What do your friends think about your Amiga interest?

[Graham Humphrey]

Fairly obviously inspired by this thread which has gone off on something of a tangent...

It got me thinking if people have ever told their mates about the Amiga and the interest they have in it (I mean real mates not virtual ones ). Or if they would ever let them know or let them see the stuff they have. If they do know, what do they think of it? Do they show any sort of interest? Do they make fun of it? Or show absolutely no interest whatsoever?

I'm 23 next month, and all of my friends (male and female) are around the same sort of age (early 20s). As you can imagine we all like going out, socialising and all the usual sort of stuff. We have shared interests but we also have our own very different hobbies, too.

Some of my mates are into games too and when I've had people round, they usually take some sort of mild interest in my Amiga and other retro stuff. I've never had any mickey-taking or snide remarks about anything and I've never tried to hide my stuff when people are about (regardless of who it is). For me it's just a hobby and an interest, like everyone has - only one of mine happens to be old games and systems but mostly the Amiga.

Now I've certainly never gone around talking about stuff like this all the time 'cos that's boring, but I've never actually gone out of my way to hide it and I don't mind talking about it if people ask me (which does happen very occasionally). But I also know that not everyone feels the same way and for some it's very much a 'guilty pleasure' type thing.

That's all fine of course. But I want to know... well, the answer to the thread title, really . If anyone's had some amusing responses or stick, or indeed even managed to convert anyone - or perhaps you are the sort of person who must keep it a secret at all costs... do say as I'm genuinely interested in the sort of mindset people have about this issue.

[Harrison]

I think pretty much the same response as you've had. Although being in my 30's the friends the same age as me have similar memories of retro systems and so want to play on them again when they see them. Same with old arcade machines.

Not so many know much about emulation and I've converted a few over to trying emulators out and getting them interested in it. Allowing them to relive and play the games from their youth.

I don't think I've ever had anyone take the mickey about retro stuff. Most think it is quite cool to see the old systems again and recount memories they have.

[TCD]

Luckily most of my friends had or remember the Amiga. We quite often play some two player games (Speedball 2, Chaos Engine, Alien Breed and so on) when they are around. Even some of those who hadn't one back then are into playing some games Of course we also play SNES, MD and NeoGeo games, but still Amiga games are the favourites

[Mikey_C]

Cos of my age, most of my friends are of the age of Amiga. So they know, although a few don't understand why I choose to continue using an Amiga as my everyday system,

[prowler]

The only friends I have that know anything about the Amiga are EAB members.

All my real-life friends have no idea what I'm talking about (or what they're missing! ).

[W4r3DeV1L]

Well ... I'm 38 years old, lived the Amiga age and people that now Amiga and have almost my age poke fun that I live of memories and that it's a waste of time and energy to spend time looking back to the old times.

But ... people would never understand! I was on the Amiga scene at the time as sysop in Crystal and I have spent 10 years of my life on the Amiga. It's my past, it's part of my life and if I would forget about Amiga and forget the past I would loose my path!

People cannot understand my emotions and life could be an emotion too!

People and my friend cannot imagine what excitement I do feel having a GF living in Mexico. People just say .... find a woman here where you live.

Well ... in plain terms what makes you happy do not necessarily make happy the group of people who is around you at the moment.

Long live to the retro! Long live to the amiga!

[TCD]

Originally Posted by prowler

All my real-life friends have no idea what I'm talking about (or what they're missing! ).

Easy to 'fix' : Fire Cannon Fodder up and hand over the mouse

[Paul_s]

They all think I'm a cool dude of course

[Retro-Nerd]

Originally Posted by Paul_s

They all think I'm a cool dude of course

All of your cardboard standups?

[prowler]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Easy to 'fix' : Fire Cannon Fodder up and hand over the mouse

[DH]

My old mates understand, they were part of the Amiga days like I was, but new mates, well that's another thing, they just don't understand why the Amiga has such a hold on me.

Most think I'm bonkers, which isn't far from the truth anyway but they never experienced the better way of life and computing. They just think peecee, which I find boring. At least with an Amiga, you had to work to get things done, today you just press a nice button that says "Go" and you're done, well sort of

Long live the Amiga

[Paul_s]

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

All of your cardboard standups?

To be honest they shake their heads at me!

One of them loves Atari so we have arguments and stuff...

[asm1]

Most of my friends are of a similar age and remember the Amiga days. Usually seeing (one of) my desktop 1200's makes them go all misty eyed and start reminiscing about ye-olden days. One chap who was round last week started stroking an A1200 affectionately that I had brought through for him to see. Conversation turned to the subject of his Amiga days....... "I never had a 1200...."

Suffice to say that by the time he left that night, he'd agreed to let me make one for him out of my boxes of spares WhdLoad and the lack of needing floppies won the day lol.

