How many Amiga users are left?

[MaximvsPayne]

aros! open source and multi-platform!

[jj]

Other - I own a few miggies that have not been switched on in years.
I have a mac mini with registered Morphos 2.7 that I use occasionally

[Puni/Void]

Still using my Amiga 1200. I use it for playing games (WHD-Load is fantastic), watch demos, fiddling with Deluxe paint and some typing in AMOS Professional. Sometimes I just like configuring the Workbench and install all kinds of utilities and applications.

[Templario]

I use the Amiga OS 4.1 and 3.9.

[Khephren]

3.9 A1200, every week. 3.9 A4000T, not very often. Various flavours of UAE (My phone, my Xbox, and my dreamcast). Try out Aros now and again.

On the subject of user numbers, we need to remember that a large number of Spanish and German users have their own forums. Perhaps other Euro nations as well. There are also users who do not bother with forums. I've worked with quite a few Amiga users who are happy using the software from the past, and have no need of come on to a forum.

[yogisumo]

Miggys packed up right now. Going to unpack soon and do some coding hopefully.

[Mizar]

I chose the 1st option, Classic User.  Though I don't get why only CBM Amigas would be mentioned for real Amigas.  Amiga Tech. ones from '95-'96+ certainly should count as well.  It's virtually the same harware, and just as Amiga compatible with no emulation of any kind.  I also don't get why AmigaOS 1.x-3.x would be listed as "Amiga-like", when not run on non-Amiga emulation.  It should be in the first category.

lsmart:

I'd disagree you have to be "funny" to be into Amiga anymore.  Being "normal" and only into Win/Mac just means you're a conventional, conformist, lemming, IMHO.  To appreciate the best platform ever and stick with Amiga well into the 21st century just takes a little more intelligence, maybe more experience, and a lot more independence (from conformity).

Last time my main A1200 was switched off was September last year when I had to cut the power in the house to do some re-wiring (but it was only off for about 3 hours)...

Can't help but wonder about your "on" times though, Why would anyone just switch on their Amiga for 15 to 30 minutes...

PS: That to me is the secret of never having in 25 years a busted Amiga, if you don't switch it off and and much (if at all) then the components don't get "worn out" so to speak, by the shock of the initial power surge that happens each time you switch them on...

EDIT: On the note of how many active users that may be still out there today I reckon worldwide somewhere between 2 to 3 thousand...

I agree, how could anyone use an Amiga for only 15-30 minutes at a time?  I'm lucky if I can ever keep it to as little as ~4 hours minimum.  :lol:  Usually once I'm on it's half the day to all day/night.    That sounds like what I used to do with my A1200, the on 24/7 thing, cause it was the only way to extend the life of the old HD that wanted to die, 'til I replaced it.

I don't think you're philosophy of that preventing things from wearing out is entirely correct though.  While it can extend some mechanical wearing out, even solid state components get worn down eventually, especially when they're on 24/7.  My A1200's scan doubler and AGA Alice output have visible toasting marks and take about 20 minutes to warm up to normal output brightness, respectively.  I've little doubt the being powered 24/7 for a couple years contributed a lot to that.  I've never had a busted Amiga either, just problems with things like monitors and hard drives.  My A1200 was even exposed to freezing temperatures.  But that's cause Amiga has always been high-end quality.    One of the reasons we still use Amiga... why get a new Kia/Mitsubishi/whatever run of the mill cheapo, when you can keep using a Mercedes/BMW.

[gertsy]

I chose the 1st option, Classic User.  Though I don't get why only CBM Amigas would be mentioned for real Amigas.  Amiga Tech. ones from '95-'96+ certainly should count as well....

I'm sure an Amiga Tech A1200 or A4000 fits in the first category..

[amibill_XL]

I am an active and a-like user. I fire my A1200 at least once a week and play a game or watch a demo. I'm also using my sam440-flex almost daily to surf Amiga-related sites.:biglaugh:

[Franko]

I don't think you're philosophy of that preventing things from wearing out is entirely correct though.  While it can extend some mechanical wearing out, even solid state components get worn down eventually, especially when they're on 24/7.

It's actually based on research done many moons ago by component and TV manufactures like Samsung...

You see my brother in law who's a TV engineer (well back in the days of CRT TV's) always used to show me and talk about the latest research done in that field...

A number of reports were about the testing of mainly capacitors and the showed that the initial voltage surge that all appliances receive when powerd on directly from the mains and not like from standy-by these days, results in an initial high voltage spike/surge that degrades capacitors by the equivalent  of nearly 30 days non stop use at each initial power up...

For me it seems to have proven true as I very rarely (if ever) switch things off and have had very few electrical items break down on me over the years. Sure all things degrade and wear out eventually but older computers, tvs etc... suffer more from this mainly due to the size and amount of large (in comparison to more modern stuff) capacitors they use...

