Amiga 600: From the Amiga No One Wanted to Retro Favorite

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Perceived strengths of the A600

  • Several argue the article is too harsh on a stock A600: it’s more than a “cut-down A500,” closer to an enhanced A500+ with IDE and PCMCIA.
  • Noted upgrades vs A500/A1000: ECS chipset with “productivity” modes, 1 MB chip RAM, Kickstart/Workbench 2.0, built‑in IDE (cheap laptop hard drives), and composite out for easy TV use.
  • For some, it was a beloved first machine: compact, portable, stylish for its time, and very capable for games and creative software.

Design flaws and limitations

  • Biggest functional complaint: no numeric keypad, breaking games/apps like Civilization that assumed one.
  • Missing Zorro bus and “slowfast” memory; some see it as effectively the same old 7 MHz 68000 architecture in 1992, and in some ways a downgrade from the A500.
  • Architecture makes expansions awkward: useful Fast RAM requires CPU‑socket boards; PCMCIA clashes with some memory configurations.
  • Launched before the A1200, so it felt like a letdown once AGA/68020 arrived.

Product positioning and market context

  • Many describe it as a cost‑reduced A500+ that paradoxically launched more expensive than the outgoing model due to higher-than-expected costs.
  • Lineup confusion: in 1993 you could buy A500+, A600, or A1200 at overlapping prices, all “entry level.”
  • Some catalog price checking suggests the A600’s ~$500 price was competitive with low‑end 286/386 systems, but PCs were climbing fast in capability; higher up the range, Amiga 3000/4000 compared poorly to 386/486 SVGA PCs.
  • Regional split: in Europe Amiga remained attractive longer; in the US, users moved to PCs earlier.

Compatibility and software issues

  • “Fully compatible with A500” is called inaccurate: newer Kickstart, ECS quirks, and memory layout broke many older games, similar to the A500+.
  • Early‑startup options could sometimes work around incompatibilities, but many buyers preferred a used A500 that “just worked.”

Modern expansions and emulation

  • Big enthusiasm for PiStorm, TerribleFire, classic 68030/060 accelerators, and PCMCIA Wi‑Fi; these can turn an A600/A1200 into a very capable hobby machine.
  • Vampire V4/Manticore sparks debate: praised as fun hardware and a “what‑if” Amiga, but criticized as proprietary, expensive, compatibility‑imperfect, and essentially “hardware emulation.”
  • Alternatives highlighted: MiSTer with Minimig core, various Minimig FPGA boards, and simple Raspberry Pi setups (Amiberry/PiMiga, RetroArch) that many actually use most.

Amiga vs PC/consoles and legacy

  • Disagreement over whether consoles (Mega Drive/SNES) or Doom/PC 3D titles were the real death blow; consensus that by mid‑90s PCs/486 + VGA had clearly overtaken Amiga for mainstream gaming.
  • Some characterize Amiga as a “glorified console,” others strongly rebut this, citing Deluxe Paint, music trackers, Video Toaster, multitasking OS, and its influence on a generation of developers.

Retro pricing and sentiment

  • Current Amiga prices, especially A1200s and big-box models, are described as “horrifying,” driven by nostalgia and a booming retro scene.
  • Several nostalgically recall A600/1200/4000 purchases, mods, and hacks; others note they now simply prefer cheap emulation over maintaining fragile, expensive originals.

Critiques of the article

  • Commenters point out technical inaccuracies or oversimplifications (pricing claims, A600 compatibility, Sound Blaster “22 voices,” vague AGA mention).
  • Overall, the thread sees the A600 as historically mispositioned and underwhelming in its day, but quirky, lovable, and well‑served by today’s retro ecosystem.