AmigaOne X1000 Beta Test Team and Program

[Methuselas]

For the "lazy" people:

@all

The beta program is intended for dedicated people with the following skillset:

- ability to assemble a full system with just a bare motherboard and memory provided to you

- ability to file accurate and detailed bugreports in a dedicated bugtracker (Bugzilla) in order to help AmigaOS 4 developers track down any remaining issues

- sufficient dedication and time to test newly developed components which are released on a daily basis (as is the case now for AmigaOS development and AmigaOS betatesters)

- adherence to the terms of a NDA as part of a larger contract which allows everyone to pull out with a full refund prior to actual shipping of the hardware

- a 750 euro deposit to attract the most dedicated people.

Note that you will NOT be considered an end-user if you are allowed into the betatest program.


The beta program is quite explicitly NOT intended for:

- people with limited knowledge of AmigaOS

- people with insufficient skills to assemble a system with a bare motherboard as a starting point

- people with insufficient time and dedication to carry out the required testing of software components and file bugreports against the appropriate AmigaOS components

- people who beieve that by signing up, they will learn the identity of the CPU or other undisclosed information which most likely will only be disclosed prior to shipping at which time they can bail out with a full refund if they don't like the specs

- people who do not intend to abide by the terms of the contract including the NDA provisions (which they can evaluate prior to signing or not signing) as this will not be taken lightly at all
 
This is a limited, closed betaprogram intended to ensure the best end-user experience possible.

Existing AmigaOS 4 betatesters have precedence over "newbies" and people with a development trackrecord will have precedence over people without such trackrecord. Other than that, it will be "first come, first served".


*   *    *

Yeah, 750 euro "deposit" to test a sub-par OS on a motherboard, that is for all intents and purposes, an a) over priced motherboard based on specs that the *DEVELOPERS* wanted and b) not what the general public, ie the Amiga community, wanted.

I'm still waiting to get my 50$ back on a coupon for an OS I couldn't use, for a motherboard that I couldn't justify spending a ton of money on. When are you people gonna learn?

This is disappointing, but gets better and better.........

[Methuselas]

Companies cannot just circumvent laws when they feel like it you know. Come on guys.

Tell that to Amiga Inc.......

[Methuselas]

See the trolls are hard at it!

I'm not even going to offer up a response, since it's obvious your opinion is biased.


Don't ever refer to me as a "troll" again. :madashell:

[Methuselas]

What should people learn?

Simple economics and free enterprise. I'm assuming that you do know the difference between "supply" and "demand".

That *you* cannot justify spending money on it?

I'm not the only one apparently. 1500 euros is a lot to spend on an "updated" machine that is still light years behind my main machine, which is by PC standards, now "antiquated". MorphOS got it right with the Efika (and it was still a POS mobo) and then with porting to the Mac Mini. Why? Cheap, readily available hardware.

PPC is dead as a desktop platform. *EVERYONE*knows that the eventual migration of the AmigaOS would naturally progress to the X86 platform. The longer they wait, they more potential end users they lose.

It's all about mathematics...... not rocket science.....

Why should this change if I should be interested on it or not?

varthall

I never said it did, nor should it, but tell me why you're getting all butt-hurt for me stating the blatantly obvious??? :lol:

[Methuselas]

What you mentioned is that people should learn about the general public/the Amiga community not wanting the motherboard (which is not true, since there has been a market for AmigaOnes and Sams, and people are showing interest on the X1000) and that you couldn't justify spending money for it. Hence I question why people should learn about it.

No, what I mentioned is supply and demand. Currently the supply is either a series of underpowered (by current PC, Mac and Linux standards) motherboards running an underpowered OS or a single *HIGH* priced motherboard, which is *STILL* under current PC, Mac and Linux standards and running the same, underpowered OS. The demand, however, is cheap, available hardware, that isn't a "precious commodity".

I also mentioned economics. Hyperion and A-EON are businesses, pure and simple. They're in the business to make money, but instead of pushing for more sales in the form of a smaller margin, they're attempting to bleed as much as they can from the smallest, available source which isn't their true demograph. That's not a) good business or b) good marketing.

You have your reasons for not liking that machine, and your view shared by other people in the community, but that doesn't mean it must be for everyone as you implied.

I never said I didn't like the machine. I simply stated that once again, one the last of the Amiga "companies" has dropped the ball. I think the specs of the machine are great (aside from the all but useless "Xorro" Slot) - for a machine that should have come out 5+ years ago.

I have ample support for the Indivision and the ZorRam. Why? 'Cos it's inexpensive hardware that actually *DOES* something.

If I buy the X1000 am I going to get to play Crisis or any other recent game? No. Am I going to get OpenOffice or MSOffice support? No. Will I get a fully working CSS browser? Maybe, but this is still under debate. Will I get JAVA support? No.

The money I'd spend on an X1000 would be better spent on a PC or a Mac that can do all the commonly done tasks I need to accomplish, daily. Yes, that is *MY* opinion, but it is *ALSO* one supported by a significant portion of the Amiga community.

I think that *EVERYONE* knows that not all the people think the same, that not everyone would like to see an x86 migration and that PPC could still be a viable niche platform. This is mathematics as well :-)

I also think that the *SMART* ones are aware that we're dominated by X86 technology and only a fool cannot see that. The Amiga is *NOT* a "viable, niche platform" and it never will be. Not until we get something like the Iphone or Ipad. Something that *EVERYONE* is going to want, need and have a use for.

I'm not hurt in any way, but anyway you said it:
"not what the general public, ie the Amiga community, wanted."
And you said it again now, saying that it's blatantly obvious :-)

Varthall

First off, if you're going to quote me, do it verbatim in toto. What I said, exactly, is:

"Yeah, 750 euro "deposit" to test a sub-par OS on a motherboard, that is for all intents and purposes, an a) over priced motherboard based on specs that the *DEVELOPERS* wanted and b) not what the general public, ie the Amiga community, wanted."

I'm going to quote Trevor Dickinson here:

"Prior to beginning the development, we assembled a hardware review team which included Hyperion and key AmigaOS 4 developers. After some intensive research and discussions, the team drew up a "wish list" specification for the ideal AmigaOS 4 computer."

http://translate.google.fr/translate?u=http://obligement.free.fr/articles_traduction.php&sl=fr&tl=en&hl=fr&ie=UTF-8

The link is there to provide the proof against the whole "you made it up" from the Zealots.

So, my last point is, since when was a "hardware review team which included Hyperion and key, AmigaOS 4 developers" to become the pseudonym for "general public, ie the Amiga Community"?

So, I go back, once again to, if they want my support and *MY* money, give me something that *I* want and can use, instead of something that *THEY* want.

That's all I'm going to say on this matter and for me, this is the end of the discussion.

OS4 should have been made open source when Eyetech pulled out of the game, since then, very little progress and OS4 is no better off years later (despite the fanboys saying otherwise). I have washed my hands of it, the whole thing is a joke and I am glad to not be a part of it.

I couldn't say it better.