Still into Retro computing? Anyone?

[Wayne]

Hey guys,

I got bored this morning, and I started poking around the web when I ended up on Amiga.org again. I'm kinda actually pleasantly surprised to see that it's still around, but a little dismayed that two years after I hounded the new owners about it, it STILL hasn't been updated AT ALL...

To that end, I began to wonder how many of you were still doing the retro computing thing? I know @redrumloa is still into it, even if he's not here, but anyone else?

Wayne

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Amiga isn't retro, Amiga is the future!!!

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

But yea, other than my Amigas I'm totally into the digital days of yore
Still searching for a turbografx, an Acorn Archimedes, BBC micro and a Philips P2000 to name a few

 

[Wayne]

Well, as usual, I was just bored and thinking about the spare licenses I have sitting around, wondering if I should just toss up a more generic "retro" discussion site which has (amongst the other things) an Amiga section, strictly as a hobby site. Still looking for a hobby that I might actually get into but that I can also build a community with. Hopefully just with less drama.


I'm imagining everything from Trash 80s to...?

Wayne

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

I think Whyzzat is far beyond the drama stage. Besides, it's too local.

Considering opting for retro computing, as you stated, you fiddled around with a hackintosh earlier on, so you only need to know how much effort you want to put into it, and how much money you want to spend on it.
As I see retro computing today, even at flea markets (or is it called garage sales?) the prices are rising. People know about ebay.
People know their old shit is worth something as an Apple I is worth a gazillion euros. Retro computing just isn't what it was like the old days, when you could get a cartboard box filled with cables and joysticks -and a
Mattel Intellivision in mint condition!- for a euro.
I still got my vectrex for 20 euros but that's the cheapest I got recently.
Also, I got into non-volatile (as in, the computer stays intact) sd card solutions recently, everdrives for the Sega Megadrive, (Super) Nintendo, the MegaFlashRom for the MSX, a CF-to-IDE + WHDLoad solution for the Amiga, the DivMMC Enjoy! for the ZX Spectrum, and finally the SD2IEC for the Commodore 64. They're really worthwhile as they breathe in new life into these systems

 

[Wayne]

Yeah, well everything's getting expensive these days...

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Thankfully I earn also a bit more these days though I do need to watch my expenses, as I want to travel more as well... Gotta set priorities.

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

I'm imagining everything from Trash 80s to...?

Bingo! I just love the sound of that!

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

Just too busy. Though I am into retro dishwashers, retro fridges, retro TVs and retro vacuum cleaners - or rather, I fix my appliances when they break

 

[adz]

I still have my A600 and A500 plus a variety of retro'ish x86 boxes...

 

[ilwrath]

Yeah, I still have my A1200/030 and an A500 (or maybe 2?). Along with some assorted Commodore stuff, and old video games, Bally/Astrocade, etc...
Can't say I've really had a chance to fire any of it up in the past 5-10 years, though. I sold all my big box A2000/3000/4000 and CyberStorm 060, video cards, etc stuff a long time ago, now.

I wouldn't really say I'm into retro computing. For the most part, a lot of it really was the "bad old days" of how we did things. Virtualizing the hardware makes more sense, now. I mean, we're in an age where a thermostat or wrist watch has many times more processing power than the highest hardware Amiga ever did.

 

[Wayne]

I mean, we're in an age where a thermostat or wrist watch has many times more processing power than the highest hardware Amiga ever did.

Just imagine. You can now launch an Apollo rocket from your wrist... Imagine what might happen in 100 years if the Earth (or the societies of this planet) doesn't implode..

Wayne

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

The technology behind the Apollo isn't so complicated, compared to other, less spectecular technologies of today.
It's just getting the experience to get there, what to do and what not, that makes the Apollo program (and the Soviet space program for that matter) stand out.

 

[Robert]

Only insofar as I still have a Peg1, A1 & two A1200s.
Haven't used any of them for ages

 

[Kesa]

To be honest my interest has waned over the last couple of years. It seemed to happen around the time i bought my motorbike. I have never had my car or motorbike license until i bought my bike so it was a really exciting time for me. Motorbikes are definitely more fun/interesting than 1980's era computers in my opinion

Also i moved house and left some belongings at my parents house for safe keeping and my mun thought my Amiga was junk and gave it away. All i have now is a MOS Mac Mini which i rarely startup. Maybe my interest will come back later.

 

[Wayne]

To be honest my interest has waned over the last couple of years. It seemed to happen around the time i bought my motorbike. I have never had my car or motorbike license until i bought my bike so it was a really exciting time for me. Motorbikes are definitely more fun/interesting than 1980's era computers in my opinion

Also i moved house and left some belongings at my parents house for safe keeping and my mun thought my Amiga was junk and gave it away. All i have now is a MOS Mac Mini which i rarely startup. Maybe my interest will come back later.

Congrats on the bike, and the license. I can totally agree that a motorcycle on an open road is FAR more exciting than sitting in a room tinkering with a 30 year old computer.

Never considered putting MOS on a Mac Mini, but to be honest, aside from the tinkering aspect of "can I get it to work", -- unlike building a PC/Hackintosh -- it sounds like a waste of a perfectly capable Mac..

Wayne

 

[ilwrath]

Just imagine. You can now launch an Apollo rocket from your wrist... Imagine what might happen in 100 years if the Earth (or the societies of this planet) doesn't implode..

Yup... Even just in computer / video games, themselves, it's crazy. When I was 6, something like Datsun 280 Zzzap was a cutting driving video game. My son? Forza Horizon 2. Like, seriously, that is a damn game you can buy for under $50 on a console you can buy for under $250. Of today's dollars!

To be honest my interest has waned over the last couple of years. It seemed to happen around the time i bought my motorbike. I have never had my car or motorbike license until i bought my bike so it was a really exciting time for me. Motorbikes are definitely more fun/interesting than 1980's era computers in my opinion

Yeah, I definitely can see that. I always managed to keep time for the retro computers and cars together, but add kids to the mix? Nope, retro computers went buh-bye. And it's really rather fortunate the new cars are a lot more reliable than old ones. Give me direct injection and computer controlled spark over carbs and distributors any day of the freakin' week.

I do occasionally still tinker with emulation, though. I wouldn't mind making (or buying) some type of small handheld with a decent controller and thumb keyboard that could run Commodore 64, Amiga, old arcade games, etc...

 

[Robert]

Never considered putting MOS on a Mac Mini, but to be honest, aside from the tinkering aspect of "can I get it to work", -- unlike building a PC/Hackintosh -- it sounds like a waste of a perfectly capable Mac..

hehehe - I hear ya!
I installed a demo version of MOS 3 (I think) on an old iBook and it worked but now have no idea how to revert back to OSX.
It's still lying in a cupboard somewhere.

 

[the_leander]

I tend to stick strictly to Emulators these days, both for space and cost reasons. I enjoy the retro games, but I don't miss the hassle of having to wring every last ounce of power out of my 040 just to get something like tfx to play nice.

 

[ltstanfo]

Yep, I'm still into "retro" computing every now and again. I still have my original A3000 desktop, purchased new from the local dealer, back in the early 90s. I last powered it up a few weeks ago, watching one of Eric Schwartz's videos.

Regards,
Ltstanfo