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The Future Was Here: The Commodore Amiga by Jimmy Maher (Hardcover, 2012)

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Exploring the often-overlooked history and technological innovations of the world's first true multimedia computer. Long ago, in 1985, personal computers came in two general categories: the friendly, childish game machine used for fun (exemplified by Atari and Commodore products); and the boring, beige adult box used for business (exemplified by products from IBM). The game machines became fascinating technical and artistic platforms that were of limited real-world utility. The IBM products were all utility, with little emphasis on aesthetics and no emphasis on fun. Into this bifurcated computing environment came the Commodore Amiga 1000. This personal computer featured a palette of 4,096 colors, unprecedented animation capabilities, four-channel stereo sound, the capacity to run multiple applications simultaneously, a graphical user interface, and powerful processing potential. It was, Jimmy Maher writes in The Future Was Here, the world's first true multimedia personal computer. Maher argues that the Amiga's capacity to store and display color photographs, manipulate video (giving amateurs access to professional tools), and use recordings of real-world sound were the seeds of the digital media future: digital cameras, Photoshop, MP3 players, and even YouTube, Flickr, and the blogosphere. He examines different facets of the platform-from Deluxe Paint to AmigaOS to Cinemaware-in each chapter, creating a portrait of the platform and the communities of practice that surrounded it. Of course, Maher acknowledges, the Amiga was not perfect: the DOS component of the operating systems was clunky and ill-matched, for example, and crashes often accompanied multitasking attempts. And Commodore went bankrupt in 1994. But for a few years, the Amiga's technical qualities were harnessed by engineers, programmers, artists, and others to push back boundaries and transform the culture of computing.

Product Identifiers

Publisher
MIT Press Ltd
ISBN-13
9780262017206
eBay Product ID (ePID)
178056880

Product Key Features

Author
Jimmy Maher
Publication Name
The Future Was Here: the Commodore Amiga
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Subject
Computer Science
Publication Year
2012
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
344 Pages

Dimensions

Item Height
229mm
Item Width
152mm
Item Weight
612g

Additional Product Features

Title_Author
Jimmy Maher
Series Title
Platform Studies
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States

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The Future Was Here: The Commodore Amiga by Jimmy Maher (Hardcover, 2012)

About this product

Product Information

Product Identifiers

Product Key Features

Dimensions

Additional Product Features

Best Selling in Adult Learning & University

Time Management by Peter Quarry (Paperback, 1986)

Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures by Dixon Dougal (Paperback, 2014)

Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client-Centered Practices by Deb Dana (Paperback, 2020)

Save on Adult Learning & University

Ford Falcon EF EL / Fairlane NF NL 1994 - 1998 Workshop Manual

Netter Atlas of Human Anatomy: Classic Regional Approach

Michael Price Nick Vandome Windows 11 for Seniors in easy steps (Paperback)

BORN IN 1971?... 1951?BIRTHDAY...Australian Social History....Chrisi, Birthdays

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