Amiga users, Are we the only hardcore followers?

[tonyvdb]

Ok I was just wondering?

Are there other user groups like us from the 80's that still hang on to our trusty old computers (not people that are colecting them but still using them), or are there lots of others out there like us?
Examples are:
Atari
Apple II, IIe etc.
C64
any others?

Do you think that the Amiga is on a comeback?

[redrumloa]

Do you think that the Amiga is on a comback?

No, the kommunity is poisoned. I can possibly see a resurgence in classic usage, but there will be no comeback for a NG system.

[amigakit]

I think we can see that the number of new people coming back to the Amiga is the same as the number leaving so market is always being replenished, but not growing.

Plenty of returning Amiga owners to Amiga.org every week but lots of them sell up a couple of months later once they have had their nostalgia fix!

[x56h34]

There is absolutely nothing groundbreaking that old or new Amiga(s) can offer anymore. There's only the fun in tinkering around with your toys. For anything serious, you really need a serious OS/machine.

I belive that the classic part of the community is just like any other classic game console/computer/whatever community, e.g. they are in it for pure fun and retro style computing/gaming.

The NG part of the community...this is a tough one. There is definitely no point in it, from a business standpoint, but I guess it's fun to pretend that things are progressing and that the future is looking bright. :-)

[tonyvdb]

Given that there really is not any new development in the Amiga comunity or at least one that stays for some time without changing hands a several times before dissapering I would have to agree. Its just a fun thing to do. I even think sometimes that I have spent way to much on my Amiga setup. But the fact of the matter is that I enjoy it and I do still make some money off of the video editing side of my system so why not? To do the same on the PC would involve thousands of more $$ invested.

[Fester]

tonyvdb wrote:
Are there other user groups like us from the 80's that still hang on to our trusty old computers (not people that are collecting them but still using them), or are there lots of others out there like us?
Do you think that the Amiga is on a comeback?

I'd like to see Amiga make a comeback, but I sometimes wonder how this will materialize if new hardware doesn't come along.

I do find it amazing though, that we can hang on to this technology in a world where PCs are cycled faster than tp. That's remarkable in a way.

I tried purchasing a new AmigaOne but none were available at the time. My craving for such a machine is gone. I'll reconsider if they make new ones.

I like to tinker with classic Amigas, but truthfully, this is just a hobby for me. I have several other machines that run other OSs, which are good enough for my computing needs.

The reason I came back to Amiga was for hobbying. My first computer was a 2000 and so I remember the name, the colors, the sounds, the smell, the excitement... I could just as well have chosen home robotics as a hobby.

Maybe I should have chosen to collect something invisible, like germs. My wife doesn't seem to appreciate the yellowing Commodore parts lingering in the dining room.

[drewz21]

Well, even though I'm half-heartedly trying to sell my beloved A4000 I've no intentions of exiting the Amiga community after just coming back in.

In fact I just went to my old local Amiga store yesterday to find it still there but selling all PC's and PC equipment.  However, the owner showed me the big sign that he still has hanging up promoting the Amiga.  I got a local name and number from him and had a very nice 30 minute or so converstation with a long-time Amiga user.  I learned a lot during that phone call and it has also given me the idea of trying to start a local user group for nothing more to discuss the Amiga and trade ideas.

Is the "new" Amiga dead?  I really don't know but if some new hardware/software comes out I'm confident I'll be there to get some.

Even if I were to sell my A4000D I'd still have my A1200 and A500 up and running.  I've built a huge software collection during the past few months, I need to catalog it soon, and with companies like AmigaKit.org supplying my needs I don't see me drifting away.

I've got all my Windows PC's running at the house, I'm not a huge Mac fan, and as I say in my signature I have a lot of fun with my Amiga.

Okay, to quote the famous Stan Lee....'nuff said!

[dillinger]

I too have spent waaaay too much on my A1200 My Blizzard 060/SCSI-kit and internal DCE scandoubler alone cost around £280 in total. (approx. $480?) That's a lot of money for an ancient system that's pretty much useless for any sort of modern-day use and could very well go belly-up on me anyday now due to its age.

