Deep philosophical question: What makes an Amiga an Amiga?

[amigadave]

Before you answer, please consider that, while the new Amiga systems being released are somewhat removed from the classics, they are not as far removed as the current Mac machines are from the classic Mac machines (and I don't think anyone is complaining that the latest Mac is not really a Mac -- On second thought,  I guess someone is always complaining).

Anyway, please give it some thought.  I'm still struggling with this question myself, though I have not yet lost sleep over it.  There's probably no right or wrong answer, which makes me somewhat uncomfortable too.

What bothers me the most, is that these same questions keep being asked over and over again, with zero productive answers being come up with, year after year.

Everyone knows that there is no "One" answer that everyone will agree with, so I fail to see the usefulness of bringing up the same question again and again that can never be resolved, and asking the question usually stirs up more disagreement within the community and more disunity between us, so I don't see how it can serve any positive purpose for any of us.

If members here can't do something else, besides post this and similar questions over and over again, something that is productive for the "Amiga" community as a whole, with their time, then perhaps they should do something else with their family or friends instead, that is productive, and/or supportive in some way toward the rest of their lives.

[fishy_fiz]

While I get what youre saying, there's two issues with your rseponse there Amigadave. Firstly, the recurring questions arent instigated by the same person over and over. Not everyone checks forums daily, ergo its not the same people involved in such threads all the time.
The second issue is the simple fact that no-one is obligated to do anything with thier amiga hobby apart from those accepting money and/or selling products. If a persons whole interest in the amiga is just to talk about it then good luck to them and who's business is it to to tell them otherwise?

[Iggy]

While I get what youre saying, there's two issues with your rseponse there Amigadave. Firstly, the recurring questions arent instigated by the same person over and over. Not everyone checks forums daily, ergo its not the same people involved in such threads all the time.
The second issue is the simple fact that no-one is obligated to do anything with thier amiga hobby apart from those accepting money and/or selling products. If a persons whole interest in the amiga is just to talk about it then good luck to them and who's business is it to to tell them otherwise?

And then there are other people (God bless 'em) like Piru that actually DO something.
I don't have any problem with people that just want to collect, use, and sell old hardware.
But some of us like to advance forward. These are the people that are using OS4, AROS, and MorphOS.
Heck, even some of the legacy users want to upgrade/hack/modify improve their hardware. Thus you've got software projects like AROS 68K and a multitude of hardware projects.

There's no right or wrong in this, but I find it thrilling that there are people who still want to find a way to make the experience better.

[save2600]

If a persons whole interest in the amiga is just to talk about it then good luck to them and who's business is it to to tell them otherwise?

Exactly.

Morphosdave, that was a ****astic response and quite puzzling. How is that attitude or stance helping the legacy Amiga community? Oh wait, it's not.

We all value the hobby differently, but for someone to say "screw the past, go find something else to do" with the pretension of moving "forward" with a hobby OS, is just plain silly and needs to get over themselves.

If you get your jollies wasting time (and that's all anyone here is really doing in the grand scheme of things) screwing around with a hobby computing platform, who cares what era it's from or what hardware it's on? Just have fun with it. After all, that's all any of this stuff is about anyway: recreation.

[smerf]

Hi,

What makes an Amiga an Amiga?

Very interesting question, could it be the white case, how about the "A" on the key board, being able to reset it by pressing the CNTRL Amiga Amiga keys,
how about the gronk gronk gronk when a floppy loads.
Have you ever considered the multi-tasking?
or
The slip sliding screens up and down
The playing of music while you were working on a spreadsheet
or how about the
listening to music while you painted a picture in DPaint.

But

What makes Amiga the Amiga is listening to Amigadave cry about asking the same question over and over again, and that question will never be resolved, and neither will Amigadaves frustration on just what makes an Amiga an Amiga?

