Amiga.org
Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: Kees on November 21, 2003, 05:46:49 PM
-
Amigaworld.net interviewed Alan Redhouse, CEO of Eyetech, about the AmigaOne project.
"For now however we are working with industrial design house and Amiga enthusiasts Naya Design, to introduce a range of AmigaOne case 'mods' which are relatively modestly priced in themselves, but which will turn a decent off-the-shelf PC ATX or ITX case into a distinctively Amiga product."
Click here (http://amigaworld.net/modules/features/index.php?op=r&cat_id=3&rev_id=41&sort_by) for the interview ...
-
We are also working with Hyperion to try to make a hard-disk installable version of OS4 beta available to all existing A1 Earlybird customers and developers, hopefully before this Christmas.
Now thats the smartest thing I have ever hear! Lets get it don Alan!!
-
I liked the question about custom case design.
I think that it would be a good idea to start a A1 case design contest on amiga.org
-
Great idea!
Just as long as the contestors remember that we are talking about mod kits to use on allready existing Amigas and not a new line of towers.
...Think bumper stickers... ;-)
-
;-) Looks good, very good. I'm a happy bunny.
-
And in terms of real sales for real money (which in my view is the ultimate measure of success - anyone can give boards away) we really seem to have no significant competition to date.
If anyone can do just that what's stopping Eyetech of just doing that? A few boards to developers. It sure is the better marketing thing. Who can do it you say? Anyone, right? :-) Also the giving away of a board will result in people buying a new version of that board.
Pegasos/MorphOS is competition.
We are also working with Hyperion to try to make a hard-disk installable version of OS4 beta available to all existing A1 Earlybird customers and developers, hopefully before this Christmas.
Now that would be something. Still no final version but something. How about the Cyberstorm people?
Coder
-
Great interview!!!!!!!!
-
nice interview but he really didnt answer my question but then again he allready answered it earlier in the thread....heh kinda weird...but still its looking comfy 1 isle up! :)
-
If anyone can do just that what's stopping Eyetech of just doing that?
I got the impression that they had given away boards just not close to what the Peg boys had.
So he was really saying that to measure from a finacial pov you can only count the ones you sold.
Pegasos/MorphOS is competition.
I agree with this, MOs was going to be competing for Amiga users money/loyaltly at it's conception, he knows this so does bbrv (being far from stupid) but Alan was talking in terms of volume of sale's, so from a certain pov hes correct.
but the peg2 (and peg3 WHEN the vapour solidifys into product) might offer a little more sales in thier favour of MOs :-) lets hope this drives both platforms to new heights. :-D
-
Now thats the smartest thing I have ever hear! Lets get it don Alan!!
But I thought that the only reason to why there was no OS4 released to A1 owners was because "we only get one chance to make a first impression" and "we won't ship half finished products", etc? :-P
I am glad they finally comes to their senses about this, releasing beta versions of the OS is the best thing to do. The current userbase in the community is not the helpless clueless people you will see in the common PC world. We can handle betas! :-)
I also hope that this finally will put an end to the old tiresome "muahaha, MorphOS might be out, but it's BETA" kind of discussions ... :-)
-
If anyone can do just that what's stopping Eyetech of just doing that? A few boards to developers. It sure is the better marketing thing. Who can do it you say? Anyone, right?
Exactly!
IMHO, this (as well as the mockery tone in which it's written) is only a try to make a positive spin on the fact that Genesi has a lot of resources and is very serious about advancing their platform into the future, while Eyetech simply hasn't the same possibilities.
Besides, pure logic says that Genesi's in-house R&D and production might reduce the costs and make it possible to sell boards to a lower price and STILL make money on them!
-
takemehomegrandma said
Besides, pure logic says that Genesi's in-house R&D and production might reduce the costs and make it possible to sell boards to a lower price and STILL make money on them!
Logic? Logic, you say? Other might just call THAT "cookin' the books"!
-
Logic? Logic, you say?
Yeah, why the DELL not? (Borrowing a punchline there :-P)
You know, this has been the key to the success of one of the largest computer manufacturer in the world (guess which one :-D).
While a lot of different companies are involved in the A1 (MAI, the mobo design company, the manufacturer (or is that the same as the designer?), Eyetech (and then shipment around the world, extensive testing to see which ones works good enough with the G4, etc)) and each wanting a piece of the pie, you must agree that Genesi's approach is much more flexible and is involving less companies and cost sources, right?
