Why I want an A-Eon X5000, by agami
There are geeks and nerds, there are pop-culture aficionados, tech lovers, history buffs, and creatives. There are many people in many walks of life that go beyond just using a computer as a modern day tool to navigate the digital economy, entertainment, and communications.
The not so distant past is no less replete with these types and I count myself amongst them, both presently and historically. In many ways by being a computer user in the '80s one needed to be more than a tool user, and thus our personalities got shaped by how we contrive the computer into a tool, more than simply applying the tool. We, of the nascent personal computer era, for the most part today are just another tool user, but inside us sleeps, restlessly at times, a tool shaper. We are always on the lookout for that next thing that will proverbially speak to us on that fond level. But that is not why I want an A-Eon X5000.
In the '80s no product imprinted upon my psyche more so than the Amiga 500. It was more than an upgrade path for Commodore 64 users. Sure, it was packaged as a computer inside a keyboard, and I could use the same TV set. It had awesome looking games and we got remakes of our C64 favourites. Before I got my own, a friend had got one. I remember it as if it were yesterday: Up until that point using the C64 was fun; A nice little hobby, or a waste of time as my parents would phrase it. But what I saw that day represented the future. I was certain of it. I felt it with every cell in my body. I have to be part of the future. I have to get me one of these.
The marvellous years of Amiga use went on. More models, more applications, more games. In Europe and later when I moved back to Australia there was a healthy commercial market and engaged communities. Despite many of Commodore's missteps that I'd read about in the magazines, like may others I was enjoying my Amiga's every day. I could exercise any level of my creativity and I could cut down tasks in half with many awesome productive applications. It's handling of multiple types of media were unmatched at that price point, even when you take into account the add-ons most ended up buying. I would blow people away with presentations I'd prepared with Scala MM. I would create awesome brochures and pamphlets that I could get professionally printed by many agencies. I made home videos for family members with titles and mixed audio that they are still enjoying today. And then there were the games. Shooters, platformers, adventures, puzzles, strategy, racing, and sims. So many awesome titles, many of which continue to be an inspiration for games today. But this too is not why I want an A-Eon X5000.
No, the reasons for my want are all in my brain. Like Tervor, I too still want my A5000; When this thing was talked about in 1993/94 it was yet another glimpse into the future. Sure, most of it was speculation but the AAA chipset features where known and one could extrapolate from there. Alas it, and a succession of promising Amiga computers never materialised. Call me nostalgic if you will, you won't be far off the mark, but the real reason has more to do with addiction than the lament of a "love lost". I want the serotonin but also want the dopamine hit. And I know getting an X5000 will deliver that hit. Then again, many other pieces of tech will.
In truth, it would've been more accurate if I titled my essay "Why I want, but will not be getting an X5000". The dopamine hit would soon be followed by too much buyer's remorse. Perhaps one day in the not too distant future when one or more of my ventures makes me the kind of money Trevor has, after I get a Tesla and a yacht, then I could see this specific "itch" being scratched.
