Amiga ahead of its time

Ars Technica has started a series on the history of the Amiga microcomputer, a personal computing alternative to the IBM PC and the Apple Macintosh that emerged in the last half of the 1980s. I remember a couple of computer enthusiast friends having these, and the graphics and sounds the Amiga could produce were very impressive for its time.

Part 1: Genesis begins with a flashback to the final day at Commodore in 1994, then traces the roots of the computer back to the video game console craze of the late '70s.

Part 2: The Birth of the Amiga tells how the computer emerged from the early '80s crash of the video game market. It seems funny to think that there was a time when video games fell out of favor, but it happened. To make the investors happy, the original product was designed to look like a game console, but it had the capability to be expanded into a true computer. When the video game business collapsed, the investors asked the engineers to redirect their efforts to the personal computer market and were pleased to learn the engineers had had that in mind all along. Interesting, too, how the development team kept their plans below the computer industry radar, through the use of code names and a diversionary tactic -- a sideline of developing add-ons to the Atari gaming system.

Part 3: The First Prototype covers the creation of a working model and its introduction at electronics industry trade shows. The article also delves into the Amiga's technical innovations that later became standard: application programming interface, multitasking microcomputer, a true windowing system. The third installment ends with Amiga's acquisition by Commodore.

The stories aren't all technical, and they include insights into the people who created Amiga, their work habits, their backgrounds, the way they approach problems. Very interesting, and I look forward to future installments.