Amiga (1985 - ?)
The Amiga was introduced in 1985, the first model was the
Amiga 1000. In 1987 the Amiga 500 (small and cheap) and the
Amiga 2000 (aimed at the more financially potent user) were
introduced. These models sold some milion times in the western
world, but innovation was too slow and the IBM clones got
better from year to year.
In 1991 Commodore sold the CDTV, the first computer with built
in CD-ROM, basically a A500 with CD-ROM. Sadly, it was a bit
ahead of its time (CD-ROM) and technically outdated on the
computer side (A500) and was a flop. (there are only a few CDTV
adventures!)
In 1991 Commodore upgraded the A500 to the A500+, but with only
relatively minor improvements like new operatiing system (2.x)
and ECS (enhanced chip set).
In 1992 the Amiga 600 was sold, very cheap, but this in every
respect. Basically a cheap A500 (OS2.x, ECS). It sold not so
bad, but only with small profit margins. and a new 386PC was far
better (although far expensive, too)
In 1993 the Amiga 1200 was introduced, finally a big improvement
(cheap, but with AGA graphic chipset, OS3.x, and a lot more
siginficant improvements). Also the Amiga 4000 was sold, the
expensive high end Amiga (also AGA).
Finally two good products again. also the CD32 console was sold,
a cheap CD-ROm games console (basically a A1200 without floppy,
HD, keyboard, and mouse but with a CD-ROM). Some hundred older
Amiga titles were converted/re-released to CD-ROM, but only a
few adventures.
Finally, Commodore went bust in 1993 - not because the Amiga
line, which was still a (small) profit making branch, but
because of huge losses with their IBM-clones.
More than a year later it was bought by ESCOM, one of the
largest PC distributors (but already in trouble before it bought
the rest of the Amiga rights) - a year later Escom went down,
after having sold their brand of Amiga 1200 with minor
improvments to the old A1200 from Commodore.
This year (1997) gateway 2000 (another PC major) bought the rest
of the Amiga rights are now trying to develop a new line of
Amigas, meanwhile they have licensed the rights to a few other
companies who now sell their own Amiga models (all A1200/4000
improvements, but with the same OS and AGA chipset).
Maybe the Amiga can make its resurgence with new PPC processors
and a new OS, or maybe it will go the way of all the other
computers (exept the IBM clones and some Macs), from the
Spectrum, C-64 to the Atari ST. Only the future will tell.
There are 266 games listed for Amiga in this list.
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