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AmiKit X – An emulator engine to run Amiga on Windows or Mac

70 points by erickhill 9y ago

TsomArp 9y ago
No trial?
- zmix 9y ago
  It's a distro. Not a programm. Also, the version 8.5 is still free and will stay so. Scroll down at https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/store https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/store
Daviey 9y ago
I love the Amiga... but no Linux support? And I probably wouldn't buy it without a trial first.
- zmix 9y ago
  The last free version supporst also Android and Linux: Here is the Linux version: https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/linux https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/linux
douche 9y ago
Not running on windows makes this effectively useless
- Aloha 9y ago
  It does say it supports Windows.
- sctb 9y ago
  We really need you to stop posting unsubstantively like this, or we'll ban the account.
cwyers 9y ago
So, you need an Amiga ROM to make this work. To get an Amiga ROM, it recommends purchasing one of two things, one of which is... Amiga Forever, a different Amiga emulator. If I have to buy an Amiga emulator anyway, what's the value prop of AmiKit?
- LeoPanthera 9y ago
  Amiga Forever is a bundle that includes an emulator, as well as ROMs, and a bunch of software. Not that that makes it much better. I think the difference is that AmiKit is designed for running "current" Amiga software, but Amiga Forever is designed for Commodore-era software. But I'm not sure. It's not clear.
  - zmix 9y ago
    AmiKit is a modern configuration and a curated collection of software for the Amiga, set up as environment for the UAE emulator. If UAE is the application, then AmiKit is the document it loads. So to say... AmiKit was always free. It seems to have gone commercial now. Some Shareware soft is regsitered here, for example, MUI5, which is the Amiga OOP GUI library. Never has been a UI library that configurable on any system! It is the current version, in active development. Another World, the game, is also pre-installed. A HD version sells on Steam and others. Several freeware tools have an "Exclusive Update". That is surprising, because the m68k Amiga (the one which gets emulated here) is, basically, out of business since 1994-1996. If it would not be for AmiKit, these updates, most probably, would have never happened. Also "Rabbit Hole" let's you start host (Win/Mac) applications from within the emulator. This is all pretty cool. For people like me, who still have their old Amigas (and OS disks) the price is bearable. Please note, that this is not so much about playing old games and demos. For that you will be fine with AmigaForever. This is for using AmigaOS as a modern Workstation, as much as possible. Here is a quote from their website: It includes more than 380 Amiga programs (and games) enriching the default system with exciting features and add-ons. We've done all the hard work for you so that your modern retro experience can begin right away. So, it's basically an installation on top of AmigaOS 3.9 (the last legacy version). If I remember correctly, one needs to own the original AmigaOS 3.9 DVD or an image, the ROM. AmiKit will then install everything into a consumable system, ready to go, with some modern drivers, that have been created for AmiKit.
kelvin0 9y ago
OK, so this is simply amazing on so many levels. Amiga was truly an awesome beast. The music in the amikit videos is really good too!
LeoPanthera 9y ago
If you don't need the bundled software and already have a legal copy of the ROM (you can extract it from a physical Amiga, for example), FS-UAE is free and Free: https://fs-uae.net https://fs-uae.net https://github.com/FrodeSolheim/fs-uae https://github.com/FrodeSolheim/fs-uae If you don't have a legal copy of the ROM you can buy "Amiga Forever", which includes the ROM, a license to use it, and a bunch of bundled Amiga stuff. https://www.amigaforever.com https://www.amigaforever.com
- sedition 9y ago
  If you're super cheap, you can buy just the ROMs on the Google Play store https://www.amigaforever.com/android/ https://www.amigaforever.com/android/
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
rbanffy 9y ago
What does this one do that others don't?
kyberias 9y ago
It's really sad that Amiga retro ecosystem always tries to put a price on everything. For example, MUI is still "shareware" with some silly license files. Come on, give it away as freeware or open source already! UPDATE: http://www.sasg.com/ http://www.sasg.com/ Keeping this stuff closed source is of course their right as copyright holders but it cannot be a good business and just pisses people off.
- ZenoArrow 9y ago
  Zune is the open-source reimplementation of MUI: http://aros.sourceforge.net/introduction/status/zune.php http://aros.sourceforge.net/introduction/status/zune.php
zmix 9y ago
For those who do not want to pay money for this, older versions tended to be free and the last release, which is 8.5, is still. Scroll down to the bottom of this page: https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/store https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/store Also there you may find the Linux and Android version.
WillyOnWheels 9y ago
Will this let me play Shadow Of The Beast or Blood Money or any other Psygnosis games?
- zmix 9y ago
  You don't need this for that. What you need for those games is WinUAE (on Windows) or eUAE on other OS'. Both are free. Then you need Kickstart ROMs, 1.3 should suffice (get them legally via the AmigaForever product, the Android version seems to be the cheapest). And, of course, disk images (ADF files) of the games from your favorite abandonware site.
sgt 9y ago
I was a bit confused by what AmiKit X actually is, but I think I understand it now and it does certainly make sense in order to get a turnkey Amiga environment up and running, as opposed to going the bare bones hardcore route of doing everything yourself. All in all it's pretty impressive.

