Amiga OS 4 should be ported over to the xx86.

[irishmike]

I, of course, agree that OS 4 should be ported to x86... as I have said before :-)

But if the owners of the copyright won't do it (for whatever reason) then we are stuck.  Our only course is to support the open source projects or use our aging machines, which I think is still the best way to go!  -- Folks this is wholly MY opinion, I am not endeavoring nor would I presume to speak for the entire community!

Anyhow, we are going to have to live with what we can do.

[neon32]

I believe the title of the thread is "Amiga OS 4 should be ported over to the x86" not "Do you care about Amiga OS4 or not?".

There's a couple of reasons off the top of my head why I don't want the Amiga to be running on x86. One is that I dont really want it to be involved in the Mhz race, where only the fastest speeds will do, which is how Mac and Windows seem to be doing things at the moment. It was the same back when the classic Amiga was around. "Your Amiga with it's 7 Mhz CPU is nothing compared to my PC running it 66Mhz!".

And another point is that you cannot simply buy a x86 CPU that can be passivly cooled - every cpu, even mobile ones run hot and i'm sick of having a computer that makes so much noise. (And yes I have "silent" fans and psu in my computer, it still makes as much noise when cpu intense tasks are running)

One final point is that I dont think it's good to have just one main type of cpu out there. I think it's good to have options, and although there isn't any manufacturer that can compete with the x86 CPU at the moment, I dont think that everybody should just ditch everything else and jump on the x86 bandwagon, just becasue it's the "fastest".

It's not the speed, it's what you do with it that counts.

[dammy]

One is that I dont really want it to be involved in the Mhz race, where only the fastest speeds will do, which is how Mac and Windows seem to be doing things at the moment.

CPU MHz race is dead.  It's now FSB speed/bandwidth, multi-cores, GPUs, and PPUs.  If that isn't Amiga style having all these seperate processors churning away vs .286 of let the CPU do everything, don't know what is.  Instead of having another small bump in 486 speed to look forward to next year, it's quad cores and amazing GPUs that they won't tell us about for six more months.

Hard to believe it's been nearly 20 years since I saw an Amiga demo that had moving reflective water that made my eyes pop open.  Now it's breath taking gfx of DAoC or BF2 on huge honking LCD screens.  "What a long strange trip it's been." Greatful Dead

Dammy

[coldfish]

neon32, you need to update your opinions.

-The Mhz war -is- over, its about multi-core now.
 
-There are passive x86 CPUs, (try Via mini/nanoITX for a start).  I think we'll start to see more in this area in 6-12 months.

I agree it's no good having just one type of CPU out there, but the x86 is fortunate in that is has two major developers who constantly try to out-do one another on price and performance.  Keeping innovation and value to the consumer extremely high.

What does PPC architecture offer, apart from some vague "spiritual" heredity to the 680x0 of yore?  No really "real" (ie, Built and sold by Commodore) Amiga was built with that CPU.  Yet they used x86 based CPUs in several machines...

[Varthall]

What does PPC architecture offer, apart from some vague "spiritual" heredity to the 680x0 of yore?

The possibility to build a custom machine, which is not yet another x86 mobo which has already its load of OSes.

Varthall

[dammy]

The possibility to build a custom machine, which is not yet another x86 mobo which has already its load of OSes

So they bought a generic third party PPC mobo instead?  Someone needs a sign, real bad like.

Dammy

[neon32]

dammy wrote:

CPU MHz race is dead.
Dammy

I agree, in the literal sense. Probably using the term "Mhz race" wasn't the best idea, but what I was trying to do was encompass the whole "race" of more power is better, as a whole. Dual core, Quad core, it's just the moden equivalent of the Mhz race.

[Varthall]

So they bought a generic third party PPC mobo instead? Someone needs a sign, real bad like.

It's still a custom machine, if compared to the common x86 boards.

Varthall

[TheMagicM]

what is common sense to us..goes over the heads of developers/business owners.  

I dont know how good of an idea it is though.. AROS is x86 and we dont see a whole bunch of AROS specific games on there.  AROS is about as close as you get to AmigaOS on x86.  It has UAE (I've never tested it..) so you can play your old games.  If OS4 went x86 would games/utility developers come out of the woodworks and we would see a influx of new wares?

I havent checked on AROS but installing it on HD was a pain in the arse so I gave up.  Is it any easier?  I want to run it on a VMWare session.

[coldfish]

@Varthall;

You say custom like its a good thing.  

How so?

[dammy]

@ TheMagicM

The reason for the lack of apps is no secret, it's lack of developers.  AROS gets new ones, old one fade away so when AROS starts getting fresh blood with the old devs sticking around and producing code, you will see AROS increase in user apps.  As a stop gap, there is now a significant bounty for UAE integration via TeamAROS that maybe a quick and dirty way to get more (although Amiga 68K binaries) user apps running on AROS.  Currently, TeamAROS and a developer are in talks on creating a better definition of what is to be done.  Keep an eye on this.

Install is still annoying, but two devs (Ogun and Kalamatee) are working to pin point the issue(s) with the native install.  Best bet it to run it emulation or hosted, see this for instructions for hosted, emulated, and native.

Dammy
TeamAROS

[Argo]

Baaa, another retread topic.

Okay, how about this....


Minimig with AROS 68K and AROS replacement ROM. Open Hardware and Software.

[bloodmoney]

The possibility to build a custom machine, which is not yet another x86 mobo which has already its load of OSes.

PPC, I don't get why people argue this.
I would have gone the easy x86 route and have an amiga in my hands.
Different isn't good if your product is a non existent.
Hey this could be the new Amiga slogan

"Think different, think nothing."

 :lol:

[neon32]

So the "custom" chips in the original amiga weren't a good thing? In my oppinion custom is a good thing, as long it's not a cause for being a pain in the arse to program for. If you join the x86 side, you'll be running along-side the "big boys" Microsoft, Apple, and Linux in the eyes of the public.

At this moment in time funds are limited and large leaps in technology are not really on the horizon, so i think Amiga would fair much better creating it's own section of the market, and gain it's own fan base like that then trying to catch up with the large companies and essentially becoming a "PC" in the process.

[Varthall]

You say custom like its a good thing.

How so?

Of course everyone has their own tastes and preferences. I have always liked the idea of "custom" (i.e. with a high, or total degree of compatibility, not reached only by software drivers) computers as they make me, as an owner, fell more part of a community (same hardware, easier to get advice on hardware problems), hardware banging becomes a possibility, and last but not least I become much easier attached to them. Also, a custom machine with AmigaOs is more similar to the concept of the original Amigas. I have found the A1 (and the Pegasos even more) to be an acceptable balance between a custom machine and one using off-the-shelf components, required by economies of scale. Others disagree, saying that's too much similar to a PC, it depends to what you'd find acceptable and what not.

Varthall

[TheMagicM]

@neon32:

at the time custom chips were the good thing.  There wasnt anything in the Amiga's price range that could do the equivalent.


@dammy:
I will give it a shot.  I'll re-download..since UAE runs on AROS (I think..havent checked) then it should be a-ok.