-
ikir: Yep.. Seen your comment on 3 different sites .. So it must be great (would likely be 4 if I read AW) :-D
Anyhow.. IMHO there ain't much new in it. Same chitchat and answers lifted from Mai marketting material. Big speech about how this technology is better than anyone else been able to make. And once again more talk about China and how they adore him .. (sorry.. irony)
Expecting Chinese to purchase this system without any reserch and product comparision is quite blindsighted. Meanwhile AlanR has been there couple times talking and having tea, companies like Sun and AMD are doing real deals. And why .. they have real product and can back their marketting with facts.
For example: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/34068.html
Sun delivering a Million Java Desktops with Linux to China in Next year alone. Those machines are cheaper and faster than anything Eyetech can offer.
-
@JoannaK
Remind me, why do you read this news site again?
-
@JoannaK
Remind me, why do you read this news site again?
Dude, use your head. He wasnt flaming anyone, his tone was very calm and he made sense!!!
Joannak, i believe you'r totaly correct. I believe there is still alot more to be done, Alan has only just scraped the surface in marketing plans.
I suspect that when OS4 is ready, he'll be demonstrating it again. Maybe thats why OS4 has taken so long? Extra features to demonstrate to the new economies of the world, so maybe a larger chance of them liking the product? :)
O well, its looking good, but by no means are we or is Alan finished!
-
Dude, use your head. He wasnt flaming anyone, his tone was very calm and he made sense!!!
I dont think I've ever read a positive post from Joannak about anything.
-
Joanna seems to be one of those people who love picking faults in things other people do. She should probably quit her job (where they'd hate to see her go, because she *obviously* always makes the correct decisions about *everything* she does, else she'd be a hypocryte) and become an art critic. That would be a field where her talents would be more appreciated.
-
It is nice to see the harware side is making some progress. But the one part that remains behind is OS4. Well behind, just not ready. A1 has always been targetted with OS4. As the main combination. Not Linux. Linux was something that you also could run. Don't tell me that now it suddenly is Linux which is the main thing together with the A1.
A1 and OS4+ from the start, right?
No matter how much you admire it all or if you are the biggest fan you just have to admit that OS4 is late, very late. Don't tell me different, it's just true.
Coder
-
@JAHC
>I dont think I've ever read a positive post from Joannak about anything.
If it makes you feel any better, she does the same towards Pegasos etc.
Besides, what positive there possibly could be in the current situation in Amigascene? I can think of none other than OS4 will soon be available for the public.
I'd say her comment had strong points and even providing an url to back it up.
-
I dont think I've ever read a positive post from Joannak about anything.
I think she just never read the "post at least 10% positive content" clause in the amiga.org member guidelines.
Maybe we should ban her?
:-P
What's worse? Her not being "positive", or her being realistic and accurate?
This reminds me of something that annoyingly often can be heard from one of the more infamous characters in the so-called community: "You're not being constructive." Which has a twisted meaning: "you don't agree, you're not being 'positive', you're pointing out flaws that should be hidden, please stop thinking, just read the damn marketing and post some animated smileys and shout 'GREAT' will ya!"
-------
Anyway, I don't see what's so "GREAT!!!11!!!" about this Q&A? Many questions seem like they instead should be addressed to an engineering / product development firm like Mai. Most answers were the usual marketing, thinly veiled digs at what for some odd reason is considered "competition", contradictory statements, ambiguity by the truckload, confusion between reseller (Eyetech) tasks/capabilities and designer (Mai) ditto, hubris, and... ummm... imaginative technological reasoning.
IOW, same old, same old.
This passage was rather revealing though:
"In the interests of the existing Amiga community we absolutely have to broaden the market for the A1 technology [my emphasis] and for OS4, even if that involves using Linux as a trojan horse. [...] that responsibility is, for the moment at least, mainly falling on Eyetech's shoulders."
Yup, that's the sorry state AmigaOS has been put in. It's intentionally been made dependent on how well one dealer can sell a particular motherboard. Of course, this was probably meant to be interpreted as a Good Thing here. It's "in the interest of the Amiga community" that we should buy our hardware via Eyetech. :P
-
I dont think I've ever read a positive post from Joannak about anything.
Ah... You must not read the Genesi/Morphos threads then.
-
What's worse? Her not being "positive", or her being realistic and accurate?
uh.. what are you, drunk? How can you possible take his comments regarding HOPING that they make inroads to china as "China adores me." Perhaps you should stick to Scandiavian language boards, becuase you don't seem to have too firm a grasp on English just yet.
