I’ve been immersed in this project that has been years in the making—a project I’m incredibly excited to share with you: a dedicated Software Archive for Amiga content. It launches today on Amigalove.com with over 200 disks imaged and over 300MB of total content so far.
This archive is a labor of love, aimed at preserving Amiga history from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Over time, I’ve collected and digitized hundreds of disks—pieces of digital history that are either unavailable online or nearly forgotten. Many of these artifacts hold cultural and technical significance, providing a unique glimpse into a bygone era of computing.
Why Disk Magazines Matter
One of the key collections in this archive is disk magazines. In North America, these were distributed on physical floppy disks and were sold either on store shelves or via monthly or bi-monthly subscriptions. A typical disk magazine would come in a plastic bag with one to three floppy disks and a simple paper card insert. They were carefully curated collections of public domain software, shareware, graphics, sound files, and more. Unlike the more generalized Fred Fish disks, disk magazines sometimes focused on specific themes, such as games, graphics, or music production.
While some may assume this content overlaps with other archives, I’ve found that a significant portion—at least half if not more—is either entirely unique or consists of later versions of software unavailable elsewhere. And for those wondering, no, this material isn’t fully represented on platforms like Aminet or Archive.org.
This brings us to an essential point: digital preservation shouldn’t rely on a single repository. A centralized archive is vulnerable to outages, attacks, or even obsolescence. By diversifying where and how this data is stored, we ensure its survival for future generations.
User Group Disks: Incredibly Rare yet Precious Artifacts
Another fascinating slice of the archive is the user group disks. Before the internet became ubiquitous, user groups were vital hubs for Amiga enthusiasts. These groups met in libraries, stores, or community centers to share tips, trade software, and foster friendships.
User group librarians often compiled monthly disks containing curated content like software demos, public domain programs, or even personal newsletters. These snapshots of local Amiga communities are rare today, as many were discarded, overwritten, or lost to time.
For example, I’ve acquired a stack of disks from the South Metro Amiga User Group, cleverly named SMAUG - like the dragon in The Hobbit! Another treasure trove comes from Tracy, California, donated to me recently by a member of the Seattle Commodore Computer Club (SEA-CCC). There are also user group disks from Daytona, Florida, Calgary, Washington D.C. and Phoenix, AZ and several other locations. These disks reveal fascinating glimpses into Amiga culture and personal stories, including localized hand-written newsletters, uniquely sourced images and novel software group librarians distributed to local members.
The Archive in Action
The Software Archive isn’t just a repository of disk images; it’s a fully indexed and searchable database. Visitors can explore content in their browser without downloading a single file thanks to tools that extract and display text and images directly from the disk files. This approach allows users to preview the content before diving deeper.
For instance, disk magazines like Amiga Animation are represented in the archive with detailed descriptions, scans, and searchable indexes. Whether you’re interested in retro gaming, music production, or graphics tools, you’ll find something to pique your curiosity.
User group disks, on the other hand, contain unique artifacts like hand-drawn Deluxe Paint artwork and early 3D renders. Some of these disks even include full software packages tailored to specific industries—such as a deli inventory and payroll system created by an enterprising small-business owner in Illinois.
OCR and the Role of AI
One major hurdle in creating this archive was transcribing text from physical media. Traditional OCR tools, like the type included with Adobe Acrobat Pro, often fell short (badly). Enter AI. Using ChatGPT (fondly named “Charlie” in my setup), I’ve been able to transcribe and format text with unparalleled accuracy. It's not even close! From README files to newsletter scans, Charlie has dramatically reduced the time and effort required to bring this content online. It's still a lot of work, but the accuracy makes it all worth it. It made it not feel like a daunting, impossible task anymore.
What’s Next?
The archive currently focuses on four main categories:
- Disk Magazines Including gems like Amiga Animation, Amiga World Tool Chest, and others that showcase the creativity of the era.
- User Group Disks A diverse collection that highlights the social and technical fabric of Amiga communities.
- Public Domain Collections of freely distributed software, artwork, or other digital content that creators released without copyright restrictions, allowing anyone to use, share, or modify them. Currently this is comprised of my massive archive of DevWare disks - over 80 in total.
- Shareware and Freeware Programs ranging from diagnostic tools to creative software, some of which are remarkably practical even today.
Explore the Archive
The Software Archive is live now at AmigaLove.com. You’ll find it alongside the existing Games Library and Forums. Whether you’re a longtime Amiga enthusiast or a newcomer curious about retro computing, I invite you to explore this growing collection.
Special Thanks
David Dunklee
This project would have never been possible (imo) without the brilliant hardware for the Amiga 1000 called the Parceiro, created by David Dunklee. This device provides easily removable and transferable SD Micro storage between the Amiga and modern PCs/Macs.
Dunklee also wrote the software I used to create ADF files from original floppy disks, called Disk2ADF. He also wrote ADF2Disk, so these files could be downloaded and written to physical floppy disks. Both programs will be available for downloading from the Amiga Software Archive later today.
Chris Brenner
Brenner's ingenious software "Disk Mimic" makes the loading of Amiga ADF files on the oldest of Amiga computers a total joy. This software will also be made available in the Archive. It can also be found on Aminet, and was added in 2021. RIP, Chris, I miss you.
Preserving history is a collaborative effort, and I welcome contributions from the community. If you have disks or documents you’d like to share, please reach out. Together, we can keep the spirit of the Amiga alive for generations to come.
Happy exploring,
AmigaLove
— AL —
Note: At this time I will allow all site visitors to view and download anything. If there is abuse (by visitors and/or bots) I can change this to registered users only in the future.
