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

[Jose]

"...emualtor can meet my needs."

On most stuff that targets the native chipset emulators have flaws, sometimes very big ones. It's the only thing that I miss. Apart from that I agree, buy hey, I think it's a shame to let the platform die so I'll try to support one of the upcoming PPC solutions, I really like AmigaOS. Ok I'm getting off topic...

[melott]

Yes .. its sad to say, but the Classic is dying.
Very little new hardware is being manufactured and
info on the older hardware is getting difficult to find.

I've been scouring the net for info on a Harms A2000
accellerator model 'Professional 3000 or 3500'.
(Not sure which it is.) I've been looking for a couple
days but not finding much.
If anyone has info on the 'Professional 3000 or 3500' card
I'd really appreciate it.

[mikrucio]

I tried to get a new a1200 internal scan doubler
and after 3 months of waiting...
doug from anythingamiga says.
"sorry we cant get these anymore,
 and probably wont ever again"

oh well so yes the answer is the classic amiga hardware is dead, it's not just dead, it's buried aswell.


......

[Jose]

"...amiga hardware is dead, it's not just dead, it's buried aswell."

Not really. There are still plenty used in video and image stuff even professionaly. Take also into account that alot of the "old programs" are really still usable today for plenty tasks where brute force processing power is not needed.
There is one thing that I think will never die, wich is the pure interest for the thing as a computer.

[adolescent]

@mikrucio

Internal AGA SD/FF is one of the few easier things to still get.  Maybe not in OZ, but you can order them from Germany.  I got my second one just this last December.

[gizz72]

Greetings,

Gee... Sorry about your shop Red. Just read this thread and realized Red's comment. Very ironic... :-(

Maybe I should also add to my title 'Classic Amiga dealers too are becoming an Endangered Species.'

Best of luck on your next endeavor!  :cry:
Always remember the Amiga. :boohoo:

Regards,

Gizz

[Pyromania]

abbey you should donate your Amiga systems to openvideotoaster.org

[pjhutch]

I agree that the classic Amiga is becoming 'Endangered'. At the end of 1999 I was an expaneded A1200 user, but with the dabacle of Amiga Inc's attempts to restart Amiga range and the complete lack of serious or game software, I decided to jump ship. I got myself a PC. Now I have a wide choice of software and cheap hardware and I can run Amiga s/w via Winuae, I get best of both worlds.

As for AmigaOne and AOS4, its still early days. There is a growing s/w base but its slow and until the final release of OS4.

Rebuilding the Classic Amiga again is a non-starter, the technology has moved on and no-one would buy 10 year old technology again to justify the cost. Lets face it, the classic Amiga will only live on as long as the hardware lasts but every year it'll be harder and harder to find working h/w for it and it'll end up in the annals of history.....

The AmigaOne will take its place as it has upto date hardware and runs our favourite OS. What more can you ask for?

[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

[TheMagicM]

I think the A1/Pegasos is in the right direction...they just need some real/quality software.  Games & utilities.  I'm sure it would cost big bucks to develop some real apps but you gotta spend money to make money.  

At home I only use my Windows PC to browse, Microsoft Office for letters & bills (budgeting), Xara webpage designer for my website, Alcohol 120% & Nero for CD/DVD burning.  I havent played a game on my Windows PC in quite some time.  Being that there isnt any real software, I'd rather sit and wait before I spend money on a system that may end up being a system that runs soley on applications developed by people "when they have time" and will be done "when its done".  

I truly believe if any one system makes it, it will be the Pegasos.. seems like alot is goin on in their camp as in BIG BUSINESS deals, more publicity..  Now if only they could turn that into SOFTWARE development companies developing NEW STUFF for the Pegasos.................

[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???)

[billt]

redrumloa wrote:

Let's all help save the Amiga Classic from 'Extiction'.

That's one of the reasons why I am in business. I believe there will always be a place for the classic Amiga:-)

And why you're perpetually in business and then close to closing shop, then back in business for sure, then thinking about closing shop again, etc?



There's not much to sell for classics anymore, only a few new products released at all the last couple years. Many good products that could sell aren't made anymore and are hard to get when someone wants one. Just look at how people fought over that broken CSPPC board on ebay, or how much was paid for an old Zorro3 memory card recently. You can't stock classic stuff because it's very hard to get most items. There's also few people to buy, and many of them have weird perspectives on life after going so many years in Amiga limbo, lots of peole feel they are owed something in return for their impractical loyalty and want things for free that cost a good bit of money to make happen. The market, at least here in USA, isn't able to sustain more than a very few shops. With Software Hut, Centsible, and Anachronism all in USA (The classic sales places that I can name without looking things up), I don't see more classic Amiga shops happening.

Besides, many of the bigger spenders on Amiga stuff already have or are about to change up to AmigaOne or Pegasos. I've wanted to have better than my old 060/66 for a long time, and only in the last couple years has that become possible, without going PC or Mac. My A4000T is still my email machine, but I've taken to using my PC for the web due to browser compatibility. I'm still waiting for WarpOS compatibility in OS4 to play some games I bought long ago, back when I had talked Metabox into putting me down for an order of an Amijoe 4000. Haven't found a CSPPC I could get my hands on since Amijoe flopped, and that's been a while.

It's definitely time to look forward, it's just too hard to keep classic machines going these days. What happens when my overclocked 060/50 chip gives out? I haven't seen easily procurable replacements for some time... I think my AmigaOne will outlast the 4000T by a good bit, and will be great to use when the OS is "final" and released. Everything I still use my A4000T for I can do on my AmigaOne already. It will only become more useful than my A4000T. The hardware is better and cheaper than my A4000T rig. Why should I continue obsessing about the past?

[FastRobPlus]

It's definitely time to look forward, it's just too hard to keep classic machines going these days. What happens when my overclocked 060/50 chip gives out?

I see your point.  But I equate vintage computers with vintage cars.  Why do people want to restore a 1964 Pontiac GTO with original aftermarket parts?  You can drop some other engine in the car alltogether, or you can buy a 2005 GTO, which is totally modern, has all new parts!

Collecting is not about looking forward.  But for the owner of that '64 GTO, or that '060 Amiga, part of the joy is in getting everyday use from technology that is somehow both antique and way ahead of its time.

As nice as a new GTO may be, it is far more satisfying to be cruising down main street with a beautifully restored classic GTO.

[Argo]

How about an A1200 with box...  :-D

[Holley]

There are several companies that do ok with buying/selling a wider range of computer stuff, including new parts for old machines and retro items, perhaps thats a better way to stay afloat?

[TjLaZer]

@BoingBoss

All you are willing to trade for are very hard to find computers that are "mint in box".  You have to be realistic.  There arn't many boxed mint computers like the Amiga 3000T or Atari TT030 around, and they will not want to trade when they can eBay it for hundreds of dollars. LOL

I myself bought a very cheap Atari TT030 computer locally.  It works perfectly, but was in bad shape, dirty, yellowed and broken cosmetically.  I decided to "restore" this classic.  I then bought a NEW case and keyboard from a Atari dealer and now I have a nice MINT Atari TT030 computer, along with the rare PCM1 mouse! (ST mouse that matches the TT color) And I would not trade this for anything.  Maybe you should do the same thing.  Oh also, the Atari dealers seem to have nice boxes for Ataris too, so I might buy a TT030 and Falcon030 box, so I have a complete set for collecting.

I am willing to trade you a mint Atari Mega4 computer for your mint Amiga 1200 but you never replied to my pmails.