"In the interests of the existing Amiga community we absolutely have to broaden the market for the A1 technology [my emphasis] and for OS4, even if that involves using Linux as a trojan horse. [...] that responsibility is, for the moment at least, mainly falling on Eyetech's shoulders."
Yup, that's the sorry state AmigaOS has been put in. It's intentionally been made dependent on how well one dealer can sell a particular motherboard. Of course, this was probably meant to be interpreted as a Good Thing here. It's "in the interest of the Amiga community" that we should buy our hardware via Eyetech. :P
Who else is making PoP boards besides Genesi and Eyetech/Mai? Jesus Krispy Kreme Christ, look out the goddamn window! Amiga is going to *have* to piggyback on top of technology like this to get affordable hardware. Do you think Genesi could make it on just their PPC boards alone? Of course not. Their rolling their IP into stuff like STB's where they can actually MAKE SOME MONEY. Eyetech/Amiga must do the same.
To paraphrase our esteemed colleage bhoggett: "please try to use your head. It's so very important."
I'm not in *either* camp. Not Red, nor Blue. The Red guys can be over-enthusiastic at times, but you Blue-campers come up with the most ridiculous excuses for reasoning sometimes. Get a clue.
:idea:
-
jahc: I have given positive and negative comments to all parties .. Even though at least once my Irc-praise to Friendens (due os4 development) was 'anonymized' from irc log posted here. So it's not necessarily my fault you can't see it happen.
And even Eyetech.. Yes, sometimes. Not quite often cause their stuff (IMHO both marketting and tech) needs so much improvement, but even I can remember it happen time to time.
For this marketting Q&A and China-travels.. It's the same stuff that has been on Amiga-related papers and websites soon half a year. Anyone can book a travel to china and try to sell trinkets there. What I'd like to ask is is this product good and competetive enough for any market beoynd Amiga-fans. You tell me.. on what basis it'll sell?
-
Herewegoagain: Show me even single post where I have said that Genesi, Pegasos or MorphOS are perfect? I don't give Ikir-like blind praises to anyone, because I consider that stupid and sheepish behaviour.
What I say is that Genesi (and BBRV) has shown a lot better batting average than theur competitors (Ainc, Hyperion, Eyetech) and even then.. they have made some obvious mistakes that have cost them a lot of support.
Of Pegasos and MorphOS: I was using them as my main computer (atm.. my pega is on Linux demo-tour) since MorphOS 1.4 release. Before it... well it was too much at works, and I didn't like it ehough.
For a challenge.. Try to find even single blind Praise I have given for MorphOS 1.3? I had pegasos since April (may?) and MorphOS 1.4 was released on september.
-
uh.. what are you, drunk? How can you possible take his comments regarding HOPING that they make inroads to china as "China adores me."
I thought the complaints at JoannaK was because she wasn't "positive" at all, not that she expressed her lack of "positivity" with a quite bleeding OBVIOUS helping of irony.
Regarding that specific China bit, wouldn't the Chinese customers have to "adore" Eyetech, if they would prefer to order their PPC mobos via a foreign distributor rather than simply ordering/building them themselves? Eyetech doesn't design hardware, nor do they own any hardware designs to sell/license to others. Since Eyetech cannot and does not add any value (rather the reverse) to the hardware they're selling, any big Chinese customers would either A: be stupid, or B: "adore" Eyetech (to re-use JK's terminology).
"In the interests of the existing Amiga community we absolutely have to broaden the market for the A1 technology [my emphasis] and for OS4, even if that involves using Linux as a trojan horse. [...] that responsibility is, for the moment at least, mainly falling on Eyetech's shoulders."
Yup, that's the sorry state AmigaOS has been put in. It's intentionally been made dependent on how well one dealer can sell a particular motherboard. Of course, this was probably meant to be interpreted as a Good Thing here. It's "in the interest of the Amiga community" that we should buy our hardware via Eyetech. :P
Who else is making PoP boards besides Genesi and Eyetech/Mai? Jesus Krispy Kreme Christ, look out the goddamn window! Amiga is going to *have* to piggyback on top of technology like this to get affordable hardware. Do you think Genesi could make it on just their PPC boards alone? Of course not. Their rolling their IP into stuff like STB's where they can actually MAKE SOME MONEY. Eyetech/Amiga must do the same.
