new os3.x software ?

[ami_junki]

I would definitely buy some new OS3.1 software, if I can use my Amiga for my daily needs I will do, it is just a much nicer experience.  Unfortunately due to my job I have to use "industry standard" software so I don`t get as much time as I would like to spend on the Amiga.  By the way Cammy that is a gorgeous Workbench, you must have put a lot of effort into it.  Would you ever consider releasing a pack like ClassicWB with your Workbench set-up, I am sure many people would love to have a Workbench like yours.

[ami_junki]

Just for the hell of it, I thought I'd post the latest screenshot of my A1200's Workbench. It's running in 16 colours so it's nice and responsive, and you can see both GlowIcons and NewIcons, the drawers for the Christmas game competition games, icons for SabreMSN and AmiMSN (two up-to-date OS3 MSN clients), and Tiny Invaders.



I'm running in PAL High Res Interlace with as much Overscan as my LCD TV will display, running through an RGB-S-Video adapter from AmigaManiac, so there's no flicker, just a nice solid display (with noise-reduction which helps soften the dithering).

How much Chip ram do you have left over when using that set-up?

[fishy_fiz]

It's good to see some interest in stimulating development for os3.x/68k, but as some of you have touched on, where to start ? As for what to include, for now I think nothing should be off the table. New drivers, new apps, new patches, ports, whatever. Being that os3.x is these days a community driven system it's up to the users to shape what happens. Best plan of attack in my opinion is just for people to say what they'd like to see and hopefully the most commonly wanted things will become clearer.
Here's my thoughts:

Software should be completely system friendly. This makes bounties of use to OS4.x/mos/amithlon/draco/etc users as well. Theoretically it also opens up potential for people doing bounties for other amiga based systems to simultaneously do a 3.x version when/if applicable.
Software should consider users of classic users where applicable. (for example, a 68k open office might run ok on amithlon/winuae/etc., but if there's other roads to more modern features that will be usable on "real" amigas maybe they should be considered 1st). For me it's not about big names, but new features/functionality/software for os3.x.

As for what I'm interested in supporting:

Either a new browser, on updating existing browser (I guess Aweb is the most likely candidate for the latter). Alternatively there's a few interesting 68k browsers for other OSes. Cant hurt to email those guys. (ICab for 68k mac os and an atari st browser whos name I cant think of at the moment). Netsurf and OWB 68k versions are useful, but not really something I'll use (yet) for my main browser, and unfortunately not really useable on real (non emulated) 68k hardware.
Support for ms word .doc files. Unfortunately this is essential for me as my uni assignments are in this format and often with images, etc.
Video editting software. Ideally with some sort of compatibility with Adobe Premier (again for uni purposes), but I have no idea what sort of open source options there are out there, let alone ones that are realistic. Id be happy with something simpler though, so long as it exported to things like cdxl and iff anim.
I dont know how feasible this one is, but Id dearly love some openpci gfx card drivers with 3d acceleration. Being that Im predominantely an amithlon user I'd love to get 3d acceleration. I dont really know the technicalities involved, but if it was possible to develop a 3d subsystem and a driver or 2 that would work on both amithlon and classic amigas I'd be a happy man.

There's plenty of other stuff I'd like to see, but theyre probably the things that are of most interest to me at the moment.

So, feel free to say what you'd like to see or any thought or ideas, and hopefully eventually a clear path as how to progress will start to show itself.

[Cammy]

How much Chip ram do you have left over when using that set-up?

1,771,808 graphics mem left! I run FBlit

Credit should go to Rebel, though. He created this universal, OCS-compatible palette. It's compatible with MagicWorkbench, NewIcon, Iconographics and GlowIcon sets, MUI, a whole bunch of Workbench apps and games, and remaps images pretty well considering it's only 16 colours. The palette is designed to avoid DBLPal/NTSC flashing, it works with MagicTV, and doesn't interfere with mouse pointer colours (you can use any colour cursor you want). He designed all the bitmaps and GUI gadgets, and made a bunch of icons too. We're working together on a theme pack, and we'd love to make something like ClassicWB, except it would be more like ModernWB, since the focus would be on all the newer OS3 software and internet applications rather than classic gaming.

Anyone with an Amiga with enough RAM (and preferably a 020+) can run a Workbench like this, and it's very responsive!

