New Amiga 500 Replacement Case

[@ltheden]

nice review. no need to apologise for having a holiday to recharge your batteries, we all need that from time to time :)

[@doctorsocrates4413]

I am old fashioned and prefer to keep my amigas in stock original condition..i'm weird like that lol...thank you so much jan.

[@josedias5514]

Welcome back. I'm glad you recharged your battery

[@karolmarkiewicz5049]

wow! I didn't know I can replace old case in my Amiga. I'm happy I've seen this video, thanks ❤

[@giuseppelavecchia775]

Un case fantastico,dotato anche di tutte le predisposizioni per gli aggiornamenti hardware. video eccellente!

[@PureAudioTones]

Thanks for the excellent review Jan. I didn't know they existed. And it is good to know there is a mouse case, I might have some plans for that.

[@yourhalf01]

Welcome back. No worries about a break. Self care is important.

[@gertsy2000]

Nice case Jan. Well done getting it together. Hope you enjoyed your break!

[@ridiculous_gaming]

I have ordered two of these back in 2017? I can't wait to finally receive it.

[@warpedmetalhead]

Me two. Figured I just got ripped off and gave up hope. Sure could use the cash now what a mistake that was.

[@psteier]

@@warpedmetalhead commented on this here, and the comment was deleted... So negative opinions are not allowed?

[@root42]

Hm, I ordered one last year and it quickly arrived. I bought the black one, including the keycaps.

[@ridiculous_gaming]

@@root42 I was told that my color has not printed yet.

[@emuboy85]

lol it's been 5 years for the keycaps.

[@Wikcentral]

Looks like they did a fantastic job. I love the fact this is completely remodeled and new molds

[@Starchface]

The case looks magnificent. I would definitely get the white case myself. 89 euros seems like a great price for such a nice reproduction case.

[@guyh3403]

This is soooo worth the money! They really did a stellar job.

[@MarcovandenHout]

Good to see the original colour cases are making their way to 'customers'. I'm still waiting for my Indiegogo (estimated to be completed in 2019) to be completed although I did buy the Crystal Clear one separately and indeed the quality is great. Thanks for the review!

[@greenfoam]

Although it's a moral disgrace, there's a positive side to the video. This might raise enough funds for the backers to get their cases more quickly.

[@gunnerhoward3134]

I got one from ebay a few weeks ago. Kickstarters are still waiting. Not very good.

[@kattan2006]

The extra mounting screws in the middle of lower part of the case will not allow the base metal shield to sit and fit correctly as it’s elevated a bit. You either remove the lower metal shield entirely or, as I did, make cuts in it to allow space for the mountings. Alternatively, you can get the back metal plate from centuriontech and just install the motherboard directly on the case base without the lower metal shield.

[@JanBeta]

Oh, thanks for pointing that out! I'm going to have a closer look at that. Felt like the shielding just fit in mine but as I pointed out it was pretty warped so maybe that helped in this case (pun intended).

[@granitepenguin]

It's easy to forget how important time off is to your health. Don't feel bad about the break and take care. :-)

[@danielktdoranie]

I got the Crystal one from them. Very nice, high quality.

[@darkstatehk]

I would like to say that the cost to produce such injection moulds that deliver these types of impressions, cost tens of thousands of dollars. I know, because I buy moulds for my 400 tonne injection moulding machines that produce hundreds of thousands of similar size items. The people making and selling these cases are very well connected in the industry, in order to delivery you, the retro enthusiast, a nostalgic experience. I love it!

[@RetroTinkerer]

Isn't these kind of projects community funded because of this, they seem like a perfect candidate as only if enough people back up the project that initial investment could make sense right?

[@rHinosYth]

YAY Amiga content!!!

[@DavoidJohnson]

Agree with you Jan. It's a fine piece of kit.

