grimm
Experienced Member
For sure, I have only been keeping an eye on the prices for about a year, and in that time Amigas have kept their value pretty steady. I wish prices would go back down to that, but I have a feeling that it will not happen.
- VCF South West - June 14 - 16, Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at University of Texas at Dallas
- VCF West - Aug 2 - 3, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
- VCF Midwest - Sept 7 - 8 2024, Schaumburg, IL
- VCF SoCal - Mid February 2025, Location TBD, Southern CA
- VCF East - April 2025, Infoage Museum, Wall NJ
-
Please review our updated Terms and Rules here
Across the board is the vintage computer enthusiasm and Forum interest waning?
- Thread starter VERAULT
- Start date
For sure, I have only been keeping an eye on the prices for about a year, and in that time Amigas have kept their value pretty steady. I wish prices would go back down to that, but I have a feeling that it will not happen.
tezza
Veteran Member
Interesting thread with some good observations. I don’t get on these forums much these days, but I used to practically live here when I was actively collecting a few years ago, and I recognize a few names. Hope all you guys are well!
I’m not sure the scene is declining. It’s just changing and we are getting older. As people have said, new platforms have come along (Facebook, Youtube) and lots of the activity is happening there. Newer generations are coming through and to them a vintage computer (with the associated nostalgia element) is something running Windows XP. Retro gaming is also huge, and the interest can be as much in the software as hardware.
I administer a Facebook group in NZ (New Zealand Vintage Computing). If anything it’s activity is increasing and we’ve spawned meetings off it (See https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2021-10-24-2nd-southern-NI-computer-meet.htm) . I used to run phpBB forums for the community here in NZ, but the admin just got too time consuming and hard, with SPAM, bots and security constant issues. In the end I stopped new membership and encouraged people to move to the Facebook group. This was controversial within the users. Some were very Pro- and some very Anti-. Facebook is not ideal. At the user end, engagement is quick and easy but it is not good for considered, thoughtful and easily retrieved detailed discussion. From the administration side though, it’s much less work for me.
For myself, my interest in the hobby is still there but it’s not what it once was. My main interest was microcomputer history, but after learning about classic (and not so classic) models, writing about them and getting hands-one experience through collecting and repairing, eventually you come to a point. A point where you are happy with the knowledge and insights you’ve gained as to this period of tech history that so impacted your life…and you move on to other hobbies and experiences. Also, having 60 odd working machines starts to become a burden when you are pushed for space, you are getting older and it’s harder to lug them about and work on them. I’ve sold about ½ my collection and intend to further prune it down further to a core nucleus of about 8-10 favourites. I’ve no regrets. There are still emulators to play with and I’ve got other hobbies and activities (singing, hiking) to keep me busy. For example one tech-related interest on the go at the moment for rainy days is learning more about Linux.
Anyway, I think the new layout is just fine and will still be dropping in occasionally.
Best wishes to all.
Tezza (Terry Stewart)
I’m not sure the scene is declining. It’s just changing and we are getting older. As people have said, new platforms have come along (Facebook, Youtube) and lots of the activity is happening there. Newer generations are coming through and to them a vintage computer (with the associated nostalgia element) is something running Windows XP. Retro gaming is also huge, and the interest can be as much in the software as hardware.
I administer a Facebook group in NZ (New Zealand Vintage Computing). If anything it’s activity is increasing and we’ve spawned meetings off it (See https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2021-10-24-2nd-southern-NI-computer-meet.htm) . I used to run phpBB forums for the community here in NZ, but the admin just got too time consuming and hard, with SPAM, bots and security constant issues. In the end I stopped new membership and encouraged people to move to the Facebook group. This was controversial within the users. Some were very Pro- and some very Anti-. Facebook is not ideal. At the user end, engagement is quick and easy but it is not good for considered, thoughtful and easily retrieved detailed discussion. From the administration side though, it’s much less work for me.
For myself, my interest in the hobby is still there but it’s not what it once was. My main interest was microcomputer history, but after learning about classic (and not so classic) models, writing about them and getting hands-one experience through collecting and repairing, eventually you come to a point. A point where you are happy with the knowledge and insights you’ve gained as to this period of tech history that so impacted your life…and you move on to other hobbies and experiences. Also, having 60 odd working machines starts to become a burden when you are pushed for space, you are getting older and it’s harder to lug them about and work on them. I’ve sold about ½ my collection and intend to further prune it down further to a core nucleus of about 8-10 favourites. I’ve no regrets. There are still emulators to play with and I’ve got other hobbies and activities (singing, hiking) to keep me busy. For example one tech-related interest on the go at the moment for rainy days is learning more about Linux.
Anyway, I think the new layout is just fine and will still be dropping in occasionally.
Best wishes to all.
Tezza (Terry Stewart)
VERAULT
Veteran Member
Good to see you back Terry.
