Submitted by AmiKit 1.5.0, the high-end Amiga on your PC, has been released. Main new features include a fresh new look, faster and more stable engine, support of new 24bit themes, improved Windows installer, choice of two automatic installers for Linux platforms and much more. For AmiKit to work, you do need Amiga ROMs and the AmigaOS, which can be obtained via AmigaForever, for instance.
“A PC computer, a rather fast one.” – ok that rules my coal-powered boxen out but hats off for being upfront.
Please excuse what is probably an obvious question. Although a long-time alternative OS and emulator hobbiest, I am unfamiliar with AmigaOS and related emulators.
So AmiKit is an Amiga emulator that includes various software packages. But in order to use it you must already have the Amiga OS and ROM files. But to obtain these files, you must buy Amiga Forever, a different emulator program?
But if I purchase Amiga Forever in order to get the OS and ROM files, I would already have an emulator so I wouldn’t need AmiKit?
Obviously I’m confused. The OSNews “article” could have explained this better…
I guess the author doesn’t feel he needs to rehash the FAQ on the website in a news item…
Mayhap you can do a little research for yourself?
http://amikit.amiga.sk/faq.htm
I ~did~ read that, and it didn’t answer my questions. Neither did you.
I could have posted a topic at the AmKit forum, but I’m not a member there. However, I have been a member at OSNews for a very long time, and know that the members here are generally helpful and friendly.
AmiKit is a collection of Amiga programs and enhancements that are designed to “layer over” a base install of Amiga OS and add all kinds of nice functionality without requiring any mucking about with configuration files and stuff.
So you would install AmiKit over a complete Amiga Forever installation, not instead of?
Hello, let me explain it.
Both AmiKit and Amiga Forever use the same emulation engine called WinUAE.
The main difference is that while the Amiga Forever is a commercial product that includes the legal ROM and system files and provides you with default (and very basic) AmigaOS environment, the AmiKit is freeware and doesn’t include the ROM and system files. However it includes more than 300 pre-configured programs that are not part of the default AmigaOS installation – which turn the default OS into the ultimate environment.
AmiKit can be considered as an add-on for Amiga Forever but that would be inaccurate. AmiKit installs into its own separated folder and during the installation it copies the the ROM and system files from Amiga Forever to AmiKit. Since this point the AmiKit is complete and standalone application.
Thank you very much for that explanation. Reminds me of the “good old days” on the OSNews forums…
Are there any legal sources for obtaining the basic Amiga ROM files and necessary OS files, without having to purchase the entire Amiga Forever package?
And a quick question regarding the AmiKit CD. If I support AmiKit by purchasing the physical CD package, is there an American distributor? Or does it have to be shipped from Europe?
You can buy eg. AmigaOS3.5 or 3.9 CD from some US distributor (for example http://www.amigakit.com) but you will still be missing the ROM file. This can be obtained from your real Amiga if you find some in your attic.
Still, it seems to me that the “Value edition” of Amiga Forever is the cheapest way how to obtain the system files (cheaper than AmigaOS3.5 or 3.9 CD itself) and ROM files in one package. And it’s the smoothest way too (no need to digging the ROM file from your old hardware). In addition you get a nice package (more ROMs are included) that is ready to run older and newer Amiga games easily (few are included).
It will be shipped from Europe. The shipping cost is 3.30 EUR worldwide. The package usually arrives to US within a week or two.
Right; for acquiring the tiny shiny heart of the Amiga Forever property, and your grudging thanks to the AmiKit people, your energy-efficient 4-core 4GB machine of today can also have (in a nook) a well-designed OS that doesn’t have the dug-in feel of MacOS X 10.4 or 5 or Windows 7. It is more like you and your work are there, than 10,000 conjoined, congenitally arthritic helping hands.
My thanks to the 8 or 15 maniacs making me feel less like I love a zombie, and more like individual good work is rewarding.
I may just become the nth person to develop healthy habits around backups, VMs, and multiple systems with this stuff egging me on.
I think you meant ‘Windows 6’, unless of course you work for Microsoft.
and the instructions for linux should also work for osx:
http://amikit.amiga.sk/linux.htm