[@drphilxr]

Bought a black case last year, and a firebird 080 board, red interior LEDs, and a custom white/red keycaps KB- the "Darth Vader" A500 ... Even though the case extras were very hard to fit for the firebird (USB, HDMI, ethernet), its the only case that makes a Vampire really shine.👾😁

[@oliverw.douglas285]

That is definitely a respectable replacement case, for the Amiga 500. I look forward to see what Amiga gear is present at VCFMW this year. Maybe a needed hard drive will be found? Time will tell....

[@davie732]

That is a thing of beauty

[@MBDB666]

Love the case Jan! I think the tank mouse colors, look just like the keyboard keys, I like that better than the case color. Overall, very nice setup! 😃

[@JanBeta]

Thanks! As I said in the video, I really like the case, too. Kind of funny that the mouse is a slightly different shade. Doesn't look out of place next to the Amiga though. :D

[@A1200NET]

@MBDB666 @JanBeta This very normal. The Tank mouse shell Jan got is a *SAND* version. It isn't meant to match the Original A500 theme case. The SAND version color was worked out as to match the darker A500 cases. Tank mouse shells delivered to contributors with the A500 Original Theme case do color match :) The original A500 theme colored matching tank mouse shells aren't available to non-contributors just yet.

[@darren6202]

For those of you looking to buy, here are my thoughts after buying this case a few months ago. As per the review here, the colour is very accurate and its well made and the new style badge sets it off nicely - In terms of that, its perfect as a replacement case for your 500(+) or Raspberry Pi project. The inclusion of a new mouse shell and additional removable case panels for things like HDMI is also great. I guess the only negative, is that my case came slightly 'bent' in the middle as though it has warped. Not a big issue if you can weight it down for a bit to iron it out, but thought i'd mention it but it might not be the (ahem) case for all of them! Overall, i'd recommend. Its a great case.

[@JanBeta]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the case! Warping probably happens really easily during manufacturing given the size of the plastic parts. Good to hear it was a relatively easy fix.

[@michaelblair5566]

I never had an Amiga. Couldn't afford it back then (I was a child). I had a Commodore VIC 20 then a 128 later on though.

[@VincentGroenewold]

I replaced my A1200 case with their new white one. I figured... that's how I remember my Amiga, that's what was jaw dropping when I first saw it (together with the design). So if it's about nostalgia, I need it to be white. And rather a new one and not an old brittle one. My younger self would've agreed. :)

[@Renk1]

I would’ve ordered A1200 white case as well, but I just got my first A1200 a few months ago and the cases are all sold out. My A1200 case is a bit beat up by the previous owner. And it has the German keyboard layout, so new keycaps would be fun to have too. Let’s hope they make another batch of the cases some day.

[@VincentGroenewold]

@@Renk1 Yep, I have the british keyboard for some reason. :) I might have ordered that due to the US ones being sold out or I just didn't notice at first. So I have the mail notification on.

[@larsgottlieb]

'Ze German one' had me laughing out loud. Well played Jan, well played.

[@wimwiddershins]

Thats a pretty slick re-design. Not as creaky as C= original. 😜

[@JanBeta]

It feels much more solid indeed. Not sure if it's better plastic or if the original cases are all degraded at this point. :D

[@Rick_Todd]

Looks perfect. Thank you.

[@gaeljehnno]

Just got the 1200 case from a1200net, realy nice.

[@JanBeta]

Yup, the A1200 ones are great, too. My beat up original A1200 has been living in a transparent one for the past couple of years and feels great. ;)

[@tommyovesen]

Nice case. I need one since I dropped one of my A500's down from a shelf and to the floor. Shattered the case 😂

[@BerndFelsche]

Came back from summer holiday without a tan?👒Did you go spelunking? Good to see you back, refreshed. Alternative to metal shields may be EMC/EMI (conductive) paint. Silver seems to be best but also correspondingly expensiv€. Silver-coated copper a bit of a compromise. Nickel is lower cost. In all cases, you will need a non-conductive sheet between PCB and housing. I don't have a test lab' so I can't give recommendation based on performance; only their relative spec's and pricing.

