The Amiga community ain’t sleeping. From the neighbouring country, the Amiga 1200 is getting a rebirth. Its not just a concept of an empty word. Two Swedes shock the world with this announcement of their Alicia 1200 motherboard! The Alicia 1200 is a Mini-ITX recreation of the Amiga 1200 AGA mainboard, designed to offer full chipset compatibility in a compact format.
This Mini-ITX project breathes new life into the iconic Amiga 1200, transforming it into a modern, compact system while retaining its authenticity. Its more than Great! Just take a look at this video from shoe:
Mini-ITX Alicia 1200 Features
Here are some of the key reasons for bringing this ITX project… First! It’s made by the same people behind Denise, and then here are the highlights!
Video Slot: A slot which is similar to the Amiga 4000’s, carrying all digital signals and supporting an internal scan doubler for easy switching between 15 kHz and 31 kHz output via the VGA port.
Expansion Options: A Tornado slot providing a local bus interface, clock port, buffered IDE, and space for an RTC (Real-Time Clock).
Modular Design: The system uses three separate microcontrollers for keyboard, ROM, and power management, creating a more modular system.
Compact Format: The Alicia 1200 is designed to be compact and modern while maintaining the classic Amiga functionality.
Development: The board has been in development for over a decade, with strong feedback from the Denise project influencing its design. The Alicia 1200 is not just a concept, but a project that’s being made available to the Amiga community, with Stefan Nordlander and Mr. Anderson involved in its development through Enterlogic. They’re also associated with AmiWest, a premier Amiga-focused show in North America.
The design should be based on the Amiga 1200 design
The Alicia 1200’s design could incorporate various elements to pay homage to the original Amiga 1200 while embracing modern compactness. Here are some potential design ideas:
1. Retro-Futurism: Combine vintage Amiga aesthetics with sleek, modern lines and materials. Think brushed aluminum, clean typography, and subtle nods to the original Amiga design language.
2. Miniaturized Amiga 1200: Scale down the iconic Amiga 1200 design, retaining its distinctive shape and layout, but with a more compact footprint.
3. Industrial Chic: Incorporate industrial design elements, such as exposed circuitry, metal mesh, or perforated panels, to give the Alicia 1200 an edgy, modern look.
4. Compact Tower: Design the Alicia 1200 as a compact tower, with a vertical layout that showcases the board and components, while keeping the overall size small.
5. Nostalgic Color Scheme: Use a color palette inspired by the original Amiga 1200, such as earthy tones, pastels, or bold brights, to evoke a sense of nostalgia.
6. LED Lighting: Add subtle LED lighting effects to highlight specific components, such as the CPU or RAM, creating a visually appealing and modern touch.
7. Customizable Panels: Allow users to customize the Alicia 1200’s panels or bezels with their preferred designs, artwork, or themes, making each unit unique.
These ideas above would depend on the project’s goals, target audience, and technical requirements. What do you think? Would you like to see any specific design elements in the Alicia 1200?
The miniaturized Amiga 1200 approach would be great. Floppy drive replaced with a Compact Flash or SD card reader. PCMCIA port replaced with USB etc. From Sweden with Love, Alicia 1200 will be fully supported by Amitopia. Be aware of that!
What do you think of Alicia 1200?
