Commodore Amiga

Exfso (Peter) · #1 17-10-2015, 01:44 PM

I know that this should strictly speaking be in the computers area, however, I am only interested in contacting anyone with a bit of knowledge about these computers. The reason I have 2 Amigas, one is a 4000/040 and the other a 2500. I have a guy pestering me to buy them off me, however I smell a bit of a rat in as much he wants to come up with cash, today! I am not really aware of what should be a fair price on these and the last thing I want to do is succumb and just accept only to find out later that I was ripped off. So if anyone out there is involved with these, I would be interested in knowing what should be a fair price. I might add, that both are in pristine condition and have been kept packaged since last used, approx. 20 years ago. Yeah the bios batteries would be knackered, but when last used both worked fine.

LewisM · #2 17-10-2015, 01:51 PM

Hard one Peter - I have seen them go for $50, and I have seen them go for $1500.

Just take what you are happy with I guess!

I think I still have one, and believe it or not, a Vic 20, in storage...

Exfso (Peter) · #3 17-10-2015, 02:13 PM

I have seen the A4000/40 advertised on Ebay for $1000usd, so just trying to get a handle on the real worth. I know that the 4000 is supposed to be a collectable. One person wants $280 just for the 4000 keyboard, so there is a huge variation.

LewisM · #4 17-10-2015, 02:42 PM

I agree Peter (I missed a zero on my high end - now fixed). Settle in the middle? Say $800?

They are only worth what you are happy with.

dannat (Daniel) · #5 17-10-2015, 03:30 PM

a lot of the stuff you see on ebay is overpriced [buy-it-now] i doubt anyone would pay 280 for a keyboard alone -unless it is mint & completes a basically untouched specimen -collectors are mostly only interested in mint in box ties -they are worth good money -used items are worth much less

what is he offering?

Eden (Brett) · #6 17-10-2015, 04:07 PM

As someone who was heavily involved in the Commodore scene for many years, my advice to you is to reconsider parting ways with them at all. At the very least, consider selling only to someone who is an Amiga fan and not someone who is looking to make a quick buck, which appears to be the case here.

The A4000/040, in spite of the fact that the RTC battery has probably expired, is worth more than you might expect. This is especially true if you've kept the unit properly packaged and the housing has not succumbed to the yellowing which is typical on most older Commodore units. They are very hard to come by these days; the few I have seen in recent years were no longer functional due to the RTC battery having corroded the main board but this can normally be remedied by someone with rudimentary knowledge of electronics. You can be sure that if you held onto this unit, it's value would appreciate as the years go by. They really are difficult to find these days and in my humble opinion, $1000USD is the very least you would want to let it go for.

The 2500 is a model you don't see very often. Even though it is basically an A2000 fitted with a 68020, they make for a decent system. This one isn't worth nearly as much as A4000 is because it is essentially an A2000 which are relatively easy to come by.

Maybe let the A2500 go for as much as you can and hold onto the A4k?

Slawomir (Suavi) · #7 17-10-2015, 05:43 PM

I second Brett's recommendations, keep at least one of the Amigas.

A while ago I parted with my 8bit Atari and sometimes I wish I kept it, even if for showing future generations the "real thing" LOL

I even wrote a few games in assembler for this computer, well, "good old days" are now long gone...

04Stefan07 (Stefan) · #8 17-10-2015, 06:20 PM

Peter, the best thing to do is keep your Amigas. I have the Amiga 500 and is a great collectors item which will only increase in value.

Plus since you have the packaging they would be worth even more!

Exfso (Peter) · #9 17-10-2015, 11:43 PM

Thanks guys, I appreciate your input. Might have to hang on to them I reckon. Should have hung on to my E37 Charger about 15 yrs ago, sold it for $6k. The guy that owns in has had it valued at over $60k as apparently it is the only genuine E37 6pack untouched left. Chrysler only made around 250 of them I believe.

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #10 18-10-2015, 08:53 AM

If in doubt, keep hold of it

I used to have a small collection of Amigas, greatest. A nine of all time

The 040 is the one that I always wanted but couldn't stretch to

KISSMAD (Bruce) · #11 18-10-2015, 09:51 AM

In the last couple of weeks, the Amiga has been popping up everywhere I go. This year is the 30th Anniversary of the first Amiga 1000.

I used to own an Amiga 500 then an Amiga 2000. I don't know what happened to the A500 but I sold the A2000 very cheap and moved to a Windows 95 system.