[@horusfalcon]

The Amiga community was always a bit crazy for their machines, so seeing this new case available is a good thing. It appears quite well made, and should do the job easily. I guess the RPi compatibility is for those using an emulator? (I recently picked up a used Kano kit that has a Raspberry Pi 3 in it. May have to look into emulators available for it.)

[@JanBeta]

Yup, there are some excellent Amiga emulators for the RPi these days. Definitely worth checking out. Amiberry is a good one I tried myself and liked but there's quite a few other options, too.

[@horusfalcon]

@@JanBeta Thanks, man. I'll give Amiberry a look.

[@duanerobinson935]

Welcome back!!

[@ingmarsretro]

das Gehäuse sieht wirklich TOP aus ... so langsam wird man sich das Bleichen der alten Gehäuse sparen können um die alte Hardware wieder in neuen Licht glänzen zu lassen...

[@julianbrown1331]

From memory there are three different beige colours used for the Amiga cases, the very early cases were definitely a more yellow colour than the later ones

[@JanBeta]

I think so, too. The original A500s most definitely had a more beige tint to them with a slightly more white keyboard.

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

Now that is awesome.

[@Amiga1200Mark]

Love this. I want that classic edition badge but the one ive ordered from retro passion has the crystal badge. Are they available seperately anywhere?

[@JanBeta]

I don't know. Maybe you should contact A1200net directly.

[@gentlebear76]

Very interesting. Super nice case 😁

[@mr.sardine]

I want one for the Atari 520ST!!

[@JanBeta]

That would be cool!

[@fliplefrog8843]

Dunno if it is about the vid, but the Keyboard seems to be a bit more to left, not 100% centered? Is it me? But LOVELY!

[@JanBeta]

I think the keyboard doesn’t sit quite right because on this particular one, the metal frame is quite badly warped. I’m going to have to do some fine tuning on that. The measurements are exactly the same as on the original cases as far as I can tell. 😅

[@oldskoolpaul77]

Awesome!

[@LanceHall]

Nice.

[@anakondase]

May just get this one. Bought a "new" A500 recently to use as a spare and the case on that was in a very bad shape.

[@josephphillips9243]

Does the metal backing on an Amiga keyboard REALLY warp with age?

[@JanBeta]

Not with age, but by storing it badly. (I think that's what happened to my keyboard. It's definitely bend quite a bit.)

[@thomas-i5o7h]

I always enjoy your videos.

[@JanBeta]

Thank you!

[@jenzGuitarist]

Do i see a MSSIAH Cartridge in the back there (6:52)? Nice!

[@JanBeta]

Yup, I bought a MSSIAH when I made the "C64 synthesizer". I've yet to fully come to grips with it though. :D

[@jenzGuitarist]

​@@JanBeta As i was about to suggest making a video about it and now as you mention it, yeah i remember that video. ;-) I have one too (with an external MIDI-Keyboard), and wanted to incorporate it in our "Bands" stuff, but never came around to do it, sadly. (But i have printed out the full manual and put it in a nice binder ;))

[@toronado455]

Cool! 🏆

[@twocvbloke]

I feel that the vent slots in the trapdoor are much too big, it'd look so much better (and be less receptive to "stray workbench detritus"!) if they made them more like the slots on the main case, perhaps a double-row of say 2.5 to 3cm-wide slots, it'd look so much nicer that way, I know it's trivial, but, aesthetics are king... :)

[@protox07]

Awesome

[@BilisNegra]

It's funny to think that if the error with that keycap had taken place with some batches of original Amiga keyboards back in the day, the wrong keycap would be the valuable one today (sought after as some sort of collector's item).

[@JanBeta]

Haha, true! :D

[@RetroGralnia]

Very nice case :)

[@JanBeta]

I think so, too! Great option if you can afford it. :)

[@Cyklonus]

👍👍

[@Rosa_Canina]

Man, I want to get an Amiga, even got a few games for it (Road Rash, Wing Commander, Lure of the Temptress) but I never had one and have NO idea about what I am getting myself into, even after watching a few videos on Amiga stuff. There is so much addons, mods and whatnot... Do you recommend any specific video for someone just getting an Amiga to watch? Or something I should really look into?