T4600C
Experienced Member
I think for sure more people are interested in running Windows 98/XP-era machines. I am 25 years old now and grew up with the OS, the games, the hardware. A big part of my youth.
I assume this is the same way older folk look at big iron, mini computers, MS-DOS. As new generations start feeling nostalgic the interest simply shifts further into the "future"
But I am interested in all era's. I think for sure getting an "Old" windows XP machine running can be a stepping stone to a 98 machine... a 95 machine with a 3Dfx card... an MS-DOS machine... on and on.
Big iron/mini PCs are obviously a much harder, expensive, tech-savvy genre to get into. There are less and less people who grew up with them, so there is more to learn... and lessening amount of people to ask for help. I do fear eventually we will start seeing invaluable information about big iron being lost.
And with a newer generation getting interested in rebuilding games from their youth, much newer platforms are used too, like Discord.
I assume this is the same way older folk look at big iron, mini computers, MS-DOS. As new generations start feeling nostalgic the interest simply shifts further into the "future"
But I am interested in all era's. I think for sure getting an "Old" windows XP machine running can be a stepping stone to a 98 machine... a 95 machine with a 3Dfx card... an MS-DOS machine... on and on.
Big iron/mini PCs are obviously a much harder, expensive, tech-savvy genre to get into. There are less and less people who grew up with them, so there is more to learn... and lessening amount of people to ask for help. I do fear eventually we will start seeing invaluable information about big iron being lost.
And with a newer generation getting interested in rebuilding games from their youth, much newer platforms are used too, like Discord.
VERAULT
Veteran Member
Well Windows 95 or 9X rather (95, 98, and Me) is a funny thing. I remember when it was new.. People were installing it on 386's! I remember a parody song about windows 95 set to the melody of the rolling stones song "start me up"
If you are installing 95 on a pentium 3 like some people are its just weird to me. but a fast 486 (DX4 series) makes sense. that was my first computer with windows 95. Out of the 3 windows 9X releases Windows 98B was the most stable.. When windows 2000 came out (Windows NT 5 when it was still on MSDN CD's) it was a no brainer.. 2000 was better than XP in many ways...
If you are installing 95 on a pentium 3 like some people are its just weird to me. but a fast 486 (DX4 series) makes sense. that was my first computer with windows 95. Out of the 3 windows 9X releases Windows 98B was the most stable.. When windows 2000 came out (Windows NT 5 when it was still on MSDN CD's) it was a no brainer.. 2000 was better than XP in many ways...
rmay635703
Veteran Member
This reminds me of 2 40 year aerodynamic experts with long standing respect in academics who if it weren’t for distance we’re just short of a death match all because they disagreed on optimal methods of calculating aerodynamics and one would go into a rage any time historical studies were used for comparison
They spent months of being extremely toxic on every review as us laypeople watched.
One has to wonder how people get so worked up over things that at the end of the day aren’t important, aren’t paid and should just be for fun
VERAULT
Veteran Member
Talk about out of context!!!!!
daver2
10k Member
Getting back to the topic of the thread...
I have noted an upturn in posts and new members since we moved over to the new forum. Are the two events linked I wonder?!
Dave
I have noted an upturn in posts and new members since we moved over to the new forum. Are the two events linked I wonder?!
Dave
I found the original W95 without IE built in was great for early games and didn't need much in resources. 98 sucked on 486 systems.
VERAULT
Veteran Member
98 Ran perfectly fine on a 486 DX 4 120... I know because I ran it. Which would be equivalent to a pentium 75-90mhz system.
And you are right daver2. lots of new names and posts.. Its a good thing.
And you are right daver2. lots of new names and posts.. Its a good thing.
An overclocked 486-160 ran close to a P90 if you don't include FPU performance. Anyway 98 ran better on later PCI 486 motherboards then it did with VLB or ISA only ones.
VERAULT
Veteran Member
I agree about the PCI but systems.. Mine was. I think it may have had one vesa slot but it was a PCI system.
I hope so.
creepingnet
Veteran Member
I had an IBM PC-330 100DX4 with 64MB of EDO ECC RAM and 128K L2 Cache that ran 98 SE like a beast. There was nothing that little 486 pizza box could not run. I even ran Diablo on it - on battle.net, without lag. Also got Ultima VI Online going (remember that?) on it too. That was the 3rd PC I ever owned, wish I still had it. One of the best 486 systems IBM ever made IMHO. It ran Windows 2000 circa 2005 for awhile too and was no slouch there either.
Back on topic....
The upturn could be linked. The forum - up until now - has looked much the same since the late 2000's when I was here more often (and had more time to be here) and some techie types have some odd issue with going to a forum design that's older. So now they might be coming here. I'll say this, I like that we have a dark theme now (and the green screen theme if I choose).