Walkthrough: The Amiga 500 "Chicken Lips"

[intric8]

After nearly a month of research and investigation, I created a short 10 minute video that's all about the legendary and highly coveted early Amiga 500 "Chicken Lips". In the video I tried to address what makes this machine so special and unique for future collectors and historians. I hope you like my efforts.
[ Show youtube player ]

Also, if video isn't your thing (or you're in a work environment), I created an article version as well with lots of close-up photos to read at your leisure.
https://amigalove.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1266

[aeberbach]

Watched, loved it. Thanks!

[Jope]

Ah, yours is too recent, the first ones had the rev3 motherboard, which says the revision on the backside. :-)

[Amiga4000]

Nice video and informations! I thought I would check out the internals of my “Chicken Lips” A500. I bought in the USA about 15 years ago. Came with everything that it would have come with new and it’s like new still. I only play floppy games with it. It was always the most reliable A500 I have ever had.

Results….

Embossed CL top…. Check
Made in USA bottom S/N CA120852b …. Check
Rev 3 Green Motherboard S/N 000784 - ’87 ’88 …. Check
Kickstart ROM v1.2 .... Check
Chinon FB-354 Rev A Disk Drive S/N 10134952 (I love how the disk glides out rather than snaps out) …. Check
Space Invaders Hi-Tek keyboard …. Check
Even the original PSU is “Chicken Lips” If that counts…. Check.
Original box with styrofoam inserts (kinda ratty - have not checked the SN) ….. Check
Original tank mouse …. Check

Nothing is yellowed and the keyboard is like new too. I was going to sell it but I might rethink that now!

[th4t1guy]

The end part is a little confusing since it mentions "No Extra Half-Brite mode" and I swear it was available on my a500 when I used SEUCK as a kid (would have to fire it up again to verify though). But after reading it a second time I guess that's referring to certain variations of the a500?

[dlfrsilver]

LOL. All the A500 have the halfbright mode from day 1.

Otherwise, games like Simon the sorcerer, Nippon Safes, History Line, Traps'n'Treasure, Black Crypt, Desert Strike would not run.

[TjLaZer]

Yes only early A1000's didn't have it.

[LezRed]

Would someone please buy this ChickenLips A500 advertised on ebay.co.uk please? If it's not gone soon I'll buy it which will be terrible because I really need to save money for important things like food and clothes for my children :-D

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amiga-500...YAAOSw-AFeZUZl

EDIT - just to be clear I know nothing about this Amiga, but it seems reasonably priced to me, if it is what it looks like (and works).

[Jope]

£200 for a machine where the keyboard is the only good bit? Hmm.. :-)

[AmigaHope]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

LOL. All the A500 have the halfbright mode from day 1.

Otherwise, games like Simon the sorcerer, Nippon Safes, History Line, Traps'n'Treasure, Black Crypt, Desert Strike would not run.

I'm pretty sure they all run on non-EHB systems, stuff just looks weird as the sixth bitplane is ignored.

...but yeah I don't think anything besides the A1000 shipped with the 8362R5. It's easy enough to check, just look at the chip. Even easier if your chip is in a plastic package as the R5 and R6 were ceramic (R5 was the only one without EHB)

https://www.bigbookofamigahardware.c...t.aspx?id=1487

[Sad Nation]

@Amiga4000 Do you have any pictures of the box as I have a chicken lips A500 on the way but no box? I would just like to know what I am looking for.

[klx300r]

I’ve still got my Rev3, NTSC, chicken lips with space invader keyboard happily running in my mancave It’s got the best keyboard out of any Amiga I’ve ever used and I did the 1MB chip mod years ago so I can play quite a few WHDLoad games on it

[dirkies]

But why is it called "chicken lips"??

[roondar]

Originally Posted by dirkies

But why is it called "chicken lips"??

Apparently, "chicken lips" is a way to describe the Commodore logo, which is embossed in the plastic of this model A500. I actually never heard about that until way after 2000 though. Had no idea people named it that.

[yelo]

I'm rocking one of these old gentlemen with rev. 3 rock lobster, ks1.2 and space invaders. It's a pretty machine, which I love dearly.

[Jope]

I have A2000 versions of these keyboards that I've hoarded. I use them exclusively with my big box machines. Move over mitsumi. ;-)

[rabidgerry]

Great and informative video, never knew most of that stuff!! Good job.

[nikosidis]

I have 2 A500 with the mech.. keyboard, space invaders.
They are not as rare as some think.

[Jope]

Originally Posted by nikosidis

I have 2 A500 with the mech.. keyboard, space invaders.
They are not as rare as some think.

I think that they made the entire 1987 production run with these keebs. :-)

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by roondar

Apparently, "chicken lips" is a way to describe the Commodore logo, which is embossed in the plastic of this model A500.

Now I can't unsee it.