Hello all,

Serendipity has recently brought my attention to MorphOS and I've started finding out more about it. The first thing that struck me is how much things have moved on since I last saw anything of it, which was in my Amiga days many years back now, but it certainly seems like a very useable and viable alternative platform for general every day use, and the fact that it's Amiga-like is of course the draw, as for all here I guess.

So I'm keen to try it out, and the trial version of the OS is an excellent option to have, but of course there's hardware to sort out first. I'm not keen on the idea of punting a chunk of cash on a decent spec Mac if I end up deciding it's not going to work for me as an every day machine - I'm not going to invest just for the sake of novelty, but I would for a system I'm happy using every day.

So what do folk generally do to get started, or at least what would be the recommendation for a cheap entry to trial it? I know there is always the option of buying a decent Mac and then selling it on again if it doesn't work out but I'd rather avoid the hassle.

Thanks in advance

> what would be the recommendation for a cheap entry to trial it?

It strongly depends on whether you want it small and compact or big and expandable, so I'd recommend either a 1.5 GHz Mac mini (for the reason it's the only Mac mini G4 with 64 MiB VRAM) or a PowerMac of the MDD or FW800 kind. The PowerMacs are usually cheaper than the Mac minis, though.

That's a good recommendation (although older Power macs are also useful).
And don't forget, if you buy a Power mac, it must have an ATI video card to have driver support.

Or a leading edge PowerBook with a leap of faith

Thanks for the quick replies. From what I've seen on the Minis and MDDs, they're the more desirable spec for ongoing use, but they're also the more costly machines. I'm more looking for a quick & dirty (read cheap) way to trial MorphOS. I know there are eMacs and older Powermacs (although I'd have to figure out which models are viable) but is it just as simple as buying the cheapest one of those I can find? Any other tips?

http://www.morphos-team.net/hardware

Go to ebay to buy or a friend to try the trial

> I know there are eMacs and older Powermacs (although I'd have to figure out
> which models are viable) but is it just as simple as buying the cheapest one of
> those I can find?

Besides the 1.25 GHz eMac mentioned on the official MorphOS website, also the 1.42 GHz model can run MorphOS (albeit not with 3D support as of MorphOS 2.7):

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7704&forum=11&start=5

Support for G4 PowerMacs is for all models that have AGP. But with generations older than Quicksilver there can be problems with driver support for onboard sound and/or Ethernet. This is even true for the G4 Cube, which can run MorphOS unofficially:

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6835&forum=11&start=23

Edit: Oops, Andreas already said something about the eMac 1.42 GHz.



[ Editiert durch Zylesea 06.04.2012 - 19:15 ]

exanian,
Quote:

You've just got to keep an eye out for a bargain.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270946657904?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I purchased this last week.

Andreas_Wolf,
Quote:

I don't think there is any problem with driver support for the Digital Audio version.

redrumloa,
Quote:

Good point, as the DA is very similar to the Quicksilver.
I've seen people running Quicksilver processors in Digital Audio models merely by running a 12v jumper to the fourth screw of the CPU board.

>> with generations older than Quicksilver there can be problems with
>> driver support for onboard sound and/or Ethernet.

> I don't think there is any problem with driver support for the Digital Audio version.

You may be right here that the Digital Audio version is fully supported through all its sub-versions. It's probably the even older generations where Apple used different chips within the same line, with not all of them supported by MorphOS. Examples:

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7428&forum=11
https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7548&forum=11

> Good point, as the DA is very similar to the Quicksilver. I've seen people running
> Quicksilver processors in Digital Audio models merely by running a 12v jumper
> to the fourth screw of the CPU board.

I don't think that onboard functionality like Ethernet has anything to do with CPU board compatibility.

Albeit noone provided evidence yet (AFAIK) 1.0 GHz eMac "educational only" should be able to run MorphOS, too. Note that I don't mean 1.0 GHz "standard" eMac (PowerMac 4.4), but the "educational only" eMac 1.0 GHz version of PowerMac 6.4. The PowerMac 4.4 definitely does not run MorphOS.

Dunno though how popular the 6.4 1.0 GHz eMac are, rather doubt they are widespread.

> 1.0 GHz eMac "educational only" should be able to run MorphOS, too.

True, and the same applies to the 1.25 GHz "educational only" eMac, but of course with the same restriction as the 1.42 GHz non-educational model, i.e. no 3D support.

