idallassleeping less and reading more

My first real computer was a Commodore Amiga 500 way back in 1988 or so. At that time I had no idea about the underlying technical awesomeness that was the Amiga, but I did know that all of my friends’ PCs and Macs looked pretty stupid compared to my Amiga. I remember wondering why anyone would buy anything but an Amiga. My family never bought another Amiga after that first one (though that one did last something like 7 years!) and pretty much no one else did either and the Amiga platform has been basically dead ever since. There have always been rumors that it might return one day and now it seems to have actually happened. The whole history of the platform is pretty amazing even if you don’t read through the whole article. I’m not quite ready to be an early adopter, but it sure is tempting. Anyway, read on.

The bankruptcy and closure of what may be the last pro-level manufacturer of analog audio tape in the world may be the beginning of the end for analog audio. The plant employed about 250 employees and in its heyday employed around 1,800 workers. Musicians and producers all over the world are scrambling to stockpile the last reels of unused analog tape available. I’ve never used analog tape much myself, but this may be the end of an era and that’s always accompanied by a bit of sadness. The ramifications of this go beyond music, too. Here’s more from NPR.