There is a book coming out Commodore: The Amiga Years by Brian Bagnall, available on 1st December 2015. It's the sequel to Commodore: A Company on the Edge which the second edition was released in 2010. I've ordered the first book, it's the only type of Commodore book I'll ever buy. Ford Fan Forever! lol

Two documentaries about the Amiga, The first is From Bedrooms To Billions is available from their website. Second is Viva Amiga: The Documentary, yet to be released.

Exfso (Peter) · #12 18-10-2015, 01:29 PM

Thanks people appreciate your feedback

RB (Andrew) · #13 18-10-2015, 02:39 PM

Hold onto them Pete, they're a piece of computer history !
I wish I held onto my two A2000s.

I do still have my Dick Smith System 80 though, but I wish I kept the Amigas too.

Oh the memories of this machine are priceless, loved its capabilities.

Remember the demo clips (like the one below) that played at every store that sold them?

Click here to load the video

RB

Exfso (Peter) · #14 25-11-2015, 09:47 PM

I finally decided to see what I could do to get them up and running. First order of the day was to remove the clock battery on both. They leak after a few years and mine were no exception. Had to put vinegar on the areas to get rid of the crud exuded by the battery. On close inspection, no damage on either computer. They both booted up ok and now all I have to do is get the brain matter re-booted into Amiga mode and see what I can achieve. What I have noticed is once booted up they are damn quick machines even by today's standards. You click on an icon and the appropriate menu etc opens instantly. This is why these scared the crap out of Microsoft in the late 80's and early 90's, they just worked and were slippery. If one were into conspiracy theory's they might reckon Bill Gates was implicate in the demise of Commodore, nothing would surprise me.

Peter Ward · #15 25-11-2015, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exfso

... If one were into conspiracy theory's they might reckon Bill Gates was implicate in the demise of Commodore, nothing would surprise me.

I wrote a number of reviews way back then for the long defunct Australian Commodore and Amiga review magazine.

It was the best pre-emptive multi-tasking OS bar none. The Hoi-Polloi just simply didn't get how advanced it was

Eden (Brett) · #16 26-11-2015, 04:37 AM

NASA used the Amiga (starting with the A1000) throughout the Shuttle program for flight telemetry and were still using A4000's up until about 12 years ago.

Peter is spot on about the AmigaOS. Even the very first version, which pre-dates Windows 1.0 by a few months, had preemptive multitasking. Windows at that time only allowed for a maximum of 4 concurrently open windows and they couldn't overlap! The Macintosh of the day was no better as it lacked preemptive multitasking too. It was a long time before Windows came anywhere near the same level of functionality, stability and performance.

I remember first browsing the web on the Amiga using AMosaic in 1994. Trying to do the same thing on Windows 3.1 using Trumpet Winsock at the time was laughable. The eventual transition to the PC (I opted for Linux initially) was painful, I missed the silky smooth mouse pointer on the Amiga. Still do.

Commodore had everything going for them with respect to their technology portfolio. Had it not been for poor marketing choices and mismanagement, they might still be in the market today. Software emulation of the Amiga (shameless plug: WinUAE) gives some insight into what could have been.

ZeroID (Brent) · #17 26-11-2015, 07:05 AM

Going to have to see if I can get an emualtor going. Used to love R-Type shooter.....
Wish I'd kept the old A1000 now ...

My experiences with the Amiga led me to PC's and changed my future job roles immensely. I was the only feild engineer with PC skills when the first CPM base PC's arrived and then the first commercial office laser printers .... all sorts of stuff..

Eden (Brett) · #18 26-11-2015, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeroID

Going to have to see if I can get an emualtor going. Used to love R-Type shooter.....

R-Type is my favourite shoot 'em up of all time, would love to own an upright arcade cabinet version.

Sato (Dom) · #19 26-11-2015, 11:46 AM

Aahhh, how I miss a good old 'Guru Meditation'

.

Exfso (Peter) · #20 26-11-2015, 02:20 PM

I have just ordered 2 replacement clock batteries from the UK. Have to be hard wired, no issue for me. There are other options using a coin type battery, but with a protection diode in place to stop them being charged, the voltage drops too much and the clock function can become unstable and not work properly. The replacements I have ordered are Ni-mh in lieu of Nicd that were installed originally. which should last for quite a few years, probably outlast me.

These are the batteries for those who may be interested. It is apparently an issue with all Amiga computers.

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=132