Whats wrong with preaching to the choir?
This is a so called "reach out to developers" - most developers do not go so much to Amiga shows, but they do go to developer meetings, they do go to conventions etc. If A-EON are serious about getting more developers, they should look outside the ever shrinking community.
There are still many 68xxx users around that still havent taken the leap to PPC. If anything, it would be easier to entice a still active Amiga user, than to pull in people that have already left the "scene".
You think 68k users are living under rocks and somehow have not heard about the the PowerPC thing? No, that is not the case. I have many PowerPC and many 68k systems (and a whole lot more), and what I use most is 68k, hands down, simply because I can easily run it _everywhere_. Second most used is AROS, for very much the same reason. Then comes MorphOS on mac minis, and very last comes OS4.
I can tell you right now, if there was a decentish AOS4 hardware alternative in the 3-400 euro range I would jump on it immediately. And Im even aware of the OS's shortcomings
You could have had that years ago, if they could just "allow" OS4 to run on old Macs, and the OS could have advanced so much if they would open it up more.
For now tho, Im sticking to 68030, but I still cheer AeonKit on, and pick up classic hardware/software from time to time.
As do I, though the software has to be very cheap and essential for me to buy it. I only put "big money" into buying out source code and supporting development of open source software (for example I contributed I belive 150 euros for DOpus Magellan). Let us take PPaint as an example, it costs perhaps 20 euros, which is not much. But it is locked down, we can not make changes to it, we can not have a go porting it to AROS (or MorphOS for that matter). Instead we are at the mercy of BroadBlues, who like the rest of us, I am sure is also busy with "real life". I would pay a heck lot more than 20 euros for having the freedom to access the sources, do ports and submit patches etc - and most importantly, not be restricted by some nonsense NDA that mean I would have to look over my shoulders for the rest of my life.
As for being "delusional" for thinking there is a Amiga market; that depends on your refrence point. Noone belives AOS or Amiga in general will become mainstream again.
Matthey gives the impression sometimes that he actually believes that - he has previously stated that if only we have a m68k based cheap Strawberry Pi, tens if not hundreds of thousands of people would buy it to run AmigaOS. And he keeps referring to Apple, Microsoft, Linux etc as "the competition" - I don't know what to say about that other than "delusional" and over time it is very... tedious.
But that doesnt prevent vendors/developers to create a hobbymarket that can sustain several entities. Amigakit is a fulltime vendor with employees, and it looks to me they are trying to secure a future to stay a fulltime Amiga company. Great for them (and us).
Additionally Ive used vendors like Amigastore.eu, Vesalia and Induvidual Computers.
I see the Amiga "market" healthy as long as its able to maintain a customer count that can sustain all these vendors (and others).
New/updated software in addition to hardware (NG and classic) coupled with more streamlined storefronts are one of the steps.
By all means, I share this view and I buy from these stores too. And from private hardware developers, various projects (music and videos) and now latest, the A1200 kickstarter (4 cases iirc). You have no idea how much stuff I had accumulated up through the years until last year when I pretty much gave away most of it to a buddy who is more skilled with soldering irons etc than I am anyways
I just find it very wrong that OS and software development of hobby operating system takes place in secrecy. I find it straight out crazy that skilled individuals like Olsen find it too risky for AROS to let people like himself contribute. Imagine, AROS contaminated with some lines of code from OS3 or OS4 - oh the horror, clearly someone must be sued for the revenue lost (never mind that OS4 itself heavily relies on open source software itself.) I find it hilarious (and mind boggling) with these outbreaks we have every now and then with OS4 and MorphOS camps charging each other for stealing code or whatever. The hostility and constant "law mongering" is sickening and totally pointless. When someone "steals" my work, I wish them good luck, I don't scream about copyrights :laughing: