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ no configuration required, at the cost of some flexibility.</p>
|
||||
it could become the default entry point for people curious about the
|
||||
Amiga. The original hardware is getting harder to find in good condition,
|
||||
and the capacitor-bomb motherboard issue means that even working units need
|
||||
recapping. A modern, reliable reproduction — even if it's software
|
||||
emulation — lowers the barrier significantly. The 25 pre-installed games
|
||||
recapping. A modern, reliable reproduction, even if it's software
|
||||
emulation, lowers the barrier significantly. The 25 pre-installed games
|
||||
give newcomers a curated starting point, and the USB sideloading support
|
||||
means the library can be expanded without hardware modifications.</p>
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user