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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: EngineersCake on September 14, 2011, 09:25:55 AM

Title: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: EngineersCake on September 14, 2011, 09:25:55 AM
Perhaps this is a stupid question, but will Amiga run on IBM PowerPC hardware? (i.e. the Intellistation Power 185 or RS/6000) I know if it did, people would probably be talking a bout it. With the little research I've done, I haven't found anything.

Any thoughts?
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: Tension on September 14, 2011, 10:24:40 AM
no
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: HotRod on September 14, 2011, 10:49:18 AM
It runs on this series of computers (not produced any longer):

http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/AmigaOne
The Pegasos II that was made to run MorphOS but now AOS 4.1 also runs on it.

These computers (can be bought now):

http://www.acube-systems.biz/index.php?page=hardware

And finally the AmigaOne X1000 that isn't available yet but chances are that it will be available to end users this year,

http://a-eon.com/
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: EngineersCake on September 14, 2011, 09:19:34 PM
Thanks for the reply. Now how did Amiga get ported to those rare and discontinued boards and not to any mainstream hardware? (well, mainstream-ish) I've never actually seen an Intellistation or RS/6000 in person.

Also, there's an ODW with the Peg II on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pegasos-II-Open-Desktop-Workstation-/290607777969?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item43a992c8b1

Is installing Amiga on this as simple as instaling an OS on a WinTel machine?
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: commodorejohn on September 14, 2011, 09:35:39 PM
Quote from: EngineersCake;659377
Thanks for the reply. Now how did Amiga get ported to those rare and discontinued boards and not to any mainstream hardware? (well, mainstream-ish)
Oh, it's Hyperion policy never to port to anything that's commonly available, let alone inexpensive. Hell, it took them how many years to port AOS4 even to classic Amigas with PPC accelerators?
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: freqmax on September 14, 2011, 11:04:35 PM
Quote from: commodorejohn;659379
Oh, it's Hyperion policy never to port to anything that's commonly available, let alone inexpensive. Hell, it took them how many years to port AOS4 even to classic Amigas with PPC accelerators?


Ie.. use AmigaOS-3 on 68k hardware or NetBSD ;)
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: mongo on September 14, 2011, 11:10:54 PM
Quote from: EngineersCake;659377
Thanks for the reply. Now how did Amiga get ported to those rare and discontinued boards and not to any mainstream hardware? (well, mainstream-ish) I've never actually seen an Intellistation or RS/6000 in person.


Prices for an RS/6000 started at around $10,000 and went up to well over $100,000. A used Intellistation Power 185 will cost you $6000+. Not really a good choice for porting an OS to.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: EngineersCake on September 14, 2011, 11:13:07 PM
Haha! Thank for the alternative OS suggestions. Is it the software or the hardware that makes it so hard to port to different boards?

I read recently that a Mac LC could be modified with a ROM chip to become an A1000.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: commodorejohn on September 14, 2011, 11:20:26 PM
Quote from: EngineersCake;659389
Haha! Thank for the alternative OS suggestions. Is it the software or the hardware that makes it so hard to port to different boards?
Hardware drivers are the hardest part of porting an OS to another machine (unless you're also switching CPU architecture,) but in this case it's more just plain damn stubbornness.

Quote
I read recently that a Mac LC could be modified with a ROM chip to become an A1000.
I very much doubt that, as the LC's hardware is entirely different. In the best-case scenario it would only run perfectly OS-friendly programs that didn't touch the hardware at all, and even then it couldn't do it very well without the blitter.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: runequester on September 14, 2011, 11:32:01 PM
Well, the Pegasos boards were pretty mainstream, at least as far as these things goes. Too bad the company didn't keep up production of them.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: EngineersCake on September 14, 2011, 11:51:14 PM
Quote from: commodorejohn;659390
I very much doubt that, as the LC's hardware is entirely different. In the best-case scenario it would only run perfectly OS-friendly programs that didn't touch the hardware at all, and even then it couldn't do it very well without the blitter.

You're right about that. That was my mistake. It was NeXTStep that was running on the LC. I'm trying to familiarize myself with both systems.:)

Of course now I can't find the post on the NeXT forum. (le sigh)

Thanks for the info, people. (-:
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: bbond007 on September 15, 2011, 12:49:20 AM
Quote from: commodorejohn;659379
Oh, it's Hyperion policy never to port to anything that's commonly available, let alone inexpensive. Hell, it took them how many years to port AOS4 even to classic Amigas with PPC accelerators?