[@JanBeta]

There's so many options that I don't even know where to start. Also depends a lot on which Amiga model you want to get.

[@danielktdoranie]

Now all you need for that A500 is 1.) 2MB RAM in the trapdoor slot 2.) a PiStorm 3.) Caffeine OS 😂

[@serpentza]

a600 case when?

[@gklinger]

You're an Amiga user?

[@JanBeta]

Would be great to have A600 cases indeed! Probably not easy to cover the cost for making the molds etc with a lower volume product like that though. :/

[@gothesouthway]

I had always hoped Amiga would be my friend, but using a Texas Instrument 99/4a weapon my new companion was to be no more.

[@radicalbyte]

I want a proper mechanical keyboard for the Amiga more than I want a new case 🙂

[@robertgijsen]

Then find yourself a chickenlips one? They're rate, but they do exist in the wild. I've got an early A500 with a chicken lips / space invaders keyboard and it's awesome to type on.

[@cbfrider]

Just for info, buying from Germany it comes to 126,11 €, not 89 €

[@JanBeta]

Whoops. I had no idea shipping would be that steep. :/

[@freddaniali]

Jan, that is one big mouse pad! What is the dpi of the mouse? I am guessing 150!!!

[@JanBeta]

I'm not sure but it's definitely very low dpi compared to modern mice. :D

[@angrydove4067]

Make Amiga Great Again!!!!

[@wizzel22]

Vieleicht kannst du mal was zum Thema Amiga Emulation in 2024 machen. Es gibt mittlerweile ja viele Optionen (AmiKit 12, PiMIGA 4.0, PC, Raspi 5 sowie den A600GS und den A500 Mini. Es gibt zwar ein paar Videos hier und da, aber die sind sehr oberflächlich gehalten.

[@JanBeta]

Vielleicht mache ich das beizeiten mal. Allerdings ist Emulation nicht so wirklich mein Ding. Ich mag lieber an der echten alten Hardware herumbasteln. :)

[@jvidia]

Will it become yellow too?

[@JanBeta]

I think it should last a long time before it starts yellowing. The modern plastic mix is supposedly UV resistant. Only time will tell though, of course.

[@dancaini]

Hi, shipping from EU?

[@JanBeta]

Mine came directly from the plastic manufacturer's warehouse in China as far as I can tell, not sure if they ship from Europe for regular orders.

[@Alphadec]

wounder why backers dont get the "mousepad" but needs to pay extra for it. ?

[@A1200NET]

Backers are getting a matching Tank Mouse shell 👍 Also, those mouse pads aren't available yet. Hence no one can order them just now.

[@Trevorodunne]

PLEASE PLEASE get them do A600 CASE

[@JanBeta]

There's no plans for that (yet), as far as I know. Probably because it would not be possible to make it cover the costs for making molds etc. :/

[@greenfoam]

Oh boy, this is going to get wild

[@jgeorkas]

O.K. if you buy the case, you buy the raspbery what about the keyboard??? Where can you get a keyboard for the case???

[@JanBeta]

Unfortunately you have to source an original keyboard and use an adapter. There are several replacement keyboards in the works though so I guess you are going to be able to get a new Amiga keyboard soon(ish).

[@jgeorkas]

@@JanBeta Thank you! It's really a good idea not to dismantle an amiga just for a case an a keyboard

[@stryxwoman]

its lovely but don't most people use gotek drives.

[@JanBeta]

I am a floppy disk fanboy personally but I guess many people use Goteks these days. You can easily mount them (just like in the original case) or modify the Amiga slightly to be able to boot from an external one.

[@the_holy_forestfairy]

Ich habe einen original A600 der nicht vergilbt ist! Und da, farbmäßig, der A600 gleich A500 ist, kann ich sagen, dass die Farbe der Reproduktion zu 99% richtig ist. Ein Amiga war schon immer nicht richtig Beige, er war immer so ein "Beige-Grau" ? Habe auch schon Amigas gesehen, die eher "Beige-Weiß" waren. Commodore hatte es anscheinend nicht so mit Farben, denn alle waren zwar irgendwie "Beige" ja, aber nie so richtig - entweder mit zu viel bzw. zu wenig Grau-, Weiß- oder Gelb - Anteil.

