Deep philosophical question: What makes an Amiga an Amiga?

[Iggy]

A not so deep answer, I don't care about the issue anymore.

I don't need Amiga hardware to run software designed for an Amiga, so I don't own one anymore.

And while my first professional experiences in computing were centered around Motorola processors, I'm more interested in PPC and ARM now.

You all can argue this issue. Amiga has become nothing but a trademark (now to be pasted on whatever hardware the current licensees desire).

A, btw, to the poster that mentioned that later Macs are nothing like the 68K originals -Thank god! Because they really sucked.

[Iggy]

@orb85750

Philosophical Perspective (what you asked for):
The API is what defines something Amiga, because everything else (the entire "environment", all the underlying OS code (all the libraries, devices, etc)) derives from that, as well as all third party applications that makes use of it. The API is the core, it's what sets the rules, the possibilities, the limitations, and everything else comes from this. Hence, anything that can put up a proper Amiga API is Amiga, including (in order of appearance) Amiga OS 1-3, AROS, MorphOS and OS4.
...

Quite a good point.

[Iggy]

While I get what youre saying, there's two issues with your rseponse there Amigadave. Firstly, the recurring questions arent instigated by the same person over and over. Not everyone checks forums daily, ergo its not the same people involved in such threads all the time.
The second issue is the simple fact that no-one is obligated to do anything with thier amiga hobby apart from those accepting money and/or selling products. If a persons whole interest in the amiga is just to talk about it then good luck to them and who's business is it to to tell them otherwise?

And then there are other people (God bless 'em) like Piru that actually DO something.
I don't have any problem with people that just want to collect, use, and sell old hardware.
But some of us like to advance forward. These are the people that are using OS4, AROS, and MorphOS.
Heck, even some of the legacy users want to upgrade/hack/modify improve their hardware. Thus you've got software projects like AROS 68K and a multitude of hardware projects.

There's no right or wrong in this, but I find it thrilling that there are people who still want to find a way to make the experience better.

[Iggy]

... I just don't get the same feel from my PC.
Not even in emulator mode.
Don't know why...
smerf

An Amiga for me is WINUAE.
 ....for me now the Amiga is WINUAE ...
 

A P4 rescued from the dumpster by using AROS...

Amiga is a computer with a PowerPC processor.
68k even in times of Commodore was too slow...

Where's the "For me its AOS4"? Oh yeah, on AmigaWorld.

God I love this dissension!

And, again, for me its MorphOS.

And, btw, stop ragging out on David. He's done more to promote our community's activities then most of you.

[Iggy]

Hi,

@Iggy,

How can I attack another pancake head.

smerf

But my bunny has a waffle...

Don't worry about David's sensibilities.
He'd just like to see less feuding amongst the camps (probably because, like many of us, his interests span more than one).

[Iggy]

It's silly to get hung up on the failure of the present to be the future of the past; I'd rather just enjoy the Amiga for its own merits, thanks.

I think I've just about had enough of these thoughts that make my brain hurt.

[Iggy]

Actually, I've been expecting this reality ever since Ronald Reagan was president.
You know "trickle down" economics trickling down the backs of all our necks.

And the Jetsons was supposed to be comedic even by '60s sensibilities.

I'm actually surprised that computers have as much utility as they do have. I'm not disappointed, its just not exactly what I predicted (although I was telling everyone in the '80s that it would become "appliance like").

[Iggy]

Yeah, but it really isn't that far removed from some of the predictions you'd see in old issues of Popular Mechanics...

Or World's Fair exhibits for that matter.