Would an 'Amiga' be a success today?

[Dastardly]

Yeah another Dastardly 'what if' thread

My question is if a machine like an Amiga was released these days, would it be a similar success? or is the market just too different these days?

Im thinking along the lines of a modern Amiga with a CD drive instead of floppy and capable of handling the modern games.
A machine that is a home computer/keyboard/games machine all in the one unit (like the A500).
A machine that has the stability of an Amiga (unlike PC), the ability to allow creativity (unlike a console) and the user friendliness for beginners as well as experienced users.

I ask this because Im sick of my PC having problems that I dont have enough tech knowledge to fix and using consoles that are only for games.

It seems to me that theres a gap in the market, but would an Amiga type machine sell these days?

[Enverex]

AOS4 on AmigaOne is supposed to be just that, but not in the "all in one" case (Though there are ITX versions).

[Drake1009]

Today it'd depend on which developers they could get behind them and what games it would be.

It would be nice to have a console which would work as well as the others but also allow creativity. There are Keyboards out for the PS2 and the Xbox as peripherals. HDs and HD installable stuff is common for these 2 consoles as well. Same goes for networking. A console with the games power of the other consoles but with already built in keyboard and ability to do more than just play games would definately be a win situation I'd think.

The keyboard portion would have to be better designed though. Something which could be sort of "ejected" out of the console. If you think of the PS2 for example. It looks fairly sleek when just standing there. The keyboard doesn't make it fit that well in with living rooms. But if they could make an ejectable keyboard like they have the CD drives so it's easily concealed it would blend in almost everywhere. If it was to be used as a pure console it would be simple. If it was meant to be used for tasks such as e-mail and development it would more likely be placed on a better surface for typing on.

Actually, a console with a keyboard, ability to go online and recieve e-mail and browse and download demos (without the hassle of having to browse with a joypad or buy an expensive keyboard peripheral) could go and abolish a deal of people's need for a computer at home. Have a printer option for it and you'd have a console that does what a lot of people use their PC for, cheaper than a PC and takes up less space.

I've seen how the PS2 internet thing works. I'm not really impressed. Sure it looks nice but even though it is the internet you can't access HTML stuff and the content on the pages you can view take eternity to load.

On a side note. The PS2 almost shipped with it's own simple development kit in the EU because Sony wanted to get the PS2 classified as a computer and not a console. The reason for this was to avoid an import tax set by the european unions on game consoles. By saying it would be shipped with a developer kit they tried convincing them that it was indeed a computer...alas when they were turned down for this they dropped the idea of the SDK. Had they had the kit with the thing I'd have gotten a PS2 much sooner.

Of course without games support the console would never fly. Capabilities or no.

[khephren]

The Amiga was THE Amiga. A rehash of a modern PC with the Amiga label on it would not attract me in the slighest.

Developers would, I think, only be interested in a new Amiga if it was easy to port code across, but then you come to the arguement of whats the point of a new computer that does what a PC can do?

Also, would the computer have off the shelf components or would it be custom chips again? a) who'll be arsed with R&D for the chips and b) off the shelf is just a PC.

I'd stick to my PCs and keep the fun memories of the Amiga's day.

[Unknown_K]

I cant think of anything offhand that a new amiga could do that would give it a lead over whats already out there (consoles, PC, mac, linux/unix machines).

The reason the original amigas did so well is because the computers of the day sucked so bad in comparison. the reason the Amiga died is because it couldnt compete with what the PC turned into.

You would need a revolutionary product that would have to quickly evolve to stay ahead of the competition which would need ALOT of money and talent behind it.

[Methanoid]

Ah, but how about:

Slightly deeper A1200 sized case
Motorola Coldfire CPU (to retain 680X0 compat)
AGA chipset and a modern VGA chipset also
Scandoubler built in (as well as TV/Comp out)
Laptop DVD-Rom on LHS of case, Full 3.5 HD interface
No PCMCIA slot - replaced with mini PCI interface
Integrated PSU (like old ST had).
3.5 HD Floppy.
PC PS2 compatible Mouse Port
External PS2 KB socket (to override internal if connected or work with - could be fun for games)

Full compat with older gamez apps and decent enough CPU and graphics to do internet and more modern apps.

And lets make it £200.

[Drake1009]

The compatibility with the old games won't really sell it to other than people who like the good old days.

[Methanoid]

Maybe.... but would you not rather buy a "Console" with a back catalogue stretching to several thousand games pus new ones coming out than not?

Oh yes.... you probably did... PS2 is compat with PSX.... it does work. People didnt refuse to buy PS2s cos at launch there were not millions of games cos they could play their old PS1 (PSX) games and get new PS2 titles as they came out.

The "market" you could appeal to would be people who wanted internet access and games but didnt want a PC. Yes, very small market but Apple lives in it....

Would be tough to make it at £200 tho...

[Dastardly]

Originally posted by Methanoid


The "market" you could appeal to would be people who wanted internet access and games but didnt want a PC. Yes, very small market but Apple lives in it....

Im not sure it is such a small market. Im sure there are loads of people who are intimidated by PC's and yet would like to have internet access.