[@WszelkieBro]

Im searching for black case to 1200

[@JanBeta]

Some sellers still have stock (although you seem to have to search for a while): www.retropassion.co.uk/product/amiga-1200-case-brand-new-black/

[@watchmakerful]

What language version is this? I see Ä, Ö, Ü, like in German, but where is ß?

[@JanBeta]

It's the standard German Amiga layout. ß is hiding in the top row, next to the numbers. ;)

[@RainerK.]

And still no solution for the floppy drive hole. Sad. Still waiting for something nice that lets me put a Gotek in there and doesn't look weird.

[@JanBeta]

There's a couple of 3d printed solutions for that afaik, Gotek mounts that fit the original drive cutout and covers that replicate the eject button and such.

[@chloedevereaux1801]

the keyboard doesn't fit properly. theres a massive gap on the right and no gap on the left........

[@JanBeta]

That's because my keyboard is warped quite a bit I think. The measurements of the case are exactly like the original, as far as I can see.

[@robmoye7373]

Was thinking about getting one of these but shipping is over 50 euros to the us. No thx.

[@JanBeta]

Whoops. I had no idea. That sucks. :/

[@velutumbra]

The purist: "Nooo, it is not original! I rather have my original board rotting in the original case than preserve it in a very good replica!"

[@EmperorKonstantine01]

The A500 is a pretty Bulky Case considering the power supply is outside of the unit. Commodores Rush on CR design flaws made this thing look too bulky on the desk, back then when we used the TV modulato and cabler it would crowed up the entire surface of the desk.. These cases would be appealing if you have a ceracked or unepairable cosmetically unhealthy A500 otherwise no need to waste your money.

[@JanBeta]

The PCBs are quite huge, because they used mostly large DIP packages for the chips. It probably would not have been possible to make it much smaller in those days. But hey, there's always the A1200 and A600 if you can find one. Much more convenient to use these days. ;)

[@EmperorKonstantine01]

@@JanBeta Thankyou for your response,Your videos are very worthwhile to watch, truly humbling and straight to the point!

[@hellcoreproductions]

That transparent version is already milky looking, a shame really.

[@JanBeta]

Probably because it is a bit dusty (I basically had it hanging on the wall for a long time now and didn't dust it off).

[@marcel9568]

Hi, nice video, but can you stop skipping frames? I had a hard time even watching the first minute.

[@JanBeta]

If you prefer hearing me umming and erming, I could stop skipping frames. I'm sorry but there's no way around that given my inability to speak coherently. :D

[@bliz60]

Why are you advertising thief housings?

[@JanBeta]

I assume you backed the crowd funding campaign and didn’t get your case yet? If it’s a original or black color, you should get it soon. If it’s a more exotic color, you are going to get it as soon as it’s finished. I am sure that A1200net are doing everything they can to fulfill every order as soon as possible after chatting with them for a bit. They are certainly no thieves.

[@domenico_giovannini_65]

So 89€ for the case + 25€ (!) for the tank enclosure + 79€ for the keycaps set (because with a new case, the yellowing of the caps is evident). For "only" 193€ + shipping, you made a new dress to your Amiga 500. I'm not that rich...

[@JanBeta]

I don't think it's overpriced considering it's a relatively low volume product. Probably not easy to bring the price down much lower and still have a margin. :/ I would not be able to afford the luxury myself, if I'm honest. Glad that they sent me the new cases for free to show you. It's obviously just an option and not a necessity. ;)

[@beatchef]

Now they just need to make an A500+ badge replica or a way to easily remove and mount the old one on the system this is using and I'll swap my case :D

[@JanBeta]

I think there may be A500+ badge replicas available from 3rd parties, actually. Look up Retro Badge Man, for example. I'm pretty sure he could make one (or he already has one on offer). ;)