To paraphrase our esteemed colleage bhoggett: "please try to use your head. It's so very important."
I'm not in *either* camp. Not Red, nor Blue. The Red guys can be over-enthusiastic at times, but you Blue-campers come up with the most ridiculous excuses for reasoning sometimes. Get a clue.
WOW.
Yeah, maybe I should stick to those "Scandinavian language boards" if someone can misunderstand me on such mindboggling levels in an English forum...
ISTR that I've explained my views on all this before, e.g. here (http://amigapop.8bit.co.uk).
Yes, of course AmigaOS will have to piggyback on (i.e. RUN ON and be SOLD FOR) third party hardware since there WILL BE NO MORE AMIGAS. Duh. For an example of third party hardware, you might have heard of the Teron/"AmigaOne" motherboards...
And this could of course be Very Good!
What sucks is that this new advantage for AmigaOS (the riddance of Amiga hardware) is removed. There's a make-believe game that AmigaOS users for some odd reason should only be allowed to buy our third party hardware from certain "Amiga dealers", and only after it's been renamed to "AmigaSomething-or-Other", after it's been dongled, and after it's been bundled with AmigaOS.
Whatever the heck hardware designers and vendors like Genesi, Apple, Mai, Eyetech, Whatever Ltd. have to do to make a profit (STBs, trips to China, whatever) should not have to be of our concern. If one dealer fails, tough sh!t for them, we don't care, we should be free to turn to another dealer regardless of the existence or not of an absolutely useless trademark/distributor license.
"Eyetech/Amiga"? There's the problem! It ought to simply be "AmigaOS, and whatever hardware it runs on." We shouldn't have to give a damn about who resells the hardware, whether they sell it bundled with something, or what they choose to call their hardware. We shouldn't have to "support" any particular vendor just because they chose to resell a piece of hardware using an "Amiga" name. Personally, I prefer to support (with my purchase) the dealer that can offer me the best and cheapest hardware. Others might want to support e.g. a licensed dealer who offers bundled systems. It should be our choice to make.
"Other POP boards"? I would hope that the future of AmigaOS isn't exclusively planned around what POP motherboards are available today (or only whatever Eyetech can offer), but I'm afraid that's not how things are. Remember, the compulsory licensing is to govern hardware availability for us for "all future versions of AmigaOS", according to AInc. Ergo: AmigaOS has been thoroughly fµcked.
If you still don't understand what I mean, I suggest asking Bill Hoggett whom you referred to. I don't know if he agrees with me, but I know he at least understands what I'm trying to say.
"Blue-campers"?
The campist world never ceases to amaze me.
Let's give AmigaOS at least a frigging chance to revival and actual userbase growth, because, uh, I'm a Blue Troll!
-
Thank you for clearly explaining your position. And while I agree with you on some of these points, I take issue with:
There's the problem! It ought to simply be "AmigaOS, and whatever hardware it runs on." We shouldn't have to give a damn about who resells the hardware, whether they sell it bundled with something, or what they choose to call their hardware. We shouldn't have to "support" any particular vendor just because they chose to resell a piece of hardware using an "Amiga" name
That would be nice, wouldn't it? Unfortunately these are the way deals are struck, and while Genesi's hardware is a bit less expensive, an "A1" isn't that bad. Remember how much an A4000T cost new? And running AOS on Apple hardware is possible, but not really feasible, since support would b non-existant.
The west is simply dominated by x86. If PPC can make inroads in China, that opens up the door not just for eyetech, but for anyone making PPC boards. And if China starts making their own PPC boards, so much the better.. competion bring the price down for everyone. Remember, the compulsory licensing is to govern hardware availability for us for "all future versions of AmigaOS", according to AInc. Ergo: AmigaOS has been thoroughly fµcked.
Can you support this claim with credible evidence? Everyone likes to bash on this point, but while Fleecy will speak out regarding this, I've never seen BBRV produce anything stating this isn't true. Can you direct me to evidence suggesting otherwise?
I apologize for being quite so harsh. I think it was JoannaK's post right before yours that set me off.
-
Herewegoagain: Show me even single post where I have said that Genesi, Pegasos or MorphOS are perfect? I don't give Ikir-like blind praises to anyone, because I consider that stupid and sheepish behaviour.
Show me the post where I said you did say that. That was in response to someone saying you never made a positive comment about anything. I'm glad you have your Pegasos. If I could get an OS4 license for it, I may very well have one too. Maybe someday.