Why?

fatboy · 27 September 2013, 12:05

Just wondering why the few companies out their designing new Amiga hardware seem to cater for the minority Amiga user i.e. those who are willing to spend top $$$$ for such hardware. (not knocking all their hard work)

Is there not someone out in Amiga land saying 'hey, I need to make something for ALL Amiga users past, present and newbies'. So functional, desirable and low-cost (relatively).

I for one would love to see an Amiga PCI card stuck in my PC or an Amiga Handheld device (like the many low-cost Android tablets, not emulated but hardware based).

Just a dream, I know? but I'd buy a £70.00 Amiga-on-a-chip PCI card or £130.00 handheld Amiga. Surely these would have more 'mass' appeal than what we currently have....and the cost for larger runs, aimed at a much larger market, would be much lower...naive maybe, but totally unfeasible with all that talent out there...maybe not???

ajk · 27 September 2013, 12:15

I don't see what the point of an Amiga PCI card would be..? Software emulators are already very good at what they do. The Amiga doesn't even have a SID or anything else that is particularly hard to emulate.

A handheld Amiga also sounds tricky, since for most things you need a keyboard and mouse/joystick (even games often have some options that need the keyboard). I just don't see the advantage over an emulator on a smart phone or tablet.

If you want a hardware reproduction Amiga, the Minimig is probably the closest thing to one, and not for much more than your specified £130 (though of course it's not all-in-one, you still need some peripherals).

What kind of a device are you after, exactly?

desiv · 27 September 2013, 17:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatboy

Is there not someone out in Amiga land saying 'hey, I need to make something for ALL Amiga users past, present and newbies'. So functional, desirable and low-cost (relatively).

It can seem that way sometimes, but there is some great low end Amiga stuff out there..
Kipper2k and tomthul have made some great lower price Amiga gear.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatboy

I for one would love to see an Amiga PCI card stuck in my PC or an Amiga Handheld device (like the many low-cost Android tablets, not emulated but hardware based).

...

er...

um...

Now THAT would be a higher priced NICHE market product there... ;-)

desiv

diablothe2nd · 27 September 2013, 21:09

i think the main reason for the new stuff being quite expensive is due to batch sizes. Big companies can do HUGE production runs, therefore cutting the costs. Even small to medium sized businesses need to break even or better, and so have to pass the expense on to the customer.

I think Jens went into some detail about it on one of his product threads, though i forget which one.

I know that the connectors for A1200 expansion slots are either rare or need to be custom made, for example.

compared to buying a Blizzard 1240/60 that is 10-15 years old for a hundred or so more than the ACA's Jens sells, i'd say the ACAs are actually pretty competitively priced.

Like all hobbies though, you can spend as much as you like/afford. I don't think many people these days invest in the hardware when emulators are freely available, so you'd have to be pretty hard core anyway to prefer running the real thing over emulation

as for handheld devices, google the Pandora, which can do more than just amiga, and looks like a nintendo DS with a keyboard.

vroom6sri · 27 September 2013, 22:12

I think we're lucky to get any new hardware for the Amiga. I can't help but think that the number of Amigas in active use is in the low 10s of thousands and only a proportion of that number want or need expansion hardware. With such a small market anything that is developed is bound to mean you seem to get less bang for your buck but I'm more than happy to have forked out for an ACA1230/28 (which I later sold) and an ACA1231/42 at what I consider to be a reasonable price considering.

DiabloThe2nd - well said!

DDNI · 27 September 2013, 22:18

How short our memories are! Remember the second hand £200+ 030 cards? Now we can get brand new accelerators for under a hundred pounds!
There is a wider range of cost effective expansions today than at any time in the last decade.

27 September 2013, 12:05	#1
fatboy Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: the unknown Posts: 150	Why? Just wondering why the few companies out their designing new Amiga hardware seem to cater for the minority Amiga user i.e. those who are willing to spend top $$$$ for such hardware. (not knocking all their hard work) Is there not someone out in Amiga land saying 'hey, I need to make something for ALL Amiga users past, present and newbies'. So functional, desirable and low-cost (relatively). I for one would love to see an Amiga PCI card stuck in my PC or an Amiga Handheld device (like the many low-cost Android tablets, not emulated but hardware based). Just a dream, I know? but I'd buy a £70.00 Amiga-on-a-chip PCI card or £130.00 handheld Amiga. Surely these would have more 'mass' appeal than what we currently have....and the cost for larger runs, aimed at a much larger market, would be much lower...naive maybe, but totally unfeasible with all that talent out there...maybe not???

27 September 2013, 22:12	#5
vroom6sri Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Peterborough Age: 47 Posts: 841	I think we're lucky to get any new hardware for the Amiga. I can't help but think that the number of Amigas in active use is in the low 10s of thousands and only a proportion of that number want or need expansion hardware. With such a small market anything that is developed is bound to mean you seem to get less bang for your buck but I'm more than happy to have forked out for an ACA1230/28 (which I later sold) and an ACA1231/42 at what I consider to be a reasonable price considering. DiabloThe2nd - well said! Last edited by vroom6sri; 27 September 2013 at 22:15. Reason: Acknowledge previous post.

27 September 2013, 12:15	#2
ajk Registered User Join Date: May 2010 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 1,341	I don't see what the point of an Amiga PCI card would be..? Software emulators are already very good at what they do. The Amiga doesn't even have a SID or anything else that is particularly hard to emulate. A handheld Amiga also sounds tricky, since for most things you need a keyboard and mouse/joystick (even games often have some options that need the keyboard). I just don't see the advantage over an emulator on a smart phone or tablet. If you want a hardware reproduction Amiga, the Minimig is probably the closest thing to one, and not for much more than your specified £130 (though of course it's not all-in-one, you still need some peripherals). What kind of a device are you after, exactly?

27 September 2013, 21:09	#4
diablothe2nd Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Northamptonshire, UK Age: 41 Posts: 1,236	i think the main reason for the new stuff being quite expensive is due to batch sizes. Big companies can do HUGE production runs, therefore cutting the costs. Even small to medium sized businesses need to break even or better, and so have to pass the expense on to the customer. I think Jens went into some detail about it on one of his product threads, though i forget which one. I know that the connectors for A1200 expansion slots are either rare or need to be custom made, for example. compared to buying a Blizzard 1240/60 that is 10-15 years old for a hundred or so more than the ACA's Jens sells, i'd say the ACAs are actually pretty competitively priced. Like all hobbies though, you can spend as much as you like/afford. I don't think many people these days invest in the hardware when emulators are freely available, so you'd have to be pretty hard core anyway to prefer running the real thing over emulation as for handheld devices, google the Pandora, which can do more than just amiga, and looks like a nintendo DS with a keyboard.

27 September 2013, 22:18	#6
DDNI Targ Explorer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 5,431	How short our memories are! Remember the second hand £200+ 030 cards? Now we can get brand new accelerators for under a hundred pounds! There is a wider range of cost effective expansions today than at any time in the last decade.

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