First maybe we should define the amiga community somehow. I would define it as a potential customers for a new amiga product + the classic amiga users (who will not buy a new amiga) + everybody who visits the forums, use emulators or other amiga like systems (like AROS and MorphOS), so interested in amiga (and maybe can become a potential customer one day).

So, my question is: what do you think, how many of us is out there? how big/small this market is?

@neongod

A few thousand, maybe? That's including classic users who only use their Amigas for retrogaming and aren't aware there was new hardware/software after Commodore.

Only counting people waiting for OS4, MOS, and AROS (and haven't given up)? Maybe a few hundred.

Last edited by Gleng on 05-Oct-2007 at 10:27 AM.

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@neongod

by your definition I would say at least 10k.

My geustimate is

3000 active/semi active
+
5000 potential users (users that would think about coming back)

total under 10 K users

(And I'm afraid that is too optimistic numbers)

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@neongod

100 tops !!



Sad aint it.

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@neongod

You could "sell" coupons or t-shirts to guage the size of the market. The sad reality (esp. for acube) is there are not many that would be willing to spend money on a new mb to run OS4 on. A few of us hobbiests are left but how much are we really willing to spend? Hats off to Jasc for his purchase.

@neongod

Quote:

So, my question is: what do you think, how many of us is out there? how big/small this market is?

Well there the six of us on this thread. Add the total number of new members that have joined in the last year and subtract the square root of pie and you have....

Six

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@Manu

I'm also afraid that your estimate is optimistic, but even if it is around 10.000 potential customers... in the world... That's sad. :(

For example in Hungary there are 100-200 users who visits the amiga websites occasionaly. Most of them are not active amiga users any more, or just use uae. They're visiting to see if something happened. I would guess that the active users (who use classic or nex-gen at least few times a week or month and active on forums) are around 20-25.

I almost can feel how the community is dwindling day by day.

Last edited by neongod on 05-Oct-2007 at 12:01 PM.

@neongod

There used to be a time when we could say "Blah number of people online and 10x the number of people offline that aren't here to add their numbers", but the net is pretty extensive these days. Anyone not being able to afford a net connection isn't going to be in the market for an expensive cult computer.

Having said that though, there are a large number of ex-Amigans that have no idea the platform still exists so are unlikely to come looking for it. We constantly get a stream of new memebers on this website of those who venture down memory lane in the way of an emulator or their old 500 brought down from the attic.

A decent marketing strategy (I know I'm dreaming here) would bring quite a lot I'd imagine. You'd be amazed at the power of retro and nostalgia.

Even so, the Amiga computer would never in itself attract enough users to be viable. That is why all those years ago, Amiga took a new direction and aimed at multimedia devices. Hate the idea or love the idea, thats the only way the Amiga has back to anything resembling a market. It needs desktops machines for developing purposes (The idea behind OS4 +5) so we'll still have "proper" Amigas but much like how PC games are now reliant on the console version in order to get the development funding, we are going to have to get used to the idea of mobile phones paying for our desktops.

Oh listen to me, I sound like Fleecy.

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@neongod
The best estimate we have is the number of active accounts on the Amiga sites: AW.net has 3200, while Amiga.org has 5600. So I'd say at least 5000, and maybe double that if you include ex-Amigans who could be tempted back again if OS4 ever took off.

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@neongod

10 million. 9990000 of them just don't know it yet.

Hans

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@neongod

I think that it's difficult to say how many would come back if a new system was launched. It depends on how it's launched... amiga inc (yeah, I know!) talked about a complete system ala apple... good idea I think. If (a huge if) it's released like that they would sell at least as many amigas as when the AmigaOne was available I think. If there are some killer apps it will offcourse help even more.

I believe that there are people willing to buy an Amiga again just because they used and love it as a kid (looots of people) and also new buyers who are curious. This is optimistic but not unlikely I think.

BUT... only a new motherboard could be a bit harder to sell.... it needs to be amiga-style (or apple-style)...

The amiga community is thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis big ;)

[----------amiga community--------------------------]

@neongod

How many amiga users? Probably around 500.. lol.. Sad to say, but probably true...