Jim,
Quote:

Has your dual 1.42GHz G4 PowerMac MDD FW800 arrived yet?

I think you are going to like it a lot, with it's three IDE controllers and space for up to 4 hard drives and two optical drives. You can even find some people selling the optional Zip "floptical" drives with the bracket to convert the 5.25" optical drive space to hold the 3.5"Zip drive and the modified MDD faceplate that has the slot shaped hole in it to insert the Zip floppies through and into the drive. This is also a convenient way to install a regular floppy drive in the Zip drive bracket and connect it to your Catweasel Mk4 PCI card (if you can find one to buy), so you could read and write Amiga 880k floppy disks. Of course not many MorphOS users have any use for 880k floppy disks and many may not even own a real Amiga computer any longer, so they may not even have any old Amiga floppy disks that they need to read data from, or write new disks for.

amigadave

>Has your dual 1.42GHz G4 PowerMac MDD FW800 arrived yet?

Nope. It's scheduled for Monday. I jumped the gun and changed my signature ahead of time.
I did receive a Sonnet Tempo Serial ATA X4 eSATA controller card today though.


Andreas_Wolf
>I don't think that onboard functionality like Ethernet has anything to do with CPU board compatibility.

?
That wasn't really the point. The point was that the DA and the Quicksilver are quite similar (including the fact that with minor changes you can get a QS processor to run in a DA).


[ Edited by Jim 06.04.2012 - 20:36 ]

>>>>> with generations older than Quicksilver there can be problems with
>>>>> driver support for onboard sound and/or Ethernet.

>>>> I don't think there is any problem with driver support for the Digital Audio
>>>> version.

>>> Good point, as the DA is very similar to the Quicksilver. I've seen people
>>> running Quicksilver processors in Digital Audio models merely by running
>>> a 12v jumper to the fourth screw of the CPU board.

>> I don't think that onboard functionality like Ethernet has anything to do with
>> CPU board compatibility.

> That wasn't really the point. The point was that the DA and the Quicksilver are
> quite similar (including the fact that with minor changes you can get a QS
> processor to run in a DA).

Then your point has nothing to do with what you replied to, which in turn was a reply to something I wrote. Redrumloa and my humble self were talking about MorphOS' support for certain onboard components. The sole fact that the Digital Audio can use Quicksilver CPU boards doesn't mean anything for the onboard components of either machine. They could still be completely different.

>They could still be completely different.

but they aren't

>> The sole fact that the Digital Audio can use Quicksilver CPU boards doesn't
>> mean anything for the onboard components of either machine. They could
>> still be completely different.

> but they aren't

Yes, probably, but certainly not due to their CPU board interchangeability.

Come on Andreas.
You can come up with something more cutting then that.

> Come on Andreas. You can come up with something more cutting then that. ;-P

There's nothing cutting in what I wrote. Or at least it's not meant to be cutting :-)

exanian,
Quote:
Hi exanian, nice to see another ex Amigan back again!
What OS have you used between OS3.1 and now ? For me it was quit usefull that I had a lot of old Amiga Software on CD that works fine
on MorphOS. For example AmigaWriter, FinalWriter, TurboCalc, Xi paint, CygnusEd and so on.
I have started with downloading and installing Pack Ultimate that has a lot of everything that could be usefull for testing.
http://www.meta-morphos.org/article.php?sid=945
My personal recommandation for Harware would be a Soundblaster Live pci Soundcard with EMU10k1 chip and a NEC pci usb2.0 card.
These cards are working fine right now inside my G4 MDD.
From time to time I use Yellow Dog PPC-Linux to copy CD's with K3b or use Openoffice to fiew Windows specific files.

greets defender

Thanks for all the replies. So it's as expected, just have to buy something from the supported hardware list, no secret ways to run it on Intel with freeware emulation, lol. Off to ebay for me then, I'll probably be watching listings for a while for that elusive bargin. I'll be happy to spend some cash on a good system once I know I'm going to use it daily. In the meantime I'll probably find out which bits can be replaced and upgraded on these various Macs, never known anything about them before. Good to learn the different model names for the various evolutions of Powermacs, that's already helped me looking through the ebay listings so thank you all for that.

If it's just to try MorphOS .. get the cheapest G4 mac you find. Quiksilver or as such. If you like it, sell it and get a faster one or upgrade the old powermac like many others including me did and register MorphOS