Amiga 600

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Amiga 600

The Amiga 600 is a computer introduced by Commodore in 1992 .

Data

Its performance data largely corresponded to that of the Amiga 500 Plus , it was equipped with the new " Enhanced Chip Set " of the Amiga 3000 , with 1 MB RAM it had twice as much memory as the original version of the Amiga 500, a PCMCIA interface and one ATA controller for a 2.5 inch hard disk . Like the Amiga 500, it did not have a tower case, but was built into a keyboard case similar to the Commodore 64 .

system

As operating system was AmigaOS included 2.0, consisting of Workbench  2.0 and Kickstart - ROM called 2:05, from which different versions exist (version numbers 37299, 37300 and 37350). The first revisions of the Amiga 600 (up to motherboard rev. 1.3) were still delivered with Kickstart version 37.299, which curiously had no ATA and PCMCIA support. It was possible to reload the necessary drivers from floppy disk , but it was not possible to start the system directly from media that could be connected to these buses . Only later models of the Amiga 600 and in particular the Amiga 600HD (with built-in hard disk in the bundle ) were equipped with Kickstart versions from 37,300, which could integrate both the PCMCIA interface and the internal ATA controller when the operating system was started. Version 37.300 was limited to the use of hard disks of up to 40 MB due to various program errors (systems with more than 40 MB were unstable), while version 37.350 could handle hard disks of up to four GB. Optionally, you could later purchase Workbench 2.1, which brought with it a localization of the operating system in different languages ​​as well as a “CrossDOS” driver for floppy disks / hard disks with the FAT format ( MS-DOS ). Workbench 2.1 ran on all Kickstart ROMs of the 2.0x family; there was never a Kickstart called 2.1.

history

The computer turned into one of the biggest failures in Amiga history. Reasons for this were, among other things, the outdated performance data, the too high price and the lack of the number pad on the keyboard. In view of the limitations compared to the previous model, it was originally supposed to be called A300, but was renamed A600 at the last moment, raising false hopes of a general increase in performance. Many observers believe that this decision has become one of the coffin nails for the Commodore company. In addition, the Amiga 600, like its direct predecessor Amiga 500 Plus, suffered from the problem that some older popular games could not cope with Kickstart versions 2.0 or higher. This was a disadvantage in that it made the device unattractive for a large part of the targeted target group - the gaming community. Another shortcoming was the inadequate (and never planned by Commodore) upgradeability of the Amiga 600. In contrast to the Amiga 500, all circuit boards with the exception of the Kickstart ROM were firmly soldered in SMD technology and no longer sockets, so that many important Amiga 500 - (Plus) extensions did not fit.

Technical specifications

Amiga 600 motherboard and floppy disk drive

See also: Amiga computer .

Others

While the Amiga 600 was rather unattractive at the time, mainly because of some incompatibilities with games that require the Kick1.3 and / or "Fastram", it later became more attractive and is now a popular Amiga in retro computer forums - mainly due to properties such as the integrated PCMCIA interface, which is ideally suited for setting up a compact flash card with a hard disk on it. But also because of the smaller, space-saving housing and the already integrated composite video output (so no TV modulator is required). Furthermore, you can now almost always find disk versions of all classic Amiga games that also work with Kick2.05, provided they do not require Fastram. Due to the good upgrade options for the Amiga 600's memory, it is also well suited as a WHDLoad machine. Other upgrade options are rather limited due to soldered (instead of plugged in) ICs. In the expansion slot the Amiga 600 could be upgraded to up to 2 MB Chipram , but a lot of programs / games required Fastram which could not be upgraded to the Amiga 600 without soldering. A turbo card could not be installed, which is why the older Amiga 500 (+) was more attractive due to better upgrade options with almost the same hardware equipment. Later you could acquire rare Turbo or Fastram cards that could be plugged over existing ICs; However, this was associated with incompatibilities, and this connection also caused many problems with loose contacts or material fatigue. The last option to upgrade Fastram was through the PCMCIA port, but that was incompatible with Kick1.3, which is also required by many older games.

Web links

Commons : Amiga 600  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files