[Siggy999]

At 42, most my long standing friends are friends I had back when we all had Amigas. The only one that lives in the same country as me was a tracker wizard in the day - he made the swap to PC around Wolfenstein.. he still ribs me, but we laugh and fire up a couple of games, mods, hell his ringtone is the music from the c64 version of Uridium

Most the friends I made in my video production days were familiar with the toaster in its heyday - so they're also pretty in the know. My new wife has a few retro consoles and works with Lightwave every day - so she's both understanding of the retro addiction, as well as being fascinated by the history of the programs she uses every day.

Step daughter thinks its fantastic that I like to try and code my own games - she wants me to get a Fuzebox for xmas as a father-daughter project. Maybe teach her to code in C

The older it gets, it nearly seems the more positive folks are about it all really - very trippy.

[seuden]

Loving the subject matter Graham, great question.

My close friends all know that I'm interested in computers and consoles, new and old which I couldn't give a shit what they thought. Everyone has their hobbies and whenever they want anything done on their pc or anything technical it's generally me they ring.

For me, being a uber cool demi god, I don't actually go out of my way to tell people when I first meet them (which happens ALOT, cos yes, I go out ALOT and I am COOL AND TRENDY, which you can take however you like but I am not passing judgement or stating that I'm better than you) but if somebody else mentions retro gaming or even general PC shit I do take a great interest in the conversation and every single time I seem to stun people that actually I'm quite a geek, as when I'm out I am a bit of the Jack the Lad. The aforementioned thread I was obviously kidding around as some of you took it quite personal that I called EAB members geeks and to be honest that opinion of mine still holds and does include me but the rest I was just joking and winding you up (those that were taking the bait). I just think there are levels of "geekyness" and talking about Amiga (in this case) is one thing but going to a fair, for me, would be too much.

I'm not in any way ashamed and neither should you guys be of any hobby that you're into but surely what ever hobbies you are into there are different depths of involvment for each individual?

I love this forum and I really enjoy, mostly reading, about hardware, coding and the history of the Amiga scene etc and I do think it's nice that the Amiga is still kept going and some of you peeps are really involved, either still trying to code games, code KGLoad :P or mod your A1200 etc. It's a really helpful site and seems to be full of some really helpful people and if any of my freinds or associates would ever show interest in the Amiga I would certainly recommend EAB.

I actually feel I'm a nice guy and it hurts me that one/some of you guys think I portray you as being a paedophile (post now removed or edited) just because you're going to a fair.

Basically my social life and my internet life (which is the ONLY reason I'm still partial involved in the Amiga) are kept separate, for no real reason other than that's the way I like it.

[killergorilla]

My mates know I'm into my retro games (including the Amiga) and know I do a lot of computer stuff (as well as for work) but none of them really take an interest in it other than playing some older games every now and then when we get the chance.

I don't really discuss coding and stuff with anyone, other than people online and a few people at work (but that's never about Amiga coding just my work stuff).

With mates I tend to discuss music, games, football, the usual kind of stuff, but coding and computer conversations tend to annoy me because I see computers as tools to do stuff. My mate might recommend a new bit of software or something, or I might ask if he knows of a decent program for a certain task but that's it.

I reminisce over the fact that I can play games on my Amiga, not the fact that it has a Paula chip in it, I just have no interest in hardware.

So that's why I wouldn't go the fair, I don't enjoy computer conversations that much, but I also wouldn't go to a car fair because I find people talking about 16 valve, 467bhp too geeky too.

[Zeewolf]

I think I have one mate who would probably understand my passion for the Amiga as he's a retro gamer himself and a big fan of the Amiga but everyone else would think I'm some kind of geeky computer freak. It's a shame but each to their own I say. I don't care what anybody else thinks as long as I'm happy. The Amiga brings back so many good memories hence probably why I am so fond of it.

[BrooksterMax]

Hmmm most of them know I have stacks of old computers and stuff for them in the loft. They like the fact that I can pull out a SNES and Mario, MegaDrive and Micro Machines or a Dreamcast and Tony Hawks 2 for an evening.

I have not really discussed the Amiga as such, its more the consoles that catch the interest.

However now I have whdload and a HD in my Amiga 1200, SWOS will be popular in future rather than the Megadrive Sensi Soccer.

[PiesAreBlueGuy]

Well I am 18 and I had a Amiga in my childhood for playing games. None of my friends had a Amiga and when I tell them about it they have no idea what I am talking about

After explaining they think it's pretty boring D:

I only knew one other person my age with a Amiga but I haven't talked to him in years.

[DH]

@ 18 they're probably more interested in girls.

At least you have all of us to talk to. Now that is worthwhile