Commodore Amiga
The multimedia dream machine
The Amiga family fused 68000 power with custom chips for graphics, sound, and multitasking, redefining creative computing in the late 80s.
Overview
The Amiga 1000 debuted in 1985 with a suite of custom co-processors—Agnus, Denise, Paula—that handled graphics, blitter operations, and audio while the Motorola 68000 CPU multitasked. Affordable models like the Amiga 500 brought that power to millions of homes and gave demo groups such as Fairlight and Crest a new playground.
Fast facts
- Chipset: Original Chip Set (OCS), later Enhanced (ECS) and Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA).
- Graphics: up to 4096 colours via HAM, hardware sprites, dual playfields, copper for raster effects.
- Audio: four-channel 8-bit PCM via Paula.
- Operating system: AmigaOS with preemptive multitasking and the Workbench GUI.
Why it mattered
- Creative tool: video titling, animation (Deluxe Paint), and music trackers thrived on Amiga hardware.
- Games: cinematic platformers, adventure games, and demoscene productions showcased 16-bit artistry.
- Scene pipeline: many C64 bedroom coders moved to Amiga once budgets allowed, carrying techniques with them.
Modern legacy
- Emulation: WinUAE, FS-UAE, and MiSTer re-create the platform.
- Hardware revival: FPGA-based Amiga clones, Vampire accelerators, and new games keep the ecosystem alive.
- Community: retro conventions and demoparties still premiere new Amiga productions yearly.