It's like the often heard story of someone digging out of their loft an old Amiga that was working fine when they put it away all those years ago, it worked fine when they put it away but when they dug it out and switched it on it doesn't work, mainly because the capacitors have dried out and the initial voltage shock after all these years kills them totally...

The old C64 was notorious for this problem as a lot of the games were "reset proof" and so the only way to reset the computer was to switch it off and on which took it's toll on the PSU's capacitors, this was easily fixed when people bagan making reset switches & cartridges for the C64 that did away with the need to constantly power off and on...

[Marcb]

I'm not sure that I fit into any of the other options so I went with "other"...

I'm kinda having a break from the Amiga at the moment because I got frustrated while trying to install an 060 in my A4000... In the process I somehow managed to blow up my Deneb and still no joy with the 060...

Still interested but will leave the miggys alone till I get over the frustration 

[zipper]

Last time I tried to start my huge A4000 tower it didn't work - so a lurker just now. Time to push all connectors as well as the expansion cards back; tens of ageing connectors tend to play up every now and then.

[amiga92570]

It's actually based on research done many moons ago by component and TV manufactures like Samsung...

You see my brother in law who's a TV engineer (well back in the days of CRT TV's) always used to show me and talk about the latest research done in that field...

A number of reports were about the testing of mainly capacitors and the showed that the initial voltage surge that all appliances receive when powerd on directly from the mains and not like from standy-by these days, results in an initial high voltage spike/surge that degrades capacitors by the equivalent  of nearly 30 days non stop use at each initial power up...

For me it seems to have proven true as I very rarely (if ever) switch things off and have had very few electrical items break down on me over the years. Sure all things degrade and wear out eventually but older computers, tvs etc... suffer more from this mainly due to the size and amount of large (in comparison to more modern stuff) capacitors they use...

It's like the often heard story of someone digging out of their loft an old Amiga that was working fine when they put it away all those years ago, it worked fine when they put it away but when they dug it out and switched it on it doesn't work, mainly because the capacitors have dried out and the initial voltage shock after all these years kills them totally...

The old C64 was notorious for this problem as a lot of the games were "reset proof" and so the only way to reset the computer was to switch it off and on which took it's toll on the PSU's capacitors, this was easily fixed when people bagan making reset switches & cartridges for the C64 that did away with the need to constantly power off and on...

Franko, your opinions are always entertaining. But, aside from what you and your brother think capacitors have a lifespan rating. Here is how it is is calculated so you know the facts. Surge really has nothing to do with it unless you used the wrong voltage rating in your design.http://www.illinoiscapacitor.com/tech-center/life-calculators.aspx

[jakov]

Well, I am pretty sure from personal experience that caps can pop when a computer is turned on.

[_ThEcRoW]

@Mizar
"I'd disagree you have to be "funny" to be into Amiga anymore. Being "normal" and only into Win/Mac just means you're a conventional, conformist, lemming, IMHO. To appreciate the best platform ever and stick with Amiga well into the 21st century just takes a little more intelligence, maybe more experience, and a lot more independence (from conformity)."

So, anyone who don't use an amiga for everyday use is a fool?. Oh, yes, it's more intelligent not having memory protection, or a decent browser, or mainstream apps...

Perhaps you are the only intelligent amigan who managed to get on his classic amiga 1080p video playing and full web experience but haven't told anyone.

[Franko]

Franko, your opinions are always entertaining. But, aside from what you and your brother think capacitors have a lifespan rating. Here is how it is is calculated so you know the facts. Surge really has nothing to do with it unless you used the wrong voltage rating in your design.http://www.illinoiscapacitor.com/tech-center/life-calculators.aspx

No offence Amiga92570 but it's not what I or my brother in law think nor is it based on average lifespan ratings, it's based on both scientific tests that were carried out by the manufactures & experience...

Lifespan ratings are based on what you should expect on average from a capacitor being run under normal load and tested upon the capacitors being powered up x amount of times...

The tests in the late nineties carried out by different manufacturers and independent labs showed a number of factors come into play with regard to their lifespan that make the tables you speak of pretty pointless and more of just an average guideline for circuit designers...

The tests and results proved that the more times a capacitor is powered up the shorter it's lifespan as explained previously and that also a simple thing like leaving an item for years without ever being powered up at all, the damage done in the first initial power up after all those years can and often does significant damage to the capacitors or blow them altogether...

If I were to believe the lifespan ratings that you speak of then both my Microvitic Monitor and my 1084 Monitors should have had needed most of  their capacitors replaced years ago with the length of time I've been running them virtually non stop (not to mention my Amigas) but they haven't...

Of course lots of other factors come into it too, mainly the quality and formula used in the manufacture of capacitors, just ask Apple about that one in regard to their problems with capacitors a number of years ago...

At the end of the day I'm satisfied by both what I've read & experienced and been told by not just my brother in law but lots of his acquaintances who were also in the same lines of business as him, who all agree on this matter and many had claimed for years before these tests that this was indeed the case and the tests just confirmed their beliefs...