Are the classic Amiga Hardware and Dealers an 'Endangered Species'?

[Wibbly]

WinUAE is preventing the extinction. The Amiga needs to move past the classic hardware, just like the Mac did, and just like the PC should (who needs DOS compatibility? Get rid of that stupid 640k base memory etc.)

The AmigaOne though, I don't think is the answer.

I would like to see however, a PCI board that has classic hardware, 68xxx and a PPC slot  :-D

[Wibbly]

I think, especially in the A1's case, it's too little too late, and horrificly overpriced. AGP 2x is ancient. The Amiga is best remembered for it's games, so surely it should have some strength in this department? I realise that there was more to the Amiga than JUST games, but existing platforms more than have things covered.

To me the A1 is nothing but an overpriced way of running an overrated OS. Don't get me wrong, Amiga OS's tiny size on Disc makes it a joy to use, it loads in a flash (at least on WinUAE) and after enough weeks of downloads, can do about anything Windows can. I can't speak for OS4, I've not ever used anything above OS3.1, though I'm sure that it likely offers little more than eye candy.

The fact Eyetech haven't even bothered to manufacture dedicated case designs with an Amiga logo doesn't help it's identity. It doesn't come with a PCI board with classic hardware, so it's nothing more than an overpriced outdated PPC system. I wish it were otherwise. I don't think it could be though, there's just not enough supporters of Amiga anymore, which kind of makes sense why Eyetech have not made a special case, and give nothing to make it anymore Amiga than an unfinished OS, but surprises me that a lot of the motherboard technology is so far behind the times as a result.

At this price, I don't just think the classic Amiga is an endangered species, I think ANY form of Amiga is an endangered species. But then really, we all knew this 10 years ago. It's only our love of the system that has kept the dream alive this long.

I'm not trying to be unecessarily negative, I just think it's a shame that finally someone builds a new Amiga, and instead of being technology of tomorrow (that's how the original Amiga felt to me when I got it) it's technology of yesterday. No big software companies are going to support it, only a few enthusiasts will buy it, and it'll be yet another nail in the Amiga's coffin (though I'm surprised there's any wood showing that a nail can be driven in anymore anyway)

BUT, that's just my opinion. Perhaps some people REALLY do believe that Amiga will live (the classic hardware though???)

[Wibbly]

@FastRob

It's a good point, but the GTO of '64 had almost as much horsepower as the 2005 GTO. Not to mention that it shared a huge number of parts with a large number of other GM manufactured cars, for which parts are still readily available today.

The classic Amiga's custom chips were unique to the Amiga. They are no longer (as far as I am aware) manufactured. If the GTO needed new carburettors, you wouldn't even have to use GM manufactured carbs to get it going again.

Besides, I prefer the '65 model, although of all the GTO's the '69 I think is my favourite. 370hp as well. It's not like a 20 yr computer can outpace ANYTHING that is made today. A 35 yr old car can still poop over many of todays models.

That's not to say however, that there is no value in collecting classic Amiga hardware, but I really don't see classic Amiga's getting the same sort of treatment as old Muscle cars. But... stranger things have happened I guess. You certainly couldn't get an old classic Amiga, and throw out your modern hardware and have it do everything the modern stuff did. An old '64 GTO however, could replace your modern car, and exactly the same things your modern one did.

[Wibbly]

Oops double post, sorry. Stupid WindowsXP PRO :pissed:

[Wibbly]

@TjLazer

Indeed, and I get the point of collecting. But he does mention "for everyday use". Does anyone REALLY enjoy word processing on a classic Amiga? (I'm talking unexpanded with PPC and RTG cards)

I remember word processing on my Amiga. It's the last thing I'd use it for now. A few games for nostalgia purposes yes. WORD PROCESSING? Perhaps that was just a bad example you picked.

It's one thing to collect a Amiga 500, and use a modern PC, and yet another thing to ONLY own a Amiga 500 and upgrade the crap out of it to be able to use it as your main PC! lol

Yeah, again I agree, but if someone has expanded an A500 enough to use it as their main PC... I wanna see it  :-D