Review of AmigaOS 4.1.1 / Interview with Simon Archer

[klx300r]

guys I really don't understand the negativity here?  Rigo has done great things for OS4 (AmiUpdate, CodeBench, Update 1 work etc.) ..sheesh give the guy a break..we all have bad days!

[koaftder]

"I'm not here to make friends, the questions were answered honestly, not to make people happy. 97% of the people in this coomunity can go and catch fire as far as I'm concerned, I know who I'd want holding my extinguisher if push comes to shove." -- Simon Archer

That's the spirit. The first step to success is to show everyone how much of a douche bag you are.

[Minuous]

>AmigaOS?! F"k it, it isnt even called Workbench any more.

When was it ever? Workbench is just an application running on top of AmigaOS. It's like saying "MS-DOS? Fuck it, it isn't even called COMMAND.COM any more."

"The Workbench name can also refer to the main OS floppy disk for AmigaOS versions 1.1 to 1.3 (the "Workbench disk"). This was due to an error of Commodore marketing. This fact led some Amiga users to believe that all of the AmigaOS was named "Workbench"." Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workbench_(AmigaOS)

[koaftder]

I can understand where he's coming from though. If you put a huge amount of effort into something, and no matter what you do, elements of the community that it's for rip it to shreds for no good reason, you'd find it hard to remain enthusiastic, nice and polite too. He was right when he said that some people here need to grow up. The constant bitching, moaning and mud slinging is unnecessary and tiring, particularly if you're one of the developers.

Some say that OS4 devs just need to accept that they are targets; but no, they didn't sign up for that. Being a customer (or potential customer) never justifies treating someone like dirt and you shouldn't expect someone to just sit there and take it.

So while his responses may not be pretty, I'm glad that someone was blunt enough to say what others are thinking.

Hans

Nah, he needs to shut up and write code. The only talking that matters is money and that requires getting products to market, not taking a piss on the customer base. The guy is an idiot and if he worked for a real company he'd be fired for that little PR blunder.

[mihcael]

guys I really don't understand the negativity here?  Rigo has done great things for OS4 (AmiUpdate, CodeBench, Update 1 work etc.) ..sheesh give the guy a break..we all have bad days!

No doubt he has done some great stuff, but people wanted to read about what the guy has done, learn more about OS4.

If you want to see some interviews done right, check out The AROS Show

• Stanisław Szymczyk
  
• Eric Schwartz
  
• Staf Verhaegen
  
• Bill Panagouleas (DiscreetFX)
  
• Nick "Kalametee" Andrews
  
• Damir "d980" Sijakovic
  
• Marco van den Heuvel

"Blacky Stardust"[/URL]

• Pavel "Sonic" Fedin
  
• Robert Norris
  
• Aaron Digulla
  
• Hogne "m0ns00n" Titlestad
  
• Michal Schulz
  
• Adam Chodorowski
  

[klx300r]

@ mihcael

thanks for the link!..read some in the past and I love the Eric Schwartz interview!  now that guy is a class act :-)

btw, I'm looking forward to dual booting AROS & OS4.1 on my Samflex system as I see the port has been coming along nicely recently

[dammy]

Not the most personable of people, so he nicely fits the computer programmer stereotype.  He is frustrated with how absurdly critical most of us are on this board.  Half the people on this board won't be happy with anything that doesn't surpass the latest PC and Mac technology, even though it needs to be done with almost no budget or personel!

Most probably want about equal hardware performance at equal or cheaper prices.   Paying far higher rates for lower performance hardware is the kiss of death.

[EDanaII]

@ HammerD:

What exactly is wrong with what Hyperion has so far produced? What do you want? In a perfect world, what Amiga product (software or hardware) would you want?

Nothing. There is nothing wrong with what Hyperion has produced because Hyperion has produced nothing...

OK, to be fair, Hyperion has produced nothing that people can get their hands on. And continue to go down a road that will likely deliver nothing. Or, after a short run, it will become nothing.  

There are so many choices out there today (stay with Classic, use an Emulator, use AROS, MiniMig, use OS 4.x, use MorphOS)...I don't really understand your frustrations here. You can put aside Amiga Inc. and I agree with you there - they never delivered anything and were a big waste of time and money. But Hyperion and the others (AROS, emulation, and MorphOS teams) have all delivered.

Then you're misreading my posts. I'm not disappointed, I'm amused. Hyperion keeps making choices that will get them nothing. Nothing will come of nothing. I've watched GM sell cars for years that made no sense -- but at least they gave the people what they wanted -- only to see them go bankrupt when gas prices soared. I wasn't disappointing in GM, I was dazzled by their foolishness. But at least they made a profit for a short while.

Where Amigas are concerned, I'm in the x86 camp. But I qualify that with an "if it must be PPC, then Wii, XBox or PS3." These would at least get AmigaOS into the hands of enough people that a market could start to form... but, no... instead we continue down a route that has thus far proven to be a failure.

And I'm dazzled by the foolishness.


@ AmigaNG:

How sad. this very thread I think proves his point.

Do you honestly believe that criticisms of "wrong hardware," "price/performance," or "I don't like this direction" are immature?