However... A new amiga could bring a lot more IF it was aimed at the right place... But we would need something SPECIAL.. and someone to throw alot of funds at it!

I'm talking something that could match the PS3 for graphics but cost half the price, with support for retro-functionality (Possibly through a free, provided, CD/DVD/BluRay with some form of UAE on it and a catweasel controller)
AmigaOS would come with it to run the front end for standard users or "advanced" users could boot into the full desktop OS...
It wouldn't be like most things, a console trying to be a PC.. It would BE a PC playing top of the range games with multimedia possibilities and massive home-brew possibilities....
Also a PDA version, phone version and possibly a hand-held gaming device (A cross between the DS and PSP) that could interface with the OS and also run real amiga OS apps/games (obviously lower res/poly version)

OK.. So there's a few flaws in that plan, but it has a clear goal that's not totally unreasonable... Start with gaming and work up.. The gaming industry is one of the biggest at the moment... (No I'm not forgetting the desktop owners/wanters... For them we have the big-box amigas back.. Playing all the same games but booting into a desktop OS and having the main interface as DVI) and yes.. it's a dream and we'd need some mega funding for it... An no.. I know it's not everyones dream.. but it's how I can see the amiga coming back as a big force!

End of jabber..

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@neongod
Quote:

So, my question is: what do you think, how many of us is out there?

A typical cruise ship holds more passengers.

Quote:

how big/small this market is?

Small enough that there is no means of profiting by supporting it.

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@BinoX

So if there are noones buying a new amiga (=hardware + AOS) except for some of the people here... time to dig the grave right? 500 poeple won't do it...

But offcourse there could be more buyers... but there are a few things needed to be taken care of first. PS3 isn't a computer to begin with and couldn't be used with windows xp or vista because they demand too much for no reason...

@jorkany

I'm not sure what Matthew Leaman beside selling Amiga hardware and software. The only story I heard was that he was still working at PC world when he started AmigaKit, apparently they told him there was a conflict of interests, so he left PC World in favour of his own company.

@Rob

An intelligent person worked at PC WORLD ?



Well BuggerMe sideways

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Quote:

hotrod wrote: I believe that there are people willing to buy an Amiga again just because they used and love it as a kid (looots of people) and also new buyers who are curious. This is optimistic but not unlikely I think. BUT... only a new motherboard could be a bit harder to sell.... it needs to be amiga-style (or apple-style)...

Hi there.

I'm a systems admin for a large University, and had an Amiga back in 1990 (I was an Atari ST user back then, but gave the Amiga a try for a period of time). I've been curious lately as to what's out there besides Windows/Mac/Linux...I sometimes get frustrated with things, and start thinking about how much fun computing USED to be. I remembered reading an article some time ago about Amiga OS 4, and was curious as to what was going on these days.

The current state of Amiga OS is really astonishing to me....the whole Amiga Inc/Hyperion battle just makes no sense. They're fighting over an operating system with an incredibly small installed userbase and for which no hardware can currently be purchased. You can only jerk your userbase around so much before they abandon you....as a former Atari ST owner, I sure know what THAT feels like.

It seems to me that Amiga Inc. could grow its userbase....they have what appears to be decent software from what little I've seen (since I can't BUY a computer with Amiga OS 4 on it to find out for myself), and if they offered up a complete system (hardware and software), they'd undoubtedly make some sales. Offer up a device that's not only a computer but also a PROPERLY INTEGRATED media center, market it right, and they could sell millions. I know I'd buy one.

So if the opinion of a non-Amigan means anything, I'd strongly suggest that Amiga Inc and Hyperion get their business straightened out ASAP and get SOMETHING on the market so potential customers like me can see what the hooplah is about. Otherwise, they might as well just buy the burial plot now...I hear there's one available right next to TOS and OS/2.

How big is the amiga community?

I thought for sure this was going to be a poll started by The_Editor...

Option 1: Caucasian

Option 2: Less than 5 Inches

Option 3: Between 5 inches and 6 inches

Option 4: Greater than 6" but smaller than 7 inches

Option 5: 7" to 8 Inches

Option 6: AmigaHeretic

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