PC users spend a lot of money on their machines. Firstly releasing an Amiga at a low price might make it appear as just another console type machine and not a serious contender for PC. I am a PC user. As well as an Amiga I have a Pentium II. The way to bring people to Amiga is not the price, it is the software. Whilst Amiga programmers keep leaving us and going to the PC and then just working for PC and not Amiga, the Amiga is dying. We need people to programme only for the Amiga.

As I said, I use a PC as well. My game has been viewed by many PC users who are desperate to have it but do not yet realise they cannot run it. A little wind up on my part. I didn't say it was for the PC, they just assumed. No they might not go out and buy Amigas just for one game they cannot play, but when there are three or four that are not available on the PC, which they want, then they will consider it. Which brings me to my next point.

As I said, the programmers will be the ones to save the Amiga. Even if we bring out a PC-beating Amiga are PC users going to want to buy it if it offers no new games (even if it is based on reverse-engineered alien technology! As was stated by an article that must have been taken from the Sunday Sport)?

So bearing this in mind, why do we give programmers such a hard time!? Since my game was reviewed I have had several people saying well if it doesn't use PPC or graphics cards or other things I am not interested in it. Fine don't buy it, but think, I am a new programmer. I have lots of ideas for other games that can support such things, but I do not own them. If a nice person out there wants to buy them for me great, I will use them. I understand if Amiga is to succeed it needs advanced games but there are very few Amiga programmers who can do these sorts of things. Personally, no matter what is said I am staying with Amiga. My games will be Amiga-only with no PC conversions. But keep kicking the new programmers and soon there won't be any left.

Amiga is a fantastic machine and a pleasure too work on but the market is small at the moment and there is next to no money to be made. We do this for the pleasure, not the money. So lets have a "Support your Amiga programmer week." Write to your shareware and PD programmers, tell them to keep up the great work. Contact software houses and give them your support. Whilst the big groups have been leaving, small ones have sprung up everywhere and these have kept the Amiga alive. So for God's sake support them.

If you want to write an article on your opinions of anything to do with Amigas please send it to amithyst_mag@yahoo.com. See the Submissions page for full instructions.