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Classic : Amiga A500

Introduction

The Amiga A500, also known as the Amiga 500, is a personal computer that was released by Commodore International in 1987. It was Commdore attempt to replace their popular C64 computer and target the home computermarket. Its based on the Motorola 68000 microprocessor and has 512 kilobytes of RAM, expandable to 1 megabyte. The A500 was the first low-cost Amiga model and it was aimed at the home and small business markets. It was popular for its advanced graphics and sound capabilities, as well as its multitasking operating system. It was also used in the gaming industry, video production and music composition.

The Amiga A500 featured an advanced graphics processor called the "Original Chip Set" (OCS), which was capable of displaying up to 4096 colors on screen at once. It also had a palette of 4,096 colors, which allowed for a wide range of color options in graphics and video. The OCS supported resolutions of up to 640x512 pixels in interlaced mode and 320x256 pixels in non-interlaced mode. The Amiga A500 also had support for hardware sprites, which allowed for fast and smooth movement of on-screen objects, and a blitter chip that helped to improve the performance of graphics operations. The combination of these advanced graphics capabilities made the Amiga A500 a powerful tool for video production and gaming.

The Amiga A500 had a wide variety of games that were released during its lifespan, but some of the most popular and critically acclaimed games for the system include:

  1. "Elite": A space trading and combat simulation game that was considered a classic of the genre.
  2. "Shadow of the Beast": A side-scrolling action-adventure game that was known for its impressive graphics and atmospheric soundtrack.
  3. "The Secret of Monkey Island": A point-and-click adventure game that was well-received for its witty writing and puzzle design.
  4. "Turrican": A side-scrolling shooter game that was known for its fast-paced action and impressive graphics.
  5. "Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe": A futuristic sports game that combined elements of soccer and hand-to-hand combat.
  6. "Another World": A cinematic platformer game that was known for its detailed graphics and immersive gameplay.

The A500 went on to become the best selling Amiga computer, with over 3 million sold world wide.

Specs

  • CPU 68000 - 7Mhz 16bit
  • OCS chipset (4,096 colours up to 640x512)
  • 512kb Chip Ram (Plus model 1mb)
  • 880Kb Floppy Disk Drive
  • 1.3 to 2.0 Kickstart Rom
  • 150Pin trapdoor / IDE / PCMCIA
  • £499.99 / $699.99 Release Price

In the Box

  • A500 Computer
  • PSU cable
  • TV Modulator
  • Workbench 1.3 (6 Disks)
  • Numer of Game and software packs got lauched
  • Release: October 1987

Batman Pack

  • A500 Computer
  • Workbench 1.3 (6 Disks)
  • Batman the Game
  • Newzealand Story
  • Interceptor
  • Deluxe Paint 3

Cartoon Classic

  • A500 Computer
  • Workbench 1.3 (6 Disks)
  • Lemmings
  • Simpsons Bart Vs the Space mutants
  • Captain Planet
  • Deluxe Paint 3

Screen Gems

  • A500 Computer
  • Workbench 1.3 (6 Disks)
  • Deluxe Paint 3
  • Days of Thunder
  • Back to the Future 2
  • Shadow of the Beast
  • Night Breed

Flight of Fantasy

  • A500 Computer
  • Workbench 1.3 (6 Disks)
  • F29 Retaliator
  • Escape from the planet of the Robot Monster
  • Rainbow Island
  • Deluxe Paint 2

The A500 Batman pack was most successful pack and there where many other available packs, but these where the most popular ones.

Media

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6BMwsNAdDs - Unboxing the Commodore Amiga 500 by Vintage Geek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ7ZmUnl-ls - Dan Wood A500 video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5g9APBysvc - Commodore UK - Class of the 90s VHS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-LN0Q0orUY - Original A500 unboxing

Further Reading

Wikipedia A500 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga_500

Big Book of hardware A500 - https://bigbookofamigahardware.com/bboah/product.aspx?id=8

A500 Manual -  https://www.manualslib.com/manual/932575/Commodore-Amiga-500.html