So you ask, What has this to do with computers? Well, as a matter of fact, very little. But, since I've got your attention now and I'm on the subject anyway, lets see where we can go with this. It seems that lately I've had very little to write about when it comes to your friend and mine, Le Amiga. Not that things aren't moving and grooving in the Amiga world. I mean, with CD32 peeking its little nose around the corner and the new AGA machines taking Amiga graphics to new heights (not to mention new widths and depths), one might say that the Amiga universe is expanding and evolving faster than I can type run-on sentences. But maybe that's part of the problem.

When I bought my 500 about four years ago, I new that someday I would wake up only to find that my computer wasn't so "state of the art" any longer (although as old as my 500 is, it still holds up pretty good for making people "Ooh" and "Ahh" when they see it in action). But I guess I was excited with my new toy and didn't want to think about it. Now here we are, knee-deep in the muck and mire of the 90s, and I have to deal with it, whether I like it or not.

Looking back over my shoulder, back through the mist shrouded pages of time, I see myself; a bright eyed eager lad buying my first computer. Sadly, it was not an Amiga. It was a second hand Apple IIe with 128K and a cheesy monochrome monitor. Boy, I really thought it was "something other than else". Power!, nothing else comes close, man. Once in a while I think about those bright green on green on green graphics and when the retching and heaving finally subsides a bit, I shake my head and chuckle. But at least I can say it worked, which is more than the guy I purchased it from could say about his new "wonder machine", a Tandy something or other with clucks and squawks for sound and a wild 4 color palette.

As my old Apple chugged and klunked along I watched on as this friend of mine ripped his hair out, follicle by greying follicle, trying to get his new computer to work right. Eventually he returned it to the nether regions from which it came, and purchased...Yet Another Clone! It was a Vendex Turbo 888 Head Start System and while it looked alot like the Tandy system... it worked much worse. Still my old Apple plugged and sputtered along. Although it lacked the power and wondrousness that the Tandy/Vendex Turbo Magic Nifty-Wow Systems seemed to have, I had the privilege of saying that it worked! After a month or so of computer hell, he waved goodbye to this machine also. With no where else to turn, he tried Amiga.

Well, the rest happened very quickly. The phone rang. I answered it. I heard,"Come see my new computer,Dude!" I went over to see it without much excitement and enthusiasm. I looked at it. I read the letters AMIGA. I yawned. I watched it boot up a game called "Battle Chess". My jaw fell open. My eyes rolled back into my head. My throat made little mewing sounds.

I sold my Apple.

Well, I don't have to tell you what happened next. But, since I'm on such a roll, I will. Everything on my desk went crashing to the floor with one great sweep of the arm, and the first of three Amigas was proudly displayed for the world to behold. Yes, you read right, the first of three Amigas. As much as I love the Amiga,(oh yeah, it's love) I must point out that my first two machines were plagued with problems. Amiga #1 had some major chip problems and the good (borderline) people at "Electronics Boutique" decided to replace it rather than rebuild the blasted thing. Enter Amiga #2, same problems plus a couple of bonus problems at no extra cost. No, I can't tell you exactly what the problems were. You know the Amiga much better than I do anyway. Needless to say I began to wonder what I had done. Most saddened was I. My head throbbed.

Amiga #3, which I joyously sit behind this very moment typing my little heart out, began the "Golden Age of Computing", that was going to be today's subject several paragraphs ago. Ah, those were the days, weren't they? Stores like "Software etc" and "Electronics Boutique" sold so many Amiga programs that my wallet cringes just thinking about it. I have always been a video game junkie, and the Amiga and I soon became the best of pals (no pun intended). My friends and I (by now we were "3 Amigas strong" in the back hills of Chenango County), would race to the store to be the first to buy a new game. Hour upon hour we would guffaw and tee-hee as we battled dragons and trolls, augured hi-tech aircraft joyously into the ground, and met interesting and unusual alien races and subsequently killed them.

Ah yes, those were simpler times, and we were simpler people. In those days buying a new Amiga game was a cake walk and basically required no thought. If you had 512k you could run almost any game and if you had 1 meg (eventually I did), you could run every game that they threw at you. Then came a day I'll never forget. I found me a copy of "RED BARON" (I had waited sooooooooooo long for it) and as I skipped to the counter to plunk down my hard earned drachmas, I noticed the words "Recommended for FASTER Amigas". I knew that the newer Amigas were faster than my 500 and when the tears finally stopped flowing, I put the game back. Now buying a new game is even harder yet. Many factors must be considered. Does it run on 1.3? Does it require 2.0? Do I have enough chip ram? Is it for AGA machines only? Is it NTSC or PAL? Why won't Fred let Barney have some Fruity Pebbles? Is anyone still reading this article?

Well, games came and games went and to this day I enjoy nothing more than booting up a new game. I don't try to hide the fact that I bought the Amiga for a game machine. Lets face it, it's a heap good one! But the Amiga, being made from the stuff of dreams, has opened me up to so much more. Aside from an impressive games collection I am now into writing, computer painting and animation, music (sort of) creating and other nifty things. I even wrote a basic game once (basic being an understatement, game stretching the point). Joining the users group soon followed and I still look forward to "BAUG Day Afternoon" every month.

Which brings us to the present. Believe it or not, there was supposed to be a point to all this rubbish when I plopped my carcass behind the ol' keyboard tonight. I guess my point is, (after a drawn out trip through my dark computer past) is that the golden age of computing is NOW, simply because the Amiga exists. My Amiga and I have had a good run so far and no one knows what the future holds for us. If Amiga users stick together we can keep the Amiga alive for years to come. Thanks for listening to me babble, now run along and play.

Dr. Torgo