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Web Site Contents (Updated November 25, 2003)
On Friday (November 21) afternoon, we found out that unfortunately Joe Archibald of Archtech Computers/National Amiga would be unable to attend due to a family emergency. Hopefully, everyone is okay. The show for some actually started Friday evening as the vendors and volunteers arrived to set the rooms up for the show. After the set up was done, we went out for Indian food, got our money's worth, and closed the restaurant as we sat around and got to know each other. Once we left the Indian restaurant (Nagina's for those who are interested), a few of us went to Oh So Good (it lives up to its name) for dessert. The final set up the morning of the show was quite hectic, because the show location wasn't open - there had been a mistake in the schedule. Fortunately, the site manager arrived and opened it up for us. Everyone rushed to get everything set up in time for the 11:00am opening. A little after 11:00am, the show opened to the public. The first thing a few people did was to buy tickets to the raffle. Others went straight to the OS4.0 demo systems. Many went shopping. Show attendees came from all over; Ottawa, New York state, Rouyn-Noranda (northern Quebec, about an 8 hour drive), Nova Scotia, and Massachusetts. Technomages fielded questions about its AmigaAnywhere offerings, and allowed the public to play with its offered games, including Eric Schwartz Puzzles and Memory. Zee4 ran demos of its newest offering SmackE - a rather amusing game under development. Kermit Woodall of Nova Design/Genesi had a Pegasos/MorphOS machine for people to take for a spin, and talked about MorphOS. ACK Software Controls/Livewire Systems had three systems running; an AmigaOne G4XE system with AmigaOS4.0 Alpha on it, running YAM and AmiIRC. The next system was an Amiga 4000D 060/PPC in an Elbox tower, running OS4.0 Beta. The final system was another AmigaOne running Linux. Adam Kowalczyk spent much of the day demonstrating OS4.0 and fielding questions. Justin Hemmings of Livewire Systems spent much of the day selling tickets for the draw, and selling Amiga hardware, software, and magazines to show goers. In the second room of the show, Cinereal had large amounts of Amiga software and hardware, and even some Commodore 64 stuff available at excellent prices. Shortly after mid-day, Randy Hughes of Amiga, Inc arrived to talk to show attendees. There were many interesting discussions that followed. Shortly after 4:00pm, the show officially closed, with final rush on the raffle tickets. While the vendors packed up everyone else made their way to the Royal Oak to relax from the show. At about 5:30pm everyone ordered supper and drinks. From the photographs there were about 20 how made it to the Royal Oak. Once every one had finished, the draws for the three prizes were made: Amiga Quake, generously donated by Livewire Systems was won by Joanna Wilson of Franklin, MA. Aladdin 3D, generously donated by Nova Design was won by the absent Stuart Paterson. The winner of the AmigaOne DIY kit donated by Ack Software Controls/Livewire Systems is Joanna Wilson of Franklin, MA, who drove eight hours to be at the show to pick up a keyboard for her Amiga 2000, and goes home with a $1400 AmigaOne DIY kit! The evening continued with everyone chatting and getting to know each other over drinks and nachos. Discussions wandered everywhere; Amiga software, Canada's military, cars, Kermit talked about the fine points of bbqing southern style that caused many to get hungry again, using the Amiga to do multimedia production, web development, the amusing aspects of everyone's accents and wording, politics, game development - on and on. People left as they got tired, with the event finally wrapping up at about 1:00am. The following morning those who were in town and could make it went out for brunch at Patty Bolands, a lovely Irish Pub in Ottawa's market. We discussed Saturday's events and had a great time. Eventually, we all went our separate ways and that was the end of a great weekend of the Ottawa Amiga Show. See y'all (thanks Kermit!) next year!
Here is a list of exhibitors that attended the Ottawa Amiga Show and links related to the show.
We would like to thank everyone who had anything to do with the show; the volunteers who gave up time to help make the show happen, the vendors for came from all over to offer products and demonstrate their offerings, and of course, all the Amiga users from all over who made the trek to Ottawa. It was a great turn out, and fantastic to see everyone. See you all at the 2004 Ottawa Amiga Show!
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