The AlphaGen is designed for generating and displaying non-static "multimedia" displays with some models also supporting image capture. It is almost certainly an Amiga 1200 fitted in a customised (probably 19") rack-mountable case. It has a CD-ROM drive, floppy drive (probably an adapted PC drive) and a UPS, internal hard disk, modem, serial interface. The unit also comes with an external customised black keyboard. A SCSI option also appears to be available and probably some networking option to link it to other alphagens via the floppy disk port.
The Alphagen was marketed as an all-inclusive multimedia system for business. These devices have been sold by Eyetech for several years, so it is unsurprising to find the Amiga being used in this market area. The benefits of the Amiga approach are immediately obvious. Unlike similar devices, such as MagicBox's Aavelin, the Alphagen does not require additional hardware for content creation. Graphics & sound can be manipulated on the machine itself. Once complete, the sound & graphics can be combined into a single multimedia presentation & scheduled for a specific time.
The Alphagen has been available around 2002. Support page can still (as of march 2013) found at Magicbox website.
The Magicbox can be purchased with several optional extras:
- Weather Instruments (Temperature, Wind Speed & Direction, Rainfall, optional Barometer and Humidity.)
- MultiPort Option - Connect more than one serial device (weather, modem, etc.) to one Alphagen.
- PC-Remote Keyboard Software - Use any Windows PC to dial up to an Alphagen.
- Alphagen File Sentry Software - For automatic update of Alphagen contents from a database - call for details.
- Infrared VCR Control (available 2 VCR and 4 VCR version)
- Uninterruptable Power Supply
Fitted with the weather instrumentation the Alphagen could be converted into a multi-purpose device, able to measure wind speed and immediately display the results on a local TV weather channel.
Other specifications
- Shipping Weight: 22lbs AG Plus or Creativity Pack, 23lbs AG Image Capture.
- Dimensions: 3.5"H x 19"W x 14"L (2 Rack Spaces)
- Power Consumption: .25 to .4 Amps
Alphagen models
The Alphagen was available in four different models. The following chart details the differences between each model.
| Alphagen Plus |
Creativity Pack |
Image Capture Playback
For use as a remote playabck unit only. |
Image Capture Import |
| User Page Capacity |
200+
|
200+
|
200+
|
200+
|
| Backgrounds |
2,000
|
3,000
|
3,000
|
3,000
|
| Clip Art Images |
100
|
1,000
|
1,000
|
1,000
|
| Font Faces |
15+
|
25+
|
25+
|
25+
|
| Import Images From PC Disk |
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
| Credit Roll, Colorization, Blinking Text |
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Supports Optional Modem, Weather, and VCR Control |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|