Looking for quotes to build a "luggable" computer

[xeron6]

Hi,

I'm an AmigaOS4 enthusiast. OS4 is a continuation of the operating system that used to ship with the old Commodore Amiga computers. These days it runs on custom PowerPC motherboards. I really, really, want an OS4 laptop, but the OS doesn't currently run on any laptop. So I was wondering if someone could create a "luggable" OS4 computer for me, and how much I would have to pay for such a machine.

One board that OS4 runs on is the MiniITX form-factor SAM 440ep. This is only 17x17cm, and includes Radeon GFX and sound onboard.

All i'd need is something close to a laptop with built in monitor (SAM has DVI, VGA and LVDP options), hard disk (SATA), keyboard and touchpad (USB).

It really wouldn't have to be a work of art. As long as it works and is rugged enough to be carried in a backpack, I'm happy. It doesn't have to run off battery, mains is fine (240v/50Hz for the UK).

Basically, I want to take it with me in my backpack, and use it on the train.

Is this possible? Would it cost a fortune?

[Triton]

Its amiga hardware, of COURSE its going to cost a fortune! your looking at around a thousand USD or more for parts alone unfortunately, i wish the company would remove their head from their rectum and let AOS4 run on normal hardware! but they wont because that would make sense

Also, Nice to have another amiga fan on board! unfortunately having/using amiga computers has become a rather spendy hobby, at least if you want to do more than OCS/ECS gaming anyway, one of my planned future projects is a minimig laptop, or if the price ever comes down or they do like i said earlier an OS4 based one some day!

[bicostp]

I know it might sound blasphemous, but can you emulate AOS4 on a normal x86 computer? If you could then you could just pick up a cheap Aspire One and use that. (I'm hoping to do something like this using SheepShaver to run Mac OS 9.0.4 eventually. Hey, Mozilla 1.2 is surprisingly usable! )

[Triton]

I know it might sound blasphemous, but can you emulate AOS4 on a normal x86 computer? If you could then you could just pick up a cheap Aspire One and use that. (I'm hoping to do something like this using SheepShaver to run Mac OS 9.0.4 eventually. Hey, Mozilla 1.2 is surprisingly usable! )

well the short answer is no. the long anser is NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. OS4 is closed source and will ONLY run on specific hardware, namely classic amigas with a PPC accelerator card, the SAM440 boards, the amigaONE and its brethren, and the pegosos II IIRC. some attempts have been made with a slightly hacked version to run on PPC mac hardware but nobody has really gotten anywhere with it.

OS4 could really be an amazing operating system on comodity hardware because its amazingly efficient, just like the amiga OSes of old. ive seen videos of os4 on an 800mhz PPC system boot cold to working in 10 seconds or so

[bicostp]

So then why are they not compiling it for commodity hardware? Is it a drive to make people buy their reproduction hardware, or are they just being sodgy purists? (Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with wanting to use the actual hardware but there should be another option as well.)

They'd get a lot more interest if they at least made a legit version that could run on PPC Macs (you can get G4s and G5s cheap) or some kind of virtualized environment on x86.

[Triton]

sam440EP is mini ITX formfactor. and the company that owns the rights to the amiga IP (or companies rather, very complicated) are generally agreed to be criminally stupid and dont really listen to what the people want. amiga inc and hyperion hate eachother and constantly throw lawsuits around and crap and nothing good ever happens

currently to build an OS4 compatible computer out of new parts, including the cost of the OS, is about 1500USD

[eagle5953]

If you can find a Motherboard that's smaller (I shouldn't say this... I don't even know how big that one is)

He said in the first post the mobo is 17 cm square.

Just look around for small parts.
Does it need to run on batteries?

He said wall power only is fine, also in the first post.

Also, remember he's in the UK. Shipping will be pretty high.

[xeron6]

Actually, i've decided to have a go myself. Aside from the incredibly expensive motherboard, i'm going to do it on the cheap. I'm going to make a laptop out of a briefcase, i think.

[Triton]

Actually, i've decided to have a go myself. Aside from the incredibly expensive motherboard, i'm going to do it on the cheap. I'm going to make a laptop out of a briefcase, i think.

bolded for truth, the 667mhz PPC sam440ep board is over 700$ by itsself on amigakit

[xeron6]

I know how expensive OS4 computers are. I've had an AmigaOne XE-G4 since 2003. It cost me £800 for the motherboard Worth every penny, though, i've used it pretty much every single day since.

I'll probably go for a 533Mhz SAM 440ep for my luggable; "cheapest" option, probably draws the least power. Thats about £420 without OS4 (i'm an OS4 betatester so don't need to buy an additional copy).

[Triton]

I wish i had the money to even think about getting an OS4 system! Ill stick with 3.5/3.9 on my A1200 for now

[xeron6]

I don't have any money at the moment (really none), but I do have a bunch of Amiga stuff to eBay, including a heavily expanded A4000 that once i've split and sold should get me most of the cash, as well as a Blizzard 1260 + SCSI + 48Mb that should bring in a few quid.

[Triton]

depending on the goodies in the a4000 you sould be able to get 400-600USD up to over a grand and that 1260 card is probably worth a few hundred easy, hell even my DKB cobra card (68030 @28mhz 128mb ram) would net me a couple hundred the way things are now! I would be interested but i already know its out of my price range

[xeron6]

I already sold the Cyberstorm PPC, and got £520 for it! That went on credit card debt, though.

The remaining parts are the a4000 motherboard, an Elbox Power Tower 4000, Mediator 4000, Repulse sound card, FastATA 4000, Voodoo 3, network card and a TV card.

[Triton]

ive seen the 68060 blizzard PPC card with Bvision and scsi sell for around 1500USD before