PowerBook G4 MorphOS sneak preview

[zylesea]

Here's a video I shot some time ago. It shows my PowerBook G4 system booting up the MorphOS 3.0 (development branch):

PowerBook-G4-MorphOS-3-sneak-preview.mp4

Please note that this isn't official confirmation of any kind. A lot of support infrastructure for laptop usage is still missing, as well as some drivers.

PS. Sorry for the poor video quality.
PPS. We don't need any beta testers for the PowerBook version for now.

The day support for the powerbook or ibook is officially announced I'll buy a maschine  in a minute! While the mini already contributed to a better mobility (am doing a job abroad ATM and had no prob to take my MorphOS maschine with me) a laptop would be great. I am sitting a lot in trains - a MorphOS laptop would sweeten many journeys.
Since the 1.0-1.3 days (when improvements were massive and frequently) it was never so much fun to use MorphOS than it is recently (since the 2.0 release).

[DiskDoctor]

PPS. We don't need any beta testers for the PowerBook version for now.

:lol: I guess this notion was made to avoid riots.

[DiskDoctor]

The day support for the powerbook or ibook is officially announced I'll buy a maschine  in a minute! While the mini already contributed to a better mobility (am doing a job abroad ATM and had no prob to take my MorphOS maschine with me) a laptop would be great. I am sitting a lot in trains - a MorphOS laptop would sweeten many journeys.
Since the 1.0-1.3 days (when improvements were massive and frequently) it was never so much fun to use MorphOS than it is recently (since the 2.0 release).

If you happen to be mobile, there's a DVI2S-Video connector so that you can plug the mini in a TV set.  I got one, didn't try yet with MorphOS, not sure if it would work out either because there was an issue around that on morphzone, coundn't say actually, not sure.  But definitely I will try in a couple of days.

BTW Not sure again, but I suppose it was you that stated on morphzone that the mini ain't mobile :-)  Was that you or someone else? :lol:

[zylesea]

I don't  remember having said the mini wouldn't be mobile. But I well may have something said that a mini in a rucksack is something different than a proper laptop or such. So, the mini actualy is mobile in the meaning to take it easily from one place to another (and that's what I dis recently, am about 800 km from home now), but you can hardly operate it *while* being mobile. I guess one of the mobilest solustions yet is my eframe (http://via.i-networx.de/eframe/eframe.htm), the Efika with display in a nice and relatively compact housing. But it still needs 230VAC. But that one I could use on a train, not on a commuter train though (most don't have power outlests) but on ICE or IC/EC. Should try that, could yield some curious till sceptical looks.

[amiga2009u]

Hi there,
Please excuse the "noob" of this message lol, firstly is MorphOS like a not as such a replacement but an alternative to AmigaOS? Meaning can i run Amiga programs and games from MorphOS?
If so, I have a PowerBook G4 and i'd like to help in the beta testing, it would be a dream to turn my ol'mac into a hybrid Amiga..

My PowerBook G4 specs are (as read from the "About This Mac")

Machine Model: PowerBook 5.6
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.2)
CPU Speed: 1.67 Ghz
L2 Cache: 512 KB
Memory: 512 MB
Bus Speed: 167 Mhz
Boot ROM Version: 4.9lf1

I hope it helps.

Nicky..

[amigadave]

Hi there,
Please excuse the "noob" of this message lol, firstly is MorphOS like a not as such a replacement but an alternative to AmigaOS? Meaning can i run Amiga programs and games from MorphOS?
If so, I have a PowerBook G4 and i'd like to help in the beta testing, it would be a dream to turn my ol'mac into a hybrid Amiga..

My PowerBook G4 specs are (as read from the "About This Mac")

Machine Model: PowerBook 5.6
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.2)
CPU Speed: 1.67 Ghz
L2 Cache: 512 KB
Memory: 512 MB
Bus Speed: 167 Mhz
Boot ROM Version: 4.9lf1

I hope it helps.

Nicky..

As noted in the beginning of this thread, "no beta testers needed"

Check out MorphZone.org and morphos.de to find out more information about what MorphOS is.  Yes, it will run most 68k Amiga software, but if you want to run games and such that bang the Amiga's custom chipset, then you would have to run EUAE for MorphOS.