70 points by erickhill 9y ago

TsomArp 9y ago

No trial?

zmix 9y ago
It's a distro. Not a programm. Also, the version 8.5 is still free and will stay so. Scroll down at https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/store https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/store

Daviey 9y ago

I love the Amiga... but no Linux support? And I probably wouldn't buy it without a trial first.

zmix 9y ago
The last free version supporst also Android and Linux: Here is the Linux version: https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/linux https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/linux

douche 9y ago

Not running on windows makes this effectively useless

Aloha 9y ago
It does say it supports Windows.
sctb 9y ago
We really need you to stop posting unsubstantively like this, or we'll ban the account.

cwyers 9y ago

So, you need an Amiga ROM to make this work. To get an Amiga ROM, it recommends purchasing one of two things, one of which is... Amiga Forever, a different Amiga emulator. If I have to buy an Amiga emulator anyway, what's the value prop of AmiKit?

LeoPanthera 9y ago
Amiga Forever is a bundle that includes an emulator, as well as ROMs, and a bunch of software. Not that that makes it much better. I think the difference is that AmiKit is designed for running "current" Amiga software, but Amiga Forever is designed for Commodore-era software. But I'm not sure. It's not clear.
- zmix 9y ago
  AmiKit is a modern configuration and a curated collection of software for the Amiga, set up as environment for the UAE emulator. If UAE is the application, then AmiKit is the document it loads. So to say... AmiKit was always free. It seems to have gone commercial now. Some Shareware soft is regsitered here, for example, MUI5, which is the Amiga OOP GUI library. Never has been a UI library that configurable on any system! It is the current version, in active development. Another World, the game, is also pre-installed. A HD version sells on Steam and others. Several freeware tools have an "Exclusive Update". That is surprising, because the m68k Amiga (the one which gets emulated here) is, basically, out of business since 1994-1996. If it would not be for AmiKit, these updates, most probably, would have never happened. Also "Rabbit Hole" let's you start host (Win/Mac) applications from within the emulator. This is all pretty cool. For people like me, who still have their old Amigas (and OS disks) the price is bearable. Please note, that this is not so much about playing old games and demos. For that you will be fine with AmigaForever. This is for using AmigaOS as a modern Workstation, as much as possible. Here is a quote from their website: It includes more than 380 Amiga programs (and games) enriching the default system with exciting features and add-ons. We've done all the hard work for you so that your modern retro experience can begin right away. So, it's basically an installation on top of AmigaOS 3.9 (the last legacy version). If I remember correctly, one needs to own the original AmigaOS 3.9 DVD or an image, the ROM. AmiKit will then install everything into a consumable system, ready to go, with some modern drivers, that have been created for AmiKit.

kelvin0 9y ago

OK, so this is simply amazing on so many levels. Amiga was truly an awesome beast. The music in the amikit videos is really good too!

LeoPanthera 9y ago

If you don't need the bundled software and already have a legal copy of the ROM (you can extract it from a physical Amiga, for example), FS-UAE is free and Free: https://fs-uae.net https://fs-uae.net https://github.com/FrodeSolheim/fs-uae https://github.com/FrodeSolheim/fs-uae If you don't have a legal copy of the ROM you can buy "Amiga Forever", which includes the ROM, a license to use it, and a bunch of bundled Amiga stuff. https://www.amigaforever.com https://www.amigaforever.com

sedition 9y ago
If you're super cheap, you can buy just the ROMs on the Google Play store https://www.amigaforever.com/android/ https://www.amigaforever.com/android/
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

rbanffy 9y ago

What does this one do that others don't?

kyberias 9y ago

It's really sad that Amiga retro ecosystem always tries to put a price on everything. For example, MUI is still "shareware" with some silly license files. Come on, give it away as freeware or open source already! UPDATE: http://www.sasg.com/ http://www.sasg.com/ Keeping this stuff closed source is of course their right as copyright holders but it cannot be a good business and just pisses people off.

ZenoArrow 9y ago
Zune is the open-source reimplementation of MUI: http://aros.sourceforge.net/introduction/status/zune.php http://aros.sourceforge.net/introduction/status/zune.php

zmix 9y ago

For those who do not want to pay money for this, older versions tended to be free and the last release, which is 8.5, is still. Scroll down to the bottom of this page: https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/store https://www.amikit.amiga.sk/store Also there you may find the Linux and Android version.

WillyOnWheels 9y ago

Will this let me play Shadow Of The Beast or Blood Money or any other Psygnosis games?

zmix 9y ago
You don't need this for that. What you need for those games is WinUAE (on Windows) or eUAE on other OS'. Both are free. Then you need Kickstart ROMs, 1.3 should suffice (get them legally via the AmigaForever product, the Android version seems to be the cheapest). And, of course, disk images (ADF files) of the games from your favorite abandonware site.

sgt 9y ago

I was a bit confused by what AmiKit X actually is, but I think I understand it now and it does certainly make sense in order to get a turnkey Amiga environment up and running, as opposed to going the bare bones hardcore route of doing everything yourself. All in all it's pretty impressive.