Has anyone else been waiting to register MorphOS until it's available on powerbooks? I would have registered my Efika by now if it weren't for the clock battery / machine identification issues. Although the 2 D cells I recently wired to the button cradle may have finally given it a power source it can't flatten quite so quickly... >:)

Surprised to read that you don't have a registered Efika already. I am not waiting for the PowerBook supported release of MorphOS2.x to buy any registered version for other MorphOS2.x compatible hardware. I already have 3 registered MorphOS2.x systems, my Efika was the first system, then my 1.5GHz G4 MacMini and then my dual 1.25GHz PowerMac.

I already have purchased a 17-inch widescreen, 1.67GHz G4 PowerBook that I use every day and will purchase MorphOS2.x for it as well, once it is supported by MorphOS2.x. Then I might have to think about selling one of my MorphOS systems, as keeping four of them seems a little redundant.

I really like the PowerBook and hope that I can keep it running for a few years or more, after I get MorphOS2.x for it. It will be a great system for running MorphOS and being portable is added "icing on the cake".

Quote:

I second that and yes the Powerbook will be the first registered MorphOS machine. It is beautiful, fast and I can do a nice triple boot on it with MorphOS, MacOSX and Linux. I have added a small silver butterfly sticker on the machine as well :))

One day I want to register all my MorphOS machines. Spending on the hardware always left me with very sort of money. My 1200PPC was sold to me with a registered PowerUP version and this is a start... but for he current time point and also taking as a fact that I am away for my colleciton -in different town due to job issues- and having only the PowerBook with me, this will be my first registration step.

Have there been any change in the specs of the power up for the Morph?
Staring to look at Ebay but any timeline..Ok two weeks

@amigadave

What would be roughly the cost of the Efika system including MorphOS? Would I be correct in saying this would be a "cheap" way of getting a system with MorphOS running?

Coder

Well, the Efika was the cheapest entry into the MorphOS World for quite some time and it is still the only way to get a new System with MorphOS.

These days its not cheap anymore. An Efika board is around 200 Euro. You need a harddrive, a powersupply and a case. For the same amount of money you can get a fast MacMini with more memory or a PowerMac if you need slots to expand the hardware.

Currently the best and cheapest way is to go for mini or powermac. eMAc, too if you have no problem with its size. With a little luck you can obtain such systems for less than 100 Euro, but even 200 are quite fair for a 1.42 or even 1.5MB mini.

All prices are without MorphOS registration of course.

Geit


[ Edited by geit 25.05.2011 - 00:58 ]

I didn't say it was for sale yet, and the shipping cost to the Netherlands would probably be a bit expensive from here (maybe not too bad if it will fit into a "Flat Rate" International Postal box.

I have spent about $375 on it including the registration fee before it was discounted. I can't really recommend to anyone to buy an Efika, as the low memory can be a problem running some software and the USB and IDE interfaces are buggy and slow. It works and was a good introduction to MorphOS2.0 for me, but you can find and buy a used G4 MacMini for much less and even the slowest G4 MacMini's will be many times faster and better (mostly bug free), compared to the Efika. The only drawback of the earlier G4 MacMini's is that all of them except the 1.5GHz "Silent Upgrade" model only have 32mb of VRAM, that could cause some problems (not many) in certain graphic modes.

If you are serious about buying a computer system to run MorphOS2.7 on and don't want to spend too much money, I would suggest that you start searching second hand stores and computer recycling centers, if they have anything like those places where you live. You could also put an advertisement in a local newspaper - Wanted, old Mac computers.

That might get you a computer that is capable of running MorphOS2.7 at a very low price. As an example, I was able to buy my Dual 1.25GHz G4 PowerMac for only $35 from a video production studio that was getting rid of their old machines on eBay and since they were only about 1.5 hours drive away, I picked it up in person and saved having to risk them shipping it.

Good choices that you should be able to find at low prices (this varies greatly from one area to another) are the 1.25GH & 1.42GHz eMac's, 733MHz and faster G4 PowerMac's and the slower models of the G4 MacMini. Best performance for the least money will probably be a 1.42GHz eMac, if you can find one that is being retired from a school, or a business. Unfortunately, there are a few resellers that have bought up most of them and are trying to sell them for too much money on eBay and other similar sites.

If you can't find anything close to your location, let me know and I will help you find a good MorphOS capable computer here at a good price and you can have it shipped to you.

[ Edited by amigadave 24.05.2011 - 16:23 ]

> An Efika board is around 200 Euro.

Depending on where you live (international shipping charges) a new Efika 5200B board has been purchaseable for (converted) 62 to 83 EUR (currently 70 EUR) for the last 3.5 years.

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=5549&forum=2
https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6256&forum=11&start=2

> You need a harddrive, a powersupply and a case.

Yes. Efika 5200B board + case + PSU is (converted) 120 EUR currently. 2.5" PATA HDD (about 20 EUR new) and PCI Radeon 9250 graphics card (about 30 EUR new) would make a complete Efika 5200B system about 170 EUR, completely with new (NOS) parts.

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6256&forum=11&start=9

> 1.5MB mini.

;-)

> Best performance for the least money will probably be a 1.42GHz eMac

I just want to add that due to its R300 family GPU it's only supported in 2D mode as of MorphOS 2.7. And according to what was said previously it doesn't look like MorphOS 2.8 will bring 3D support for R300. (If it will, the better.)

@ Coder

As othr here already said I can also confirm that the Efika isn't a good choice today for general computing. The total cost of an Efika system is comparable to much more powerful powermacs or Mac mini. I have an Efika and a mac mini G4 1500MHz. The diffrence is dramatic!
The Efika is surprisingly useable, but it has many limiattions - the RAM, the ide interface, usb 1.1 and only 400MHz. Don't get me wrong I like m Efika very much, but not because it is so versatileor fast, but because I build a nice device from it. It was more about tinkering, hackig and crafting. For that an Efika is great.
But the reliable workhorse is the G4. Sure, it is used gear, but it is cheap, very cheap actually. The Mac mini 1.42 GHz is easily for less than 150 EUR at ebay obtainable. Probably less then the total cost of an Efika system (board, psu, hdd, gfx card). Powrermac MDD I saw fo less then 100 going, but I don't like then too much because they are bulky. The most expensive, but IMO best solution is the Mac mini G41500 - but even those should be obatainable for 200 EUR these days on ebay (all my price observations are from ebay Germany, I suspect Dutch prices are probably more or less teh same).
Registration fee is the same on all systems.

@Coder

Quote:

You're alive!

I could sell you a 800MHz PowerMac for 40 euros, but guess postage from Finland would be a killer...

But at least to give some estimate for how cheap you can get a compatible (faster-than-Efika) system.

Also remember that changing the gfx card is way "less straightforward" with macs.

@all

Thanks for all the info. Very useful.

Coder