Amiga 1000 Restoration Project

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Epictronics returns with a detailed and captivating Amiga 1000 restoration, bringing the first-ever Amiga computer back to life for its 40th anniversary. Released in June 1985, the Amiga 1000 marked a turning point for Commodore, featuring the famous “garage” keyboard storage and early checkmark logo. This restoration project explores its unique design, internal layout, and the challenges of reviving a machine nearly four decades old.

The video opens with a look at the Amiga 1000’s distinctive features—its expansion slot, audio outputs, and front-mounted disk drive. The case, once yellowed and grimy, begins its transformation through careful cleaning and retro-brighting. Inside, Epictronics uncovers a pristine motherboard marked “Rev A,” complete with 1985 date-coded chips and the signatures of the original Amiga development team, including the quirky “Joe Pillow” reference. These discoveries make this Amiga 1000 restoration as much a historical excavation as it is a repair.

Next, the video dives into the keyboard and mouse, revealing rare Mitsumi mechanical switches—some clicky, others scratchy—and a separate “tank” mouse that undergoes a full cleanup. Each step highlights the attention to detail required when handling fragile vintage plastics and original components.

After hours of cleaning, testing, and troubleshooting, the Amiga 1000 boots successfully from a Kickstart 1.2 disk. Seeing its familiar blue Workbench screen light up again is pure satisfaction. Epictronics concludes by hinting at future upgrades and experiments to take this Amiga 1000 restoration even further.

For anyone passionate about vintage computing, this video delivers both technical insight and nostalgic charm in equal measure.

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