The thing is, I get a warm glow inside whenever I switch my Amiga on and that feeling is priceless :-) I bought my Amiga when I was aged 13 and it was the first computer I owned which I really began to "understand". I first learned how to code in ASM with it and really began to understand how systems work. I did own a C64 before but I only really ever played games with that thing, so I somehow never get that intimate feeling...I don't _know_ the C64 like I know my Amiga :-)

I plan to own my Amiga until the day I die...if I can keep it alive that long! ;-)

[swift240]

Well I have had Amiga`s for a total of 9 years, at one time I almost got rid of all that I had, but in the end didnt go through with it,  I am so glad I didnt.
The Amiga I have to say is the best computer I have ever owned, the PC is simply no comparison, you just cant have the fun with a PC as you can have with an Amiga.
I have spent a lot of money on my setup and its still not as good as I will get it to be.
But at the end fo the day I dont much care its the enjoyment part that makes it well worth it to me.

A PC is easy enough to get and to build, but an Amiga is something else.  I cant realy see the day where the Amiga will make a proper comeback, I think Microsoft has got the market.

But while there are people like those here in www.amiga.org and myself I cant see the Amiga going under either.
The one thing that realy pisses me off with a PC is all the registery files and all the other stuff that is needed to make the OS work, as the Amiga simply dont need any of that.
Its such a shame that the Amiga has had some right d***heads at the top of the company of the day that didnt help.
I think if it wasnt for some of them (not all) the Amiga would be in a better state to that of today.

Still what the hell do I know.


Mike.

[Fester]

redrumloa wrote:
No, the kommunity is poisoned. I can possibly see a resurgence in classic usage, but there will be no comeback for a NG system.

Your Patrick picture sporting coupon and Amiga t-shirt is absolutely hillarious. Love it!

[uncharted]

RISCOS still had a loyal following in the UK, and sees active development.

[Tomas]

The NG part of the community...this is a tough one. There is definitely no point in it, from a business standpoint, but I guess it's fun to pretend that things are progressing and that the future is looking bright.

Tell that to those who use OS4 everyday and all those who wait for new hardware you buy. Yes, there is not much money to be made, but there is still quite a few people who prefer a small footprint OS like OS4 over bloaty/slow software like Windows, OSX, linux and similar. And dont come here preaching about how linux can be scaled down and so on, because it is still dead slow and resource hungry.

Both Windows and Linux based systems are slower on modern hardware than AmigaOS/OS4 is on older hardware. I for one dont like to wait for my OS to respond to my mouse clicks. When i open a folder in windows, i expect it to open imidiately, same thing for lighweight apps like mail and so on.

[Savan]

Depends on what you mean.

I would call myself a "Amiga user" but never a hardcore follower. Those hardcore followers make a laughing stock out of the platform, for examples see Amigaworld.net. I personally think the hardcore followers do way more damage than good, the PPC obsession proves that.

Do you think that the Amiga is on a comback?

Yes in the "true Amigans" mind but in reality "no".

[x56h34]

Tomas wrote:

Tell that to those who use OS4 everyday and all those who wait for new hardware you buy. Yes, there is not much money to be made, but there is still quite a few people who prefer a small footprint OS like OS4 over bloaty/slow software like Windows, OSX, linux and similar. And dont come here preaching about how linux can be scaled down and so on, because it is still dead slow and resource hungry.

Both Windows and Linux based systems are slower on modern hardware than AmigaOS/OS4 is on older hardware. I for one dont like to wait for my OS to respond to my mouse clicks. When i open a folder in windows, i expect it to open imidiately, same thing for lighweight apps like mail and so on.

I agree that the only good thing going for AOS4.0 and MOS (haven't tried AROS yet) would be their lightweight, however fundamental flaw is lack of basic applications needed for everyday use. I guess this could change once/if OpenOffice and Mozilla get ported.

At this point, there's not much that can be done with NG AOS or AOS like OSes, unless you are a developer. Classic AOS can equally not provide anything useful, however at least it offers retro-gaming through WHDLoad, by using the native chipset. :-)

I don't mean to sound negative, but it's reality.

[itix]

@Tomas

Try Windows 95. It flies on my Pentium 90 and doesnt require much RAM. I think it is faster than my old A1200 was.