[Gulliver]

Go for it Cammy! It sounds great. You should be definately releasing your theme pack in some ClassicWB way, and yes, ModernWB sounds good enough.

I will be waiting ansiously!

[haywirepc]

Cammy,

Thats probably the most beautiful 16 color workbench I've ever seen, or ever will see... Looks like much higher color depth to me, its fantastic!

Steven

[ami_junki]

1,771,808 graphics mem left! I run FBlit

Credit should go to Rebel, though. He created this universal, OCS-compatible palette. It's compatible with MagicWorkbench, NewIcon, Iconographics and GlowIcon sets, MUI, a whole bunch of Workbench apps and games, and remaps images pretty well considering it's only 16 colours. The palette is designed to avoid DBLPal/NTSC flashing, it works with MagicTV, and doesn't interfere with mouse pointer colours (you can use any colour cursor you want). He designed all the bitmaps and GUI gadgets, and made a bunch of icons too. We're working together on a theme pack, and we'd love to make something like ClassicWB, except it would be more like ModernWB, since the focus would be on all the newer OS3 software and internet applications rather than classic gaming.

Anyone with an Amiga with enough RAM (and preferably a 020+) can run a Workbench like this, and it's very responsive!

Wow that is amazing, thanks for the all the info, I hope that you guys can get ModernWB out someday, if I wanted to use the same palette, can I download it from Aminet?  I would definitely be interested in downloading something like that to fix up my Amiga, at the moment New Icons looks terrible in 16 colours on my machine

[Cammy]

I'll pressure Rebel to at least upload the palette and first few theme packs on Aminet over the next few days. Here's an older screenshot of his Workbench running an Ubuntu-style theme in the same 16 colour palette http://www.amiga.org/gallery/images/2061/1_SabreOS3Screenshot.png

[Gulliver]

That one looks cool too!

[ami_junki]

That would be really great Cammy, would really appreciate it, don`t have as much time as I would like for setting up the Amiga.  Amazing how the Amiga Workbench can look so good in just 16 colours.

[Jiffy]

New apps would be great, whether it be games, utils or other. Updated networkrelated sofware (I am still eagerly awaiting IMAP-support in YAM) is very high on my list.

For games, I wouldn't mind larger (non-floppydisk based) games with highly improved graphics. I'm dreaming of high resolution versions of graphical adventures such as Day of the tentacle, Monkey Island or The Pawn, supporting external midi sound modules...

Common apps often support higher specced Amigas, but games commonly only support the lowest common denominator and thus hardly make use of faster processors, more memory, large harddrives, flicker fixers and so on.

And yes, I would most likely pay for software like that, if it was a real improvement over existing software.

[kickstart]

Maybe a free ibrowse can be a good start.

[ElPolloDiabl]

Games sound like the place to start. Because there are likely to be more gamers.
Assuming you get permission I'd donate to such a bounty. Rummage through the old DOS and Win 95 games and pick out your top 3.

My first suggestions are:
SSI Panzer General 2
SimCity 3000. My favourite version.
Ghengis Khan 2

There all should play on A1200 with RAM expanision.

[Jiffy]

There all should play on A1200 with RAM expanision.

Isn't that aiming a little low, spec wise? A 68030 with, say, 8 or 16 MB ram, with highres interlaced graphics (who doesn't own a flicker fixer these days? ;-) ), installed on your harddisk or running from cd would give plenty of 'oomph' to make very nice games with much improved graphics and sound compared to the classic (mostly lo-res) games running from floppies.

Maybe I'm aiming to high, considering I have a Blizzard 1260 and an Indivision AGA in my A1200, but I think it would be better to aim new games for the classic Amiga at higher specced models. The low end miggies have plenty of games already. Why not make use of all the extra power with which many Amigas have been upgraded during the last decade?

[utri007]

Good start would be MUI/native version of Netsurf web browser.

Current version is based SDL, still usefull but native code and Mui Gui would make it faster and more comfortable to use.

Wouldn't be so hard task for small cropu for coders

[ElPolloDiabl]

Something like Simcity 3000 would make good use of the 060s extra horsepower, but it might also be playable on just a 4MB Ram expansion.
Sorry the only thing I can think of that wouldn't need 3D is NFS 1&2. Everything else I've played to death and don't want to see it again in any form.