The thing that confuses me for years now: why is Amiga hardware so expensive???!!!
True,prices are going up for everything last few years but for as long as I know, Amiga has been expensive compared to other platforms. Or am I wrong?

Murugan wrote:

The thing that confuses me for years now: why is Amiga hardware so expensive???!!!
True,prices are going up for everything last few years but for as long as I know, Amiga has been expensive compared to other platforms. Or am I wrong?

I think they are just more populair. Or the demand is higher or something. Or there may be more x86 hardware than Amiga hardware out there. Then you have to look at prices, if you want x86 from the same era as Amiga, that can do roughly the same in terms of features and muscles. And to get what is equivelant in the x86 world compared to the Amiga. Then you will probably get something like the following...

- Top performer 486 VLB/PCI motherboard.
- 486dx2-66/120 with write back cache.
- 8 to 16 mb ECC 60ns Ram in one module.
- Top performer VGA card (ET4000-VLB or faster).
- SCSI VLB card.
- 1gb 50Pin SCSI harddisk. (4500/5400rpm)
- AWE32 CT3900 or CT2760.
- GUS Classic or Max

Find those prices on ebay and find Amiga2000 prices on eBay and ask what is the most affordable. You can go cheaper, yet then you need to find the price for both on Amibay instead. I don't think Amiga's are that expensive compared to an equivelant x86 machine. And again, it is like comparing apples to oranges.

I think a lot of more commodore amiga and also commodore 64 were thrown away early and I also think cheap computers also broke more easily than PCs, so working ones are now quite expensive.

Baoran wrote:

I think a lot of more commodore amiga and also commodore 64 were thrown away early and I also think cheap computers also broke more easily than PCs, so working ones are now quite expensive.

Yup... Demand and supply, just like Gravis ultrasound or Voodoo5-5500.

Baoran wrote:

How are the prices for really old PCs nowadays? how much would people pay for Full set mid 80s PC/XT compatible desktop PC with XT keyboard, EGA card and EGA monitor?
I don't really see that stuff in ebay much, so that is why I am asking.

I would say (local Finnish market) they would go for 50-300e depending on the make and model. An IBM XT with EGA display would got for 2-300e and some clone version probably for 50-100e depending on the brand name. I personally have sold B&W IBM monitors for 80-100e and the color versions are much more sought after.

Murugan wrote:

The thing that confuses me for years now: why is Amiga hardware so expensive???!!!
True,prices are going up for everything last few years but for as long as I know, Amiga has been expensive compared to other platforms. Or am I wrong?

They were pretty cheap in the UK until 2012ish. You could buy a boxed A1200 for £90 at the time. The A500 went for £30-£40. I got mine for £30 with a ton of games in 2008 (now sadly gone, wish I'd kept hold of it).

Computer prices have just shot up across the board this decade.

Someone who I know has a commodore 128 in original box in a corner that has been there for years and he doesn't use it. I once offered him 100 euros for it but he didn't sell.

I see a boxed Amiga 500 in fair condition at 113 euro locally right now. So yup. They have gone up. Then I see a 286 laptop at 589 euro locally at the moment. There is even an Compaq Prolinea 486 for sale at just over 600 euro. Yeahh.... Amiga's are cheaper than vintage pc's here, because there are more Amiga's for sale. Supply and demand again.

Baoran wrote:

How are the prices for really old PCs nowadays? how much would people pay for Full set mid 80s PC/XT compatible desktop PC with XT keyboard, EGA card and EGA monitor?
I don't really see that stuff in ebay much, so that is why I am asking.

Sold prices depend on a lot of factors: e.g. specifications of the system, its condition (technical and cosmetic), originality, included items (original software, documentation, packaging), the ad (pictures, description), seller (private or commercial, reviews, well written ad or not), payment methods, warranty, marketing, duration of ad, willingness to ship (abroad) and many more.

You can still find PC XT bargains under € 100, even online, but compared to 10-15 years ago such bargains have become quite rare. You'll need to be quick if something like that pops up and it will be a risk (e.g. it might not work, no pictures from seller etc.). If you want the best computer, transparency, comfort etc. then you'll have to pay for that.

That made me want to check ebay sold listings for populair stuff. 😁

Ebay sold listings for IBM 5160:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=xt+comp … mputer&_sacat=0

Ebay sold listings for 486 dx2 computer:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sa … =p2045573.m1684

Ebay sold listings for Amiga500:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=486+dx2 … iga500&_sacat=0

Ebay sold listings for Amiga1200:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=amiga+1 … a+1200&_sacat=0

Ebay sold listings for Voodoo5:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=amiga50 … oodoo5&_sacat=0

Ebay sold listings for Gravis Ultrasound:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=voodoo5 … asound&_sacat=0

Amiga 'computers' are not more expensive than similar 16-bit era computers of the time in my experience, you get what you pay for.

Add-on hardware are incredibly expensive, however, but that is because they always were very expensive and very exotic pieces of hardware even when they were new and relatively more common.

Hmmmm....

What will a 286 or 386sx machine configured in 1987 correct spec's cost, compared to an Amiga500? (Both in mint condition)

appiah4 wrote:

Amiga 'computers' are not more expensive than similar 16-bit era computers of the time in my experience, you get what you pay for.

