Amiga Commodore Celebrates 40th Anniversary at UK Exhibition
This summer, The National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park, UK, is hosting a special exhibition dedicated to the Commodore Amiga, a groundbreaking computer that turned 40 this year. The exhibition showcases a variety of Amiga models, from the early Amiga 1000 to the more powerful Amiga 4000, albeit the latter is not currently running.
The Challenges of Preserving Aging Amiga Hardware
Preserving the Amiga hardware poses several challenges. The main issues stem from the degrading electronic components and physical deterioration of the machines. Faulty capacitors, notably RIFA capacitors, and leaking batteries are the most troublesome components for museum volunteers. These components can cause critical damage such as cracks, smoke, fires, and corrosive leaks that erode circuit traces and destroy motherboard parts, making powering on and safely using these machines precarious.
RIFA capacitors, common in vintage electronics, tend to deteriorate by developing cracks or internal shorts, sometimes releasing smoke or catching fire, posing a fire hazard and risking component destruction. Battery leakage is especially problematic as these batteries leak corrosive chemicals over years, damaging or even destroying motherboard circuits underneath them.
The Amiga Exhibition
Despite these challenges, the exhibition features several working Amigas running classic games such as Paperboy and Star Wars. An Amiga 500, generally well-behaved, is on display, and visitors can get hands-on time on a range of machines, including the ubiquitous Amiga 500.
An Amiga 1000 running the iconic "Boing Ball demo" is also on display, which predates the release of the computer. Visitors can enjoy popular titles like Desktop Publisher III, a bitmap graphics editor, and the action-packed Stunt Car Racer. Multiplayer options for games like Stunt Car Racer could be explored in future updates.
Special Considerations
Certain machines, such as the early 1000, are strictly look-and-don't-touch due to their rarity. The museum prefers a lighter restoration to restore the electronics, but lets the cases show their age, rather than using retrobrighting.
The Amiga 1000 running in the exhibition is yellowed with age due to passing time. The Amiga 600 and 1200, present at the exhibition, present more problems due to the use of surface-mount capacitors. Desoldering and a steady hand are necessary when dealing with corrosion on these capacitors.
Future Developments
While the AmigaOS was updated in 2025, the collection is not complete, as there is no Amiga CD32 console on display. If anyone has an Amiga CD32 console gathering dust, Vinall would be delighted to hear from them. The exhibition is due to run at least until the end of August, and there's a possibility it might be extended.
In a modern twist, a Fungus-inspired Linux hack gives Amiga a Doom-only brain, and AROS allows any PC to be turned into an Amiga with a USB-bootable distro. These innovations ensure that the legacy of the Commodore Amiga continues to live on.
[1] https://www.retrorgb.com/amiga-hardware-preservation/ [2] https://www.worldofspectrum.org/news/2022/07/18/national-museum-of-computing-amiga-exhibition/ [3] https://www.amiga.org/news/2022/07/18/amiga-exhibition-at-the-national-museum-of-computing/ [3] https://www.amibay.com/threads/amiga-exhibition-at-the-national-museum-of-computing.112083/ [5] https://www.amiga.org/news/2022/07/18/amiga-exhibition-at-the-national-museum-of-computing/
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