*WARNING* Let's port OS4 to $machine type thread

[chiark]

oh gosh, I really wish you hadn't posted this.

IMHO, it would be perfect and the enhanced wii could capture the original appeal of the amiga: standard hardware, games, and a powerful OS.

My mind is now in overdrive as to the potential here.  Absolute overdrive.

Wow.

I sense ultimate frustration, but all the same, "what if AmigaOS talked sensibly to Nintendo and created a wii 'hacker' version for those who like to tinker?"

Oh wow.

it'll never happen, but oh wow!

[chiark]

I've just been reading Bill's response to the A.o questions.  His ambitions for Amiga would mean he must have considered Nintendo, and I'd love to know if any dialogue was taken or if it's still ongoing.

In so many ways it seems to be a perfect match of hardware and OS...

[chiark]

I've known people that would literally have an orgasm when a new Mac came out

:lol: Do you realise what you've just written there? :-D

I couldn't give a stuff what processor is in the machine, I think Amiga are missing a trick by limiting AmigaOS to PPC, but then Amiga are saying just the same and OS5 might be just what we want?  Who knows.

This *is* like an automotive hang out talking vapour - we've had empty promises for 10 years, so all we can do is talk about vapour for the future, and things like minimig for the past.  Bill's recent Q&A thread has given me some hope that he shares what I think is everyone's vision of a platform that carries on where the amiga left off, and IMHO he fully understands the strengths that the Amiga brought to computing and how that "spirit" can be carried forward.

Sure, getting Nintendo to say "yes" to AOS4 is akin to the chances of Satan going to work in a snowplough, but this speculation is really not hurting anyone.  I doubt anyone's thinking, "right, I'm starting saving now for my wii so I can run OS4"!

I like Nintendo's ethos and approach to the market: games are not technology, games are primarily fun (the clue is in the name :-) )

I'd love it to happen: it won't, but that doesn't stop a bunch of like minded enthusiasts speculating  :lol:

[chiark]

what does amigaOS have the linux can't do better

a cohesive, single, user interface experience?  The Gnome/KDE wars/choices still depresses me, and IMHO that sums up Linux's problem: too much choice in the core things that should really be not up for change :-)

"What could AmigaOS have that MacOS doesn't do exceptionally well" is an interesting question.

[chiark]

BTW amiga does not have a cohesive, single, user interface experience, there is MUI, classAct and a bunch of other widget tools kits floating around on the amiga platform, MUI being the one you have to pay for, preventing software from running if you don't have it.  Can't think of anything that whack on linux right now...

True, but I'd sincerely hope that OS4 has that covered, otherwise they might just as well rethink it now.  MUI was partly addressing issues arising from having a core OS that was designed to run on a low memory, low power device - 7 years is an eternity in computing when you go from 512kb/floppy disk to machines with new generation processors, considerably more memory and hard drives...  I'd hope that the core of the OS is written in a way that things can be integrated more easily into the OS as time goes on in an evolutionary way rather than revolutionary way.
 

hehe, you ARE a mac guy... that's fine.

Nope, I don't own a mac - my main computing is done on XP - but I do firmly believe there's some things that are interchangeable, and others shouldn't be.  Again, evolution of a platform, not revolution :-) .  The MUI/etc situation on the amiga was something bourne of a need.  A platform should be cohesive and not require the user to choose which environment add-on to run in order to get software to work.

(can't say I'm huge fan of OSX... BSD is better if you ask me. OSX adds fluff....)

It's that fluff that gives the appeal tho, and the sparkle - it's what made the amiga special in some ways.

Can OS5 be better than linux or mac OSX? What would it bring to the table?

Competition.  Fresh ideas.  A different viewpoint.  I wish I knew what it was bringing to the table, but they'd better have some good ideas otherwise they might as well give up.  They will know what they're up against...

Fun debate this