ScuzzBlog: Diaries May 2018
Entry 13th May 2018: Post: 1
Amiga 600 - A little understood
One thing about history is that when you have actually lived through
an era, and then listen to others talking about the period, you can
sometimes get a little annoyed with the way history becomes blurred.
This is a particular problem with YouTube as those making videos
obviously listen to what others have said and then simply regurgitate
the same words. In the end with enough repeating the nonsense it
starts to become a truth, albeit an untruth. And this is particularly
the case with the Amiga 600 which appears to take the brunt of some
of the misinformation fed about this little computer. It is not enough
that Tubers appear to have little, if any, technical understanding
of the product they describe, but then somehow take matters out
of context.
And so just to give a slightly different viewpoint let me quote from
the heart and more importantly from my memory and not from magazines
and other videos made about the subject.
In the early nineties a lot of guys mucking around under their TV's
had managed to accumulate not only some half decent video gear but
also possibly a video camera. This is the era of video when the
humble video cassette was king. Folk would probably be a member of
a video library and watch films they had rented. Additionally they
would be filming the family with their video camera and this would
be played through the TV. Consoles were starting to become very
popular and again these would be run through the TV. There was no
internet or mobile phones and so up to the minute information was
obtained through teletext on the TV.
This was also the era of shopping from actual shops which meant a
lot of trips to towns and cities. Window shopping was very important
and therefore shop displays were very significant in attracting
customers. The computer was a difficult product to promote as they
often could be seen as dull and uninteresting.
Enter David Pleasance in the UK and the Amiga box set. Very very
successful with the Amiga 500 and put a face to Commodore onto the
high street. As an outsider you could not ignore the brightly coloured
and intoxicating imagery on Amiga box sets, even if you were not in
the market for an Amiga.
And so to video and particularly video titling. I recall going into
Jessops and sitting atop every single video unit was an Amiga 600.
They were a perfect fit for the VDU. And with it came the ability
to make professional wedding videos with video titling and cameras.
The whole package was designed to stimulate video camera users to
shell out cash on peripherals so they could edit and enhance their
video interest.
At the same time gamers were looking more to being able to interact
and swap out their games, and dare I say copy and distribute games.
The Amiga was becoming very notable for the way games could be
swapped around. And what with dad using the Amiga for videos it was
natural to merge the TV, camera, video, games into a simple unit
that could easily fit under the TV.
And finally to the cost. Trust me, when you had just shelled out
£1000 for a camera, the cost of the A600 was cheap as chips. The
price just made the product so attractive. It was pocket money. And
so as an entry level machine it was just perfect for all the family.
The unit was aggressively marketed and succeeded in attracting many
new users to the computer world.
I hear so much bull on YouTube and the like about the hardened
computer enthusiast being unhappy with the 600 cus of the num-pad
or the lack of facility for more powerful accelerators. Whilst that
may have been relevant to some, the fact was that the A1200 was just
around the corner to feed those needs, but in the mean time the
humble Amiga 600 was giving a lot of pleasure to a specific entry
level market as a fun bit of kit that could sit under your TV.
For me I never was tempted with an A600 cus I waited for the A1200.
I was considering buying one and probably would have done if the
A1200 hadn't come into the picture. The A600 is not an A500. It is
not an A1200.... it is what it is, a bloody fine bit of kit and
needs to be treated with a little more respect.
Personally I kinda get very annoyed with what some do to their
Amigas these days and again this kind of behaviour is promoted
through the ignorance of places like YouTube. The A600 should be
protected and maintained but not hacked into something it never
was. Same with all the Amiga kit really. They all fall victim to
the modern disease of wanting something to work as a modern version
of the thing it was. Trust me there was not much wrong with the
way things were...... So much of what use to be fun and enjoyable
has been destroyed by modern trends. All those wonderfully boxed
Amigas adorning high glazed and brightly lit shop fronts are now
but just a memory. Not only have the machines gone, but so too
the shops as they fell prey to bloody internet online shopping.
And what of the glorious full page spreads of adverts... so funny
cus not only have the products gone but so too the magazines as
serious journalism gives way to moronic social media blogging
and tweeting , as an excuse for real journalistic content.
There is so much wrong with today in terms of what it has done.
For me I care not cus I tend to avoid most of it. BUT and as I
often say, A BIG BUT, for goodness sake have a little more respect
for the world that was.... cus it really needs better press than
the amateur gibberish spouted on what is laughingly called
serious reporting today. I only say this cus we risk losing even
more of the valuable stock to the misguided nonsense given out as
advice on these social media and internet channels. There is no
validation of any of it... just words and nothing else. So next
time some idiot suggest ripping your beloved computer apart and
sticking it in the washing machine.. reflect on the words of
Alexi Sayle when he said 'it was a bloody stupid idea sticking
your 'nob in the blender in the first place. Duh'.
If it aint broke.. don't fix it. I have 15 Amiga 600's and I look
after each and every one of them. They don't need upgrading and
they certainly do not need the flame retardant coating from the
paintwork removed. Its intumescent.. Anyway.. enough.
The Amiga 600
This Amiga 600 has an internal 2.5" drive that
has worked from the day it was installed. She has
no acceleration and just a modest RAM expansion
She performs as an A600 should and runs and plays
all the games and software designed for her. The OS
is the original along with the ROM. The floppy
functions perfectly... and why. Cus I look after her
and don't keep taking her apart etc etc etc etc.
The computer is stored flat in a dry environment
and protected under a dustcover.
Most importantly I use all my Amigas as often as I
can. My original A1200 has been switched on every
single day since November 1993. And she has never
failed me. And none of my machines have been recapped.
Odd that... I have 15 A600s and around 30 A1200s.
Perfect fit for under the TV
My preferred PC keyboard ... And no num-pad
The num pad does exist though
Modest expansion space on the 600
Man do I love these computers
Never gets old... just me.
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