These pages are about the computer systems I use at home, the software, hardware and expansions.

There are also some links to other Web Pages and Sites.

I have included additional information about the enjoyment I get out of my computers.

My Computer Systems

My first computer was an Amstrad CPC with the tape deck attached to the side.

I started out with a Commodore Amiga A500 which I bought mainly to do titles for my home videos. I soon realised that it needed to be upgraded to do the things I wanted to do, and so I added a hard drive, and expanded the memory to 8 megabytes. I later installed my Amiga A500 in a Checkmate Digital expansion box which had one Zorro slot which I used for a SCSI controller adding a bigger hard drive and a Floptical drive.

I think I must have fallen in love with the system, as I spent more and more time finding things to do with my Amiga.

One of my favourite was producing the 18 Plus Yorkshire Area Newsletter "Tyke" which I did for five years. I also produced many posters and leaflets.

My favourite passtime at the moment is creating and updating my web site, (I hope you like it, and find it useful and entertaining).

Recently I have found that I am using my "PC" more and more for editing and updating my Web Site.

I now use my Amiga mainly for E-mail and image scanning, my iMac has no paralel port to connect the scanner to and I have been unable to get my "PC" to "talk" to the scanner as idoes not have a bi-directional paralel port. (A more advanced computer than the Amiga?).

My current Amiga setup, based around an Amiga A1200 and an Eyetech Z4 Tower system is listed in more detail on this Web Page.

HARDWARE

First Amiga

• Commodore Amiga A500
• SVGA monitor
• Trilogic MIDI interface
• Checkmate 1500 case
• Third Coast hard drive

Second Amiga

• Commodore Amiga A1200HD
• SVGA monitor
• Booster Speakers
• Surf Squirrel
• Apple CD drive (it was cheap)
• Miracle piano teacher
• Epson scanner
• Epson 840 inkjet printer

Third Amiga

• Amiga A1200HD
• Eyetech Z4 Tower
• CyberVision graphics card
• Amiga M1764 monitor (Microvitec)
• Power Computing MKV1230 SCSI expansion board
• Two external floppy disk drives,
  one a Power Computing High Density floppy disk drive
• Booster Speakers
• Dynalink modem
• Two external hard drives 40 MB & 1 GB

First Apple Macintosh

• Apple iMac DVSE
• OSX
• WiFi

Second Apple Macintosh

• Apple Powerbook
• OSX
• WiFi
• Bluetooth

First "PC"

• Secon-hand from work
• Upgraded to faster processor/motherboard
• Windows 98

Second "PC"

• Tower system
• Windows XP

First Amstrad

• CPC464

The Epson scanner is one of the best purchases I have made, it's brilliant! I have enjoyed using it more than any other peripheral, just have a look at all the pictures I have done for this Web Site.

Here's some examples:
18 Plus events I have attended
18 Plus Charity Challenge

I now have a Canon scanner.

THE FUTURE

I am very interested in the possibility of doing non-linear video editing, and it looks like this facility will not be available on the Amiga soon, if ever, therefore I have purchased a new Apple Macintosh iMac DVSE system which has this facility as standard.

I read in the Amiga Press that the Amiga MCC, supposedly due for release in 1999, would have had a Firewire interface, (I don't know if this would have meant that like the Apple, it would be capable of video editing), but I was too strongly tempted to get the Apple iMac as it was available. I would have prefered to get a new Amiga, but it wasn't available.

I have now installed my A1200 into a Tower System, or rather purchased a pre-installed system. One of the improvements that I strongly wished for was more colours, to see my internet pages in all their glory!

My next project is probably going to be the setting up of a Network for my three computer systems.

Page created by John A Smith using Amiga hardware and software
Updated using "PC" hardware and software, (Sorry!).