[Methanoid]

Perhaps.... its a real pity that the Nueron wont have AGA or an Amiga chipset as without that its just a brand new machine and how many of those have succeeded in the last 10 years?

[Fred the Fop]

Originally posted by Enverex
AOS4 on AmigaOne is supposed to be just that, but not in the "all in one" case (Though there are ITX versions).

That's a hopeless fanatic's dream. It will never happen.

[Fred the Fop]

Originally posted by Dastardly
Im not sure it is such a small market. Im sure there are loads of people who are intimidated by PC's and yet would like to have internet access.

And those people own Apples or Linux boxes. What Unknown_k said is perfect sense. There just is'nt anything that Amiga OS can do that would make it blow away consumers. Consumers don't give a damn that it uses so little Memory or CPU power, or that the OS installed is what, 30 MB?? (This is a guess, I don't know what OS 4 installed would be). This is 2004, not 1988, when HD space was miraculous at 30 MB and 4 MB of RAM was insanely luxurious.

[Dastardly]

Maybe I didnt make the original question clear enough.

I didnt mean would an actual new Amiga be a success, I simply meant the concept of an all in one unit machine.

For example if Microsoft (yeah boo) had made the XBox with a built in keyboard and it had more that just games released for it.

BTW I know XBox is a PC in a box but it was just an example.

[woody57]

Any gizmo sold today is on the back of a long teaser advertising campaign

As in Apples " Blown away" next G seies & i-pod


Making technojunkies salivate over a potensialy NEW product requires multi-million $$$$ advertising

And thats without R&D


Amstrad machines were'nt original they used general components & died trying to undercut the market

Its not about pricing it's selling the idea & having the finacial stamina to see a NEW idea through


you can buy the patents to re-manufacture classic cars using the OLD companies panel dies & casts .

Then sell at inflated prices your EXCLUSIVE rebuild


However Dastardly NEW AMIGA a sucess ?


NEVER the name , concept & imagery would have to be or APEAR original to get attension in todays techno fashion market

Failed brandnames don't sell in mass quantity

Short life BUZZ word products DO !



Think of a name & become a millionaire

Any suguestions for the Big boys to steal ?

[SilentBob]

Dunno... You -can- actually get cases for PC's that incorporate everything (but the screen) into one unit. I couldn't find the page I saw these in, but they're out there..

Now, whether it would be a sucess or not, that I can't say.


If you look at portable computers today, they really -do- pretty much incorporate everything into one. And a lot of them come pretty close to being replacements for "desktop" computers, as they boast some very powerful components, CPU and graphics-wise at least.

[manicx]

Well, the Amiga was a success because it was different and was offering great multimedia capabilities when everything else was inferior (only the ST was close and is no coincidence that both machines dies simultaneously).

For the Amiga to be a success today, it had to be different. Computer hardware today is evolutionary. Amiga's hardware back then was revolutionary. I don't see how the Amiga's hardware today could have been revolutionary.

Same can be applied for the OS. Back then AmigaOS was exceptionally good and was unique. Today, we have so many OSs that are great. Of course, I am not talking for Linux, Windows but for OSs like QNX and MacOSX. So, Amiga had to offer a unique OS again but I find this a bit 'not-easy'.

Considering prices, Amiga's custom hardware means R&D, higher production costs and generally, expensive hardware. If Amiga had to be cheap and powerful (I am not speaking just for the CPU), they had to follow the mainstream route. Therefore, to keep costs low, they had to be mainstream.

I am not sure if Amiga would have been different to an ordinary PC and if it was going to be, it would have been V. expensive.

[Oscar Castillo]

Aside from the Mac, which already offers exceptional developer support, a good selection of software and hardware yet still only has a very small market share. Another closed proprietary system would have an extremely difficult, if not impossible time getting developers behind it.
The custom chipset of the original Amiga gave it the appeal it needed for developers to create the kind of software that drew users to the platform. To recreate what the Amiga did for the PC industry when it was first released would require some extraordinary advances not yet seen in consumer hardware.

[Dr. Dude]

Hmmmmm, can Amiga make it today?
I say: Hey Amiga is stil kicking and is getting ready to standup again

My view of "Todays" Amiga?
-Well at first it needs to match the Pc of today, and beyond
-Need to be able to run the old games and progys (But not builded for it, buy a Migy 1200 then)
-For getting more cash, let it run console games whit no prob (like ps2 and xbox)

To get a foodhold in the market again, it needs to be cheap, good, and most inportent, AMIGA

[Fred the Fop]

Originally posted by Dr. Dude
Hmmmmm, can Amiga make it today?
I say: Hey Amiga is stil kicking and is getting ready to standup again

My view of "Todays" Amiga?
-Well at first it needs to match the Pc of today, and beyond
-Need to be able to run the old games and progys (But not builded for it, buy a Migy 1200 then)
-For getting more cash, let it run console games whit no prob (like ps2 and xbox)

To get a foodhold in the market again, it needs to be cheap, good, and most inportent, AMIGA

Shut up.

[Dr. Dude]

Originally posted by Frederic
Shut up.

:theparano You want something?:theparano