Your comparison is flawed as the difference is that a few weeks ago I bought a cute 12" iBook G4/1.33Ghz with shipping included for 80€, that's pocket money I can use to "play" with my favourite OS and no wife/gf will complain about that. Do you think spending 80€ is the same as spending 1000, 2000 or 3000€?
If you put in the comparison AROS it's even more favourable for AROS as you can run Windows natively on it to do "serious stuff".
You could but spending 80€ on a toy is not the same as spending 2000€. If you don't own an x1000 you are validating my point.
I do intend to do "serious stuff" (which in my job is word processing and excel) in Linux PPC on X1000 so its not fun only. But I do feel joy for its ability to boot AmigaOS, and look forward to see OS 4.2 and beyond using it more and more. Its great Trevor provided proper Linux support.
So validity is only price? x86 and PPC Mac users back in days must be all mad then :-)
Good. I can`t get PPC Macs on such low prices in this part of Europe, where they are still considered fetish and niche hardware. Surely its not the same, but I again do buy one computer.
Again, why paying 110$ for MorphOS when you had perfectly usable MacOS X or Linux PPC on same hardware - using the kind of logic what you are software wise able to do. So you have more for OS then for hardware box. Its different demonstration of logic why I and some people have decided to go X1000 - we will pay sacrifice for hardware price to drive software development, while you kind of did other way around. You payed for OS more then for hardware even it was kind of un-necessary for "serious bussiness"
Not saying that is a bad strategy since Genesi left - but Hyperion simply did not choose the same. As PPC Macs market slowly dissappears, MorphOS team will need to find next target. I am very glad for SAM 460 port of MorphOS and looking forward to see it at DJ Nicks machine.
My own parallel is: I could never afford BlizzardPPC or A4000 back in the days, I am happy that, with much sacrifice, I can afford X1000 now.
Just waiting for X1000 to be assembled and shipped, as sig says. Its paid.
Trevor efforts are important but keep in mind a RadeonHD driver is almost useless without 3D&Video acceleration (read: there's no much noticeable difference in 2D with let's say a R9800).
All in all. I don't think it's bashing, it's frustration from the Amiga community seeing that OS4.x Team is heading their favorite OS to disaster.
One in all, its a biggest step forward (what A-EON is doing) for AOS4 alone since original port and old A1 board. Why don`t I feel disaster you are predicting? Making PPC hardware possible, no matter the price, I do see as an achievement, as well as development for it.
you dont grasp the nuance or i am perhaps not deliberate about it. and please don mix morphos into it, they are actually (same as aros) providing a support for wide choice of mostly affordable hardware and i have never heard of morphos user or developer leaving the scene because he could not afford or justify the expenses to stay involved. on os4 this is definitely the case, it really takes dedication to stay with the platform. and this singling out only most dedicated and wealthiest as worthy members of the community instead to trying to spread the interest, gain young blood, seek to attract talented contributors not just some reach collectors is the mistake i talk about.
beyond that supporting multiple platforms with a single common effort (like aros does) is the actual contribution to variety of the community, instead of singling out just one of them, referring to it as only true superlative, and portraying the investment into it as only essential way to support the "amiga". and this is the other critic point.
Way better explained now.
I agree such strategy will not bring young blood, and I do disapprove level of stopping criticism by real users at Hyperions support forum. Things get locked so easily. Its better to have it then not to have it, but again questions raised there are by customers / registered users. Its not like C-USA with complete therads dissapearing, but is not a good strategy too.
As you do know, Acube provides nice entry system SAM 440. There are even loaner boards avail. I don`t know how many developers left specifically because of X1000 (please let me know who) because of frustration of not being able to pay for X1000. If I can manage a debt with 600EUR salary, I doub`t its impossible for people living in richer countries.
However, Trevor has provided some high end solution and software development and deserves credit for it. Not everyboody has a high end PC, or a Mac too. I have spend all the Classic days with A1200 020/28 FPU FAST RAM and didn`t just left it because I couldn`t get A4000.
Having new high end system usualy makes more affordable older boards on sale, so its not just loose-loose, it can be win-win