At the Amiga 40th Reflections panel during the Vintage Computer Festival West 2025, a group of pioneering third-party developers gathered to share their stories of creating and marketing software and hardware during the golden years of the Amiga. Moderated by Perry Kivolowitz, the conversation celebrated the passion, ingenuity, and community spirit that made the platform thrive. The discussion also featured surprise appearances by Amiga engineers Dale Luck and Carl Sassenrath, whose technical innovations helped define the computer’s legacy.
The developers recalled how the Amiga’s capabilities—multitasking, vibrant color graphics, and sound—instantly captured their imagination. For some, it was love at first sight during those early unboxing moments, when even simple demos like moving clocks and bouncing lines felt revolutionary. Others reminisced about sleepless nights spent writing code, debugging on floppy-based systems, and learning to make the machine do things no one thought possible.
As the panel explored the Amiga 40th Reflections, discussion turned to the grassroots community that helped the platform succeed. Developers shared memories of the BIX forums, Fish Disks, and local user groups that served as lifelines for software sharing and technical advice long before the modern internet. These channels didn’t just spread knowledge—they built friendships and fostered collaboration across continents.
Even amid fierce market competition, camaraderie flourished. Developers swapped advice, lent code, and worked side by side—even when they were technically rivals. They remembered the tireless efforts of Commodore’s support staff, especially Carolyn Scheppner and Gail Wellington, who provided direct guidance to the developer community.
When Commodore collapsed, many described it as losing both a business partner and a creative home. Yet, their reflections at the festival revealed how the Amiga spirit—bold, collaborative, and inventive—continues to shape their work and inspire new generations of creators.
Filmed by Robert Bernardo at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, the video captures a rare and heartfelt reunion that celebrates the shared legacy of Amiga innovation.
