Project: New (colored) case for A1200

[candyman]

I think Philippe show us Photoshop images because he doesn't have any prototype to show: no molds, no cases, simply as that. The costs are high and he could make some money too... But: why not? He create new cases that can help us to enjoy again. I don't think it's a fraud: please consider that many important people of Amiga history are supporting this thing...

[candyman]

Philippe said that a mole costs about 30k Euro and we need at least 3 molds to get brand new A1200 cases (with some brand new goodies). So he need 125k Euro (molds, plastic, etc...) to gerlt the work done. For this reason the user will pay 79 Euro for each case that probably is an high price if you consider the new cases like three pieces of plastic but also the right price if you consider them like the only opportunity to get a brand new, upgraded, Amiga case. So, Cosmos, if the price according to you is bit ethic, what the average Amiga User should do? Missing this opportunity? Do you know a better (less expensive) way to get the same result done? Just to know.

[candyman]

Let's hope in some mechanical keyboards.

[candyman]

There are many traditional keyboards out there. Personally I hope the keyboards will be mechanical: on the contrary I'll make a pledge for the cases only :-)

[candyman]

I think Philippe's campaign deserves a big attention.

When I saw the first mock-ups, I thought was a pity that the Amiga logo was missing. Then, when I saw the traditional italic bold Georgia logo I had a strange sensation: are we making BIG efforts for something old yet? I don't like the new HxC led position over the AMIGA writing: it appears so messy!

I think this is the opportunity to get something REALLY new, not just a plastic clone. So, I think that we need the latest custom Bodoni Amiga Technologies logo, maybe with the dot over the "i" with a red power led (or, at least, cutting lines to place it).



For the same reason we don't need the A1200 badge/sticker anymore: the "limited editions"  (Rsi, Scoopex and so on) can have their logos (or a simple signature that appear when we power-up the machine) created with the matrix on the little LCD screen. Maybe my ideas are technically too difficult to reach but I'd like to share my thought anyway: there are tiny 16x2 LCD screens out there!

According to me with a minimal change we could really obtain "a Limited Edition for all" and not just the same old A1200 case with some goodies that skilled people can get with some polish&paint and drilling some holes. With a NEW engraved logo we could have really a NEW A1200. It would truly be an A1200+ and it would have more coherent from an historical point of view too.



I've created a two basic GIMP samples: what do you think?
As we made for the colors, can we have a poll for this also?

p.s.: I thought also to place the HxC LCD screen beside the Amiga logo (getting rid of all the power and disk leds) but I imagine that the disk drive takes too space.

[candyman]

Many thanks to amenophis (Philippe) to have at least considered this opportunity. I like his approach that considers other people's point of view (polls and so on). If you looking at the project you'll discover that many ideas are taken from hobbyst's projects found on the Net (like the CF solution over the PCMCIA port) and putted together for nostalgic or not-so-skilled people. Great idea.

I agree with Akiko that is once in a lifetime opportunity and I think that all out there should share their ideas to create a product that is a thing that is worth to create and not only a replacement part.

Many years ago, when I discovered the new Amiga logo by Amiga Technologies I hated that. It's natural that we don't like when things we love are changed, but changing is essential for life. I think that attitude to leave all the things unchanged is the same that led Amiga to ruin. On the other hand I would prefer to spend 79 Euro for a thing that is something different from the one I've already on my desk (maybe a little yellowed).

I'm speechless seeing people that prefers to have the reassuring and pointless Amiga plaque over the Esc key to place a LCD screen over the engraved (originally old fashioned) AMIGA logo against all the basic rules of aesthetics.

I hope Philippe will consider the possibility  to put some cutting lines to place a tiny LCD screen in the place of the pointless plaque over the Esc key.

I guess that a poll over this or others Amiga forums will see the old AMIGA logo (Commodore era) as sure winner, but I'm pretty sure that people who doesn't know Amiga will consider the latest one (Amiga Technologies era) as more modern. All changed their logos (Facebook and Lenovo, the latest) only Amiga can't...

For my taste the LCD screen over the AMIGA writing is really too messy, I preferred the case without the AMIGA writing (first kickstart model).

I hope the next kickstarter it will be successfull and I'm sure it will be.
The only thing that was missing was the Amiga writing: a plause to Philippe that understood this...

[candyman]

The logo and font we're actually using are not the final ones.
We'll have our own Logo designed by Paul Kitching soon.

Hope you are going to show us it soon!

[candyman]

If we have to adapt a standard PC keyboard to the original A1200 case, then it would be better to re-design from scratch the whole thing (case + mechanical keyboard for example).

I don't think that for the Amigans out there would be easy to renounce to the traditional F10 keys keyboards for a common PC one.

[candyman]

Sincerely, I think that the original yellowed A1200 keyboard would be better than a PC one forced in the Amiga case.

I also think that these problems could deter the undecided.

Do you think that re-painting (or clean) the original keys would be a lot more difficult?

[candyman]

Loriano's keyboard is great: mechanical switches but the layout is the standard PC (F12).

Would be too expensive to create a custom Amiga (F10) keyboard with MX switches to replace the original one in the A1200 case?

[candyman]

Apart the font, the essential thing is the possibility to get all the custom Amiga sizes for the special keys (10 Function keys, Undo, Help...).

A brand new mechanical keyboard to match, would make the replica-case even more interesting.

[candyman]

Today we've reached the previous campaign result.
Now we have one month to collect 50k Euros.
With 3 special editions behind the corner (more or less 12k each) it could be possible but not sure.

[candyman]

Hello Philippe, thanks for your efforts and for all your quick replies.
Now we have reached the previous limit and we still have a month to collect the missing bucks: the goal is still far, anyway.

According to me, one thing that prevents people from making a pledge is the hope to get the thing done by others and take advantage of an cheap second batch.

I think you should explain to the community what will be of the molds after the production of the first lot. I think many people are simply waiting for a second batch one day that the molds are done and a second production could be more cheap.

Maybe it would been better to think about a promise/accord to selling of the molds (as raw aluminium) to keep the goal lower (100K Euro?) as soon as the first batch would have been finished. I know it's easy to think now but I think that this fear could stop many people from making a pledge.

[candyman]

Hello Philippe, can we have more details about Special Edition colours?

It seems to me that the bright orange of the Red Sector SE is different about the purple (?) of the Skid Row SE, isn't it?

What about the dark grey Phenomena SE? Is that the same colour of the upper part of the Scoopex SE case?

Can you provide some International codes about colours you are going to use in the Special Edition cases??

Many thanks!

[candyman]

I understand but it would be very useful to have the possibility to compare the colours before pledging for a SE. If you know the exact colour we could choose without regrets.

For example I can't understand well if the Phenomena SE is more a dark grey or a very dark purple.