MorphOS is very fast and very Amiga-Like.  The developers that created it tried to negotiate with Amiga Inc. to do the work for AmigaOS4.x and from what little I have read about that time period, those first developers of MorphOS thought that they were going to succeed with those negotiations and were not happy when Hyperion won the right to create the next AmigaOS as partners of Amiga Inc. after the MorphOS developers had already completed a lot of work on what then became MorphOS.  This led to much of the early bad blood between the "RED" AmigaOS4.x camp and the "BLUE" MorphOS camp, but thankfully most of that animosity has calmed down, but it does not appear that either group of developers will ever be friends or work together on anything.

Now, over ten years later, both AmigaOS4.x and MorphOS2.x have become efficient, fast, compact and very usable OSes that have more similarities than differences, but they are still very different in many ways.

If you like AmigaOS3.1 through 3.9, then you will very probably like MorphOS2.4 as well.  I have it running on my 1.5GHz MacMini G4 and love it.  It will likely be many more months, if not a year or more before there is an official MorphOS release for your PowerBook, but I would hold on to it and take good care of it, as there is a good chance that it will be supported by MorphOS at some time in the future, and when it is your 1.67GHz G4 will be the fastest MorphOS laptop that you can get.  I wish I had one of those.

[zylesea]

@ amiga2009u

chances are high you will be able to run MorphOS in future o your powerbook. The 1.67 Ghz 15" and 17" models are key kandidates for support, but the 12" ain't (due to nvidea gfx).
And yes MorphOS can run old amiga apps, as well as those for  PowerUp, WarpOS and many OS4 apps. Of course also teh MorphOS apps.

[Tumbleweed]

I have a powerbook G4 Titanium but its really old its a 450MHZ G4, will it be possible to run Morphos on it? Or is my Mac just too underpowered? Whats the lilkely minimum spec needed to run MorphOS on a G4 powerbook?

Weed.

[zylesea]

I have a powerbook G4 Titanium but its really old its a 450MHZ G4, will it be possible to run Morphos on it? Or is my Mac just too underpowered? Whats the lilkely minimum spec needed to run MorphOS on a G4 powerbook?

Weed.

cpu-wise a G4/450 would be fine. MorphOS even runs nicely on the Efika 5200B which is a 400MHz G2 class cpu (although with relatively fast RAM). But the real question for the Powerbooks will be: which gfx card is in there. And will the touchpad and kbd get supported. AFAIKk these issues aren't even sorted out on that 1670MHz pb in Piru's possesion. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for support of particular models. The only thing that is very much clear is that those powerbooks with nvidia gfx like the 1670MHz 12" powerbook will not get MorphOS.

[billt]

I nearly bought an iBook on the chance that would happen. I may still. But I'll probably sacrifice iBook compactness in favor of a PowerBook if it means I don't need to rip the entire machine to shreds to replace a drive. Yikes!

I replaced the drive in my ibook G4, I thought it was fun. And only lost one screw. The LCD backlight is burnt out though, need to fix that so I can use it portably again, it's basically a desktop tethered to a monitor right now.

[Amiduffer]

This is quite nifty. Go Piru!! I have an Ibook that was abandoned at our office, and if I could put MorphOS on it, that would justify getting a PSU for it.

[amiface]

I too am desperately considering buying a mac laptop for this already :-) Morphos is amazing, I cant wait to have my morphapple laptop come on guys make this a reality! Ideally the smallest mac book with the best gfx card and cpu of course would be the best for all of us, then all we need is a little logo plate with the butterfly on to cover the apple :-)))))

The business model is great too free, then reg, I think youll get a seriously high ratio of registrations, even people who pirate would not pirate morphos imho - too much passion and gratitude for the hard work by the morphos team, we applaud you!!!!!

[Fingers]

A lot of support infrastructure for laptop usage is still missing, as well as some drivers.

Shot in the dark here, but might a PowerBook G4 be able to run current MorphOS 2.6 if it were used as a "desktop"?

By the above, I mean with external monitor, usb keyboard & mouse attached, effectively rendering it a desktop & not utilising the laptop bits like built-in keyboard, trackpad, etc.

PZ.

[Piru]

Shot in the dark here, but might a PowerBook G4 be able to run current MorphOS 2.6 if it were used as a "desktop"?

No. MorphOS 2.6 only works on the HW specified.

[amigakit]

@Piru

Boots really fast and looks good work!

[Jose]

So, has this been canceled ? I was considering getting a laptop the other day, don't need anything fancy, this wouldn't be bad.