Hello everyone.
So, long story with a warm and fuzzy ending.
When I was a kid I bought a second-hand A1200 and got rather attached to it. I called it Marvin, after Marvin the Paranoid Android, and it became my best friend. Some kids have a particular fluffy toy that scares the monsters away and I had a slightly battered computer instead because I was an odd kid.
In an effort to make Marvin look cool, I spray-painted the case silver and used a green metallic pen to colour in the bit where it says Amiga.
Over the years, the once huge Amiga community in the area faded away until I was the last one left. Just me and Marvin the Paranoid A1200. In the middle of nowhere, with very few people around me no internet access, I thought I was the last person anywhere who still gave a damn about the Amiga.
Marvin eventually broke down and I didn't have the parts or the knowledge to repair it, (I'm not exactly tech-literate) but I kept it anyway. I couldn't bear to part with it. I told myself that one day I'd find someone who could help me to get Marvin working again.
A couple of years later, bad things happened and I was separated from Marvin. I was pretty upset/heartbroken but mentally said my goodbyes. That was when I gave up and bought a PC. It was the sad end of an era for me.
I moved from the utter wilderness to a village, got internet access, got a job. Occasionally wiffled on about Amigas to anyone who would listen. Never missed an opportunity to tell someone why Windows is inferior to Workbench.
And then someone gave me a box of what they referred to as Old Computer Junk. The first thing I saw when I opened the box was an A1200 in very good condition, only missing its floppy drive. I was a bit thrilled. In my excitement I made a noise like a teenage girl at a pop concert, grabbed it, and then dropped it in shock because of what was immediately underneath it.
Another A1200. Very battered. At some point in its life, someone had spray-painted the case silver and used a green metallic pen to colour in the bit where it says Amiga. Hello Marvin. Long time no see. I might have cried a bit. A lot.
And then whilst looking for spare parts and possible help to refurbish my box of Amigas I found that there is still a thriving Amiga community and I'm far from being the last. Which is the best news I've had in ages. Being the last of the Amiga users was lonely and depressing.
So anyway, hi. I'm so damn glad to have found out that you lot exist.