Add-on hardware are incredibly expensive, however, but that is because they always were very expensive and very exotic pieces of hardware even when they were new and relatively more common.

Well yeah, I meant that. I should have stated that more clearly. The Amiga's itself are pretty affordable here IF you find one, but I always found accelerator cards etc so expensive. And maybe
A3000-A4000 machines. But that's because I never had Amiga's so I don't know what makes them better/different than PC's *sorry* 😊

Murugan wrote:

But that's because I never had Amiga's so I don't know what makes them better/different than PC's *sorry* 😊

As a whole... They are not better. It depends on what type of software you want to run. Yet... Imagine a machine with 512k of ram, that can do multitasking with 4 or more programs open (GUI included), have the ability to do some of the GFX tasks without the use of the CPU and fully autoconfig (the type of technology we know as PNP). Plus more more stuff that I will not go into. (And we are talking 1985)

For the Amiga arcitechture:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_Chip_Set

One of many youtube video's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-hJ_3MvH7Q

Just think of it, as if the Playstation2 was expanded to be a complete computer, with build in keyboard and mouse.
You just turn it on and insert the storage media with the game or program you want and off you go.

brostenen wrote:

Just think of it, as if the Playstation2 was expanded to be a complete computer, with build in keyboard and mouse.

It was!... not built in though, a kit of peripherals so you can run linux on it.

brostenen wrote:

You just turn it on and insert the storage media with the game or program you want and off you go.

Didn't boot from a ROM though so was stuck at the read speed of the DVD drive when loading.

Amiga 500 was released in 1987. It was before any pc sound card or vga. It was time when most PCs had monochrome and some had CGA or EGA.
That is what made Amiga better back then. They were able to use 16 and 32 color video modes and had 4 channel sound.
Amiga 1000 was even earlier, but it wasn't as popular probably because of the price.

I never had an amiga, but it was during that period when I spend several months thinking if I should get amiga, Atari ST or PC.
I finally bought my first PC in end of 1988. (Only had commodore 64 before that)

Baoran wrote:

They were able to use 16 and 32 color video modes

32 colours on screen at any one time, but thanks to HAM could pick from a much larger range than EGA.

Baoran wrote:

Amiga 1000 was even earlier, but it wasn't as popular probably because of the price.

Used the same chipset as A500, I think the A1000 was marketed towards business and the A500 more at the 'home' market.

PC's were extremely expensive back then, and aimed more at business/work... an Amiga was a fraction of the price and aimed towards 'entertainment', although Commodore (CBM) would perhaps of liked more of that market...

Amiga's did well in the film and TV industry back then too, only sharing that with SGI, which Amiga could not compete with.

spiroyster wrote:

It was!... not built in though, a kit of peripherals so you can run linux on it. […]
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brostenen wrote:

Just think of it, as if the Playstation2 was expanded to be a complete computer, with build in keyboard and mouse.

It was!... not built in though, a kit of peripherals so you can run linux on it.

brostenen wrote:

You just turn it on and insert the storage media with the game or program you want and off you go.

Didn't boot from a ROM though so was stuck at the read speed of the DVD drive when loading.

Yeah.... I remember the Linux kit. If only they sold it as a standard solution. The insert disk was only thought on, as you start an Amiga game by turning on the machine and inserting the Floppy disk. The same way as you insert a DVD/CD disc on a playstation2 and it will load. Matter of fact, the kickstart is only the first half of the entire operating system. The other half is called Workbench.

spiroyster wrote:

Used the same chipset as A500, I think the A1000 was marketed towards business and the A500 more at the 'home' market.

PC's were extremely expensive back then, and aimed more at business/work... an Amiga was a fraction of the price and aimed towards 'entertainment', although Commodore (CBM) would perhaps of liked more of that market...

Amiga's did well in the film and TV industry back then too, only sharing that with SGI, which Amiga could not compete with.

The 1000 was geared towards all markets that would find it usefull, and when Commodore saw that they had to split into bussiness and home markets. Then they created and released both the 500 and 2000. The 1000 was then sold as an entry model.
The 500 was actually better than the 1000. Not by much, though it did come with the kickstart in a rom and keyboard build in.

I know the Amiga was used for a number of special effect's. I am just not aware on what exactly that was.
Vaugely remember something about startrek and something about an alien lifeform in the deep sea.

I found some 1987 prices on PC's and Amiga's. The prices are from around April 1987 and taken from a Danish magazine.
So naturally they are in Danish Kroners, and you can not really know what it is in modern value. Things have changed.

Amiga2000 was 15.900 kroners for the standard model.
Amiga500 was 5.400 kroners for the standard model.
Amstrad 1512 with colour monitor and 20mb HDD was 16.995 kroners.
Rose 80286-12mhz with 1mb Ram and 21mb HDD without monitor was 19.995 kroners.
Commodore PC10-II was 15.400 (the price was without sales tax of 25%)
Commodore PC20-II was 25.400 (again without sales tax)

Amiga's were not sold with a monitor back then, but all you needed was a tv for gaming.
And if you really wanted a monitor, then it would set you back 2799 to 3995 kroner.

Using inflation calculator, then 100 kroners in 1987 is 200 kroners today.
So you have to double the prices, in order to make up for inflation.
Funny enough. I just realised how cheap one can buy a computer for normal work these days.