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[pablotinch]

I just find these amazing piece of hardware the X68000 , which it seem to be way better than the Amiga , if you see the games they look amazing compare to the Amiga and i think that it came up early or maybe almost the same time

specifications

[Karlos]

I wouldn't say it was better than the amiga looking at the basic specifications - it is simply not possible to say without more information than is given.

Sure it has better graphics modes in terms of number of colours and a higher clockspeed (10MHz) but there is nothing in the information to suggest it has any "custom" circuitry to offload work from the CPU. Shoveling 16-bit graphics around just with the CPU would soon rob you of that extra MHz.

It does have a basic FM sound chip and 4-bit samples. The latter sound pretty awful :-)

[Waccoon]

Ah, the golden years of the computer industry, where the market wasn't just between IBM clones, Mac, and consoles -- all of which are basically the same hardware.

[drHirudo]

To my knowedge the X68000s machines were popular in Japan until late 1990s, and it was the only machine which you can buy with installed 68060 processor on the motherboard.
Of course it can't beat the Amiga in terms of available software titles and widespread.

[DamageX]

It looks to me like the X68K came along a couple years after Amiga and was probably more expensive (I don't happen to know how the yen compared to the dollar at that time). Gfx and sound hardware is based on arcade machines. The video RAM is on a separate bus to supply the bandwidth needed for 128 hardware sprites and independantly scrolling backgrounds. The YM2151 was probably one of the best FM synthesizers around (since FM more or less went out of style not too long after...) It's better than anything used on a Sound Blaster card at least and is in fact the same as the one in the Genesis but with 8 channels instead of only 6. The OKI chip is actually ADPCM so the samples are 4-bits compressed, which is good for sound fx and the like, but not MODs of course.

The Amiga is probably better for demos at least

[CD32Freak]

Here is an interesting link with pictures of the X68000 motherboard and the case next to a PlayStation2: http://homepage3.nifty.com/werewolf/pcdiary005.html
Impressive design, by the way, which is food for inspiration :-D

[CodePoet]

You think... maybe we can run OS4 on this? :-D

Sorry... just thought i'd throw that in :-( it's been suggested on pretty much every other console/mac/smart-fridge/tv/pda

*goes away*

[Tripitaka]

I like!
Just 2 questions: Can I still buy an X68000? and, if so, who sells them now? I am in the UK but I am.... curious. :inquisitive:

[drHirudo]

There is X68000 emulator around the web, but it's not that popular in the emulation comminuty, and you'll hardly find software for it. But still worth googling I think.

[Karlos]

I wonder why that later model wasn't called the X68060...

[Framiga]

wow! interesting and amazing look for 1987, indeed!

I didn't know of it, thanks :-)

[countzero]

I haven't heard of it before either. I regularly check the recycle shops around where I live, but never came across this one. maybe I should check better in akihabara (the electronics city)

[adolescent]

X68000 is still rare even in Japan. You can find them regularly on Yahoo Auctions Japan, but it's really hard to find someone that will ship outside of Japan.

There are several games that are almost perfect arcade ports, which makes this system stand out. I think the Amiga is just as capable, but the programmers (of arcade ports) never pushed the hardware.

[nagaflas]

Of course it can't beat the Amiga in terms of available software titles and widespread.

And this is why the Amiga will always beat other 68k machines, by the sheer amount of software available. For any task you can think of, there are at least 2 or 3 programs (usually freeware) available for the Amiga that can do it.

Plus, there were only a few arcade games available on the x68k. And the miggy's sound blows any other machine out of the water.

[SamuraiCrow]

I wouldn't say it was better than the amiga looking at the basic specifications - it is simply not possible to say without more information than is given.

Sure it has better graphics modes in terms of number of colours and a higher clockspeed (10MHz) but there is nothing in the information to suggest it has any "custom" circuitry to offload work from the CPU. Shoveling 16-bit graphics around just with the CPU would soon rob you of that extra MHz.

It says in the specifications that it has 16 playfields and 128 sprites (16x16). Although I doubt that it has a blitter...