[dammy]

Where Amigas are concerned, I'm in the x86 camp. But I qualify that with an "if it must be PPC, then Wii, XBox or PS3." These would at least get AmigaOS into the hands of enough people that a market could start to form... but, no... instead we continue down a route that has thus far proven to be a failure.

And I'm dazzled by the foolishnes.

What's the old definition of insanity, "constantly repeating an action and expecting a different outcome."  There is no significant market to tap into any more. Their sales numbers has proven this multiple times now with A1s and SAM sales.

What the real question is that is not being asked, can Hyperion survive another failed hardware venture?  How many failures will it take to drive home the point that there is no economically viable market left for expensive hardware which is bundled with closed source OS?  I think the fat lady maybe sharing the stage with the X1000, but time will tell.

[klx300r]

....Where Amigas are concerned, I'm in the x86 camp. But I qualify that with an "if it must be PPC, then Wii, XBox or PS3." These would at least get AmigaOS into the hands of enough people that a market could start to form... but, no... instead we continue down a route that has thus far proven to be a failure.

And I'm dazzled by the foolishness.

well as both an owner of classic and NG miggy's I must say yet again that I applaud Hyperion, ACube and now A-Eon for fighting and supporting Amiga through rough and now good times.  I am very happy with Amiga OS4.1.1 and I'm having a blast with it and my Samflex :-)

[EDanaII]

All well and good, klx300r; I'm glad you're enjoying that Miggy of yours, but you're still missing the point being made by some of us "immature" Amigans. How much "happier" might these times be if the Amiga had a real market again? You might actually have a fully functional browser. You might actually have modern fully functional mainstream software, like an up-to-date word processor or database. And software developers actually making a profit.

But you can only have this IF you can get hardware into the hands of enough people. Given the current state of Amiga, the best solution is an inexpensive one; the lower the price, the more willing people might be to give it a try again. Just as Amigans were once unwilling to leave their platform because of all the money they had invested in it, now many are unwilling to move back because of all the money they would have to invest in it. So, the only way you might ever have a thriving market again, is to lower the cost to entry. A higher price only guarantees that people will stay away and the X1000, with a higher price and an uncertain future guarantees that all but the most faithful will stay away.


@ Dammy

Honestly? I'm surprised they've been able to hold on this long. Even if they've managed to make a profit all this time, I can't imagine it being much. Yet most businesses seek to maximize their profits by getting their product into the hands of the most people. I can understand why McEwen Inc didn't employ such a strategy, but it "blows my mind" that Hyperion won't.


@ All

BTW, anyone know the status of Anubis? Just wondering... They've been silent for a nearly a year now, raising concerns of vapor.

[dammy]

BTW, anyone know the status of Anubis? Just wondering... They've been silent for a nearly a year now, raising concerns of vapor.

It's pretty much dead, I have little hope for it now.  I may fund something out of my own pockets in the 3rd quarter of this year if I am able to do so.

[recidivist]

Cloanto  did have mention of a Wii version of Amiga Forever  several months ago;if that were released it might sell well those who remember the Amiga of yore.

[Tomas]

I can understand where he's coming from though. If you put a huge amount of effort into something, and no matter what you do, elements of the community that it's for rip it to shreds for no good reason, you'd find it hard to remain enthusiastic, nice and polite too. He was right when he said that some people here need to grow up. The constant bitching, moaning and mud slinging is unnecessary and tiring, particularly if you're one of the developers.

Some say that OS4 devs just need to accept that they are targets; but no, they didn't sign up for that. Being a customer (or potential customer) never justifies treating someone like dirt and you shouldn't expect someone to just sit there and take it.

So while his responses may not be pretty, I'm glad that someone was blunt enough to say what others are thinking.

Hans

Again you go about generalizing the whole community just because of the behaviour of a small minority. Calling the entirely community for childish and saying that 97% could burn is very offensive to most of their customers or potential customers. There are plenty of 4.1 owners who did not like this comments. I am one of those as well...

You have trolls or people who dont agree with your views in any community. You simply cannot please everyone and they really should not expect that everyone agrees with them either. I dont see why this should be taken personally when the majority is actually supportive and quite of them even bought their products.

[paolone]

No, we are Amigans (may come as a surprise?), some of us been with this computer 25 years and actually wants it back.

You may be surprised to know how many people has a driving license for 25 years, and still hasn't learnt how to drive a car. Sometimes I read from "25 years computing" people statements whose idiocy brights up by itself.

And well, this community is far from being positive and believe in me, whoever tries to do something good for it, risks every day to get pissed off by the silly comments of SOME people who don't do anything, don't contribute anything, don't pay anything and maybe don't think anything. So the best way to deal with this community is do, release, and filter feedback you receive. Just cut off the childish sarcasm of those SOME people, and maybe you'll find something useful even in the darkest criticism.

Not everyone is able to do that, so don't blame who can't.

[djmartins]

There are plenty of 4.1 owners who did not like this comments. I am one of those as well...

There aren't all that many actual customers for new Amiga hardware.
There certainly isn't 10,000 of them.
Maybe 1,000?
I found his comments totally amusing as a good example of an arrogant idiot at a company that is doomed to failure because of their attitude.
It is pretty easy to turn off the few people left who CARE about the Amiga.


regards,
DJ