Will the answer ever be found?

smerf

[smerf]

Hi,

How about still having and using it 20 years after its demise.

and

you know what, it still works as good as the first exciting day that I turned it on. I just don't get the same feel from my PC.
Not even in emulator mode.
Don't know why

It just is what it is and thats all that it is

AN AMIGA!!!

smerf

[Kesa]

Hi,

What makes an Amiga an Amiga?

Very interesting question, could it be the white case, how about the "A" on the key board, being able to reset it by pressing the CNTRL Amiga Amiga keys,
how about the gronk gronk gronk when a floppy loads.
Have you ever considered the multi-tasking?
or
The slip sliding screens up and down
The playing of music while you were working on a spreadsheet
or how about the
listening to music while you painted a picture in DPaint.

But

What makes Amiga the Amiga is listening to Amigadave cry about asking the same question over and over again, and that question will never be resolved, and neither will Amigadaves frustration on just what makes an Amiga an Amiga?

Will the answer ever be found?

smerf

No.

[Kesa]

Yes!

What makes an Amiga an Amiga? hmmmmm...

I think this is a paradoxical question. I mean, what makes art art? And what makes architecture architecture? What makes an Amiga an Amiga?  :rant:

So now i have solved the paradox, sit back and have a drink!  :pint:

[mingle]

Nostalgia...

[tasmanian guy]

An Amiga for me is WINUAE.
 
I'm getting rid of my Amiga classic hardware and CD32.....for me now the Amiga is WINUAE and Amiga magazines (scanning them).... ah those were the days!
 
Still love the Amiga, but unfortunately technology has moved on!

[ppcamiga1]

Amiga is a computer with a PowerPC processor.

68k even in times of Commodore was too slow.

x86-based computer can not be Amiga.

If I wanted to use the PC, after the fall of Commodore, I would use just MS Windows.

Of course Amiga must have something better than AGA, AGA was crap even when it enters the market.

[persia]

A P4 rescued from the dumpster by using AROS...

[Iggy]

... I just don't get the same feel from my PC.
Not even in emulator mode.
Don't know why...
smerf

An Amiga for me is WINUAE.
 ....for me now the Amiga is WINUAE ...
 

A P4 rescued from the dumpster by using AROS...

Amiga is a computer with a PowerPC processor.
68k even in times of Commodore was too slow...

Where's the "For me its AOS4"? Oh yeah, on AmigaWorld.

God I love this dissension!

And, again, for me its MorphOS.

And, btw, stop ragging out on David. He's done more to promote our community's activities then most of you.

[eliyahu]

Before you answer, please consider that, while the new Amiga systems being released are somewhat removed from the classics, they are not as far removed as the current Mac machines are from the classic Mac machines (and I don't think anyone is complaining that the latest Mac is not really a Mac -- On second thought,  I guess someone is always complaining).

Anyway, please give it some thought.  I'm still struggling with this question myself, though I have not yet lost sleep over it.  There's probably no right or wrong answer, which makes me somewhat uncomfortable too.

i would say bespoke hardware -- non-mainstream -- running amigaOS (any version).

-- eliyahu

[Mrs Beanbag]

I'll tell you what makes an Amiga in my books...

a few months ago, I was going to show Mr Beanbag to a friend's 13 year old daughter.  I was clicking through windows on the workbench.

Her: what kind of computer is this?
Me: Amiga 1200
Her: What is that, how old is it?
Me: *points at (c) Commodore 1992 at top of Workbench Screen*
Her: How come it's so fast?

[scuzzb494]

My Amiga was and still is the bestest friend I have ever had. Never let me down and has always been there for me when times have been rough. I guess the fact that the computer kept me sane through some very tricky times makes her very special. Nothing has the ability to make me feel happy more than the Amiga. Often when I've been driving around and feeling glum I have thought about AMOS or DOpus or doing a bit of programming on the Amiga and its carried me through. The Amiga is and will always be a very good friend. Which is just the way the makers saw her.