I guess at some point OS4 was working on the g4 Mac Mini (only 64mb vram model) but those machines are far too available and inexpensive, so they pulled the plug on that one...

I was going to try it, but my Mini did not have the right video configuration.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: ck007 on September 15, 2011, 03:52:12 AM
Quote from: bbond007;659401
I guess at some point OS4 was working on the g4 Mac Mini (only 64mb vram model) but those machines are far too available and inexpensive, so they pulled the plug on that one...

I was going to try it, but my Mini did not have the right video configuration.


Yeah that was a real shame.  I had the right Mac Mini and had OS4 installed.  Was fairly unstable and froze a lot but looked promising.  If only they continued development...

Apparently Acube did the port without an agreement or contract which stirred up sh*t with Amiga Inc. and (I think) Hyperion.

As per usual, anything that would get Amiga to the masses gets sh*t canned
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: Senex on September 15, 2011, 06:10:31 AM
Quote from: EngineersCake;659377
Also, there's an ODW with the Peg II on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pegasos-II-Open-Desktop-Workstation-/290607777969?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item43a992c8b1

Is installing Amiga on this as simple as instaling an OS on a WinTel machine?

While I don't use AmigaOS4, but MorphOS instead, I suppose the answer is basically "yes". Given that two out of the three Post-Commodore Amiga operating systems can be run natively on the Pegasos II, it might be the best choice.

MorphOS in addition also runs on PowerPC Macs (Homepage (http://www.morphos.de/)).

AROS (http://www.aros.org/) on the other hand is running on standard PCs (although one has to check compatibility due to the variety of configurations), including an Android hosted (http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2011-09-00042-EN.html) port now as well.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: Heiroglyph on September 15, 2011, 06:15:58 AM
Quote from: EngineersCake;659389
Haha! Thank for the alternative OS suggestions. Is it the software or the hardware that makes it so hard to port to different boards?


The license. :flame:

Quote

I read recently that a Mac LC could be modified with a ROM chip to become an A1000.


I read fiction too.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: Varthall on September 15, 2011, 08:15:24 AM
Quote from: EngineersCake;659377
Thanks for the reply. Now how did Amiga get ported to those rare and discontinued boards and not to any mainstream hardware? (well, mainstream-ish) I've never actually seen an Intellistation or RS/6000 in person.

Actually, the Sam460ex motherboard has been released last year, while the Lite version has been released last May, and they are both still produced and sold.

Quote

Is installing Amiga on this as simple as instaling an OS on a WinTel machine?

The installation procedure has (at least on my AmigaOne) been always fast and simple (like with Windows or Linux), I believe it is the same for Pegasos II machines, too.

Varthall
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: Duce on September 15, 2011, 09:28:42 AM
Installing OS4 on my SSD (SATA) equipped SAM 440 takes under 3 minutes, from start to reboot/usable state.

It could not be any more simple.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: Minuous on September 15, 2011, 12:02:39 PM
Quote from: EngineersCake;659389
Haha! Thank for the alternative OS suggestions. Is it the software or the hardware that makes it so hard to port to different boards?


Hyperion have actually gone out of their way to deliberately put DRM crap to artificially prevent it from running on most machines that would be otherwise capable. Similar to the crap Apple does with their worthless OS.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: nicholas on September 15, 2011, 02:31:51 PM
Quote from: Minuous;659427
Hyperion have actually gone out of their way to deliberately put DRM crap to artificially prevent it from running on most machines that would be otherwise capable. Similar to the crap Apple does with their worthless OS.


There is no DRM in OSX nor is there any in OS4 either.

Lack of hardware drivers for other machines does not equal DRM.

Using your twisted logic one could say OS 3.9 has DRM because it doesn't run on Atari ST's or 68k Macs.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: tone007 on September 15, 2011, 02:43:59 PM
I totally went out and picked one of these up for free hoping to run OS4 on it.

(http://szervermuzeum.hu/common/server-pictures/alphaserver4100.jpg)

Well, not really.  I just wanted a cool blue coffee table.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: Templario on September 15, 2011, 03:06:00 PM
No, because the OS isn't programmed fot this machines, but if there are much people as you, the Mor.. that like runs over old machines, maybe.
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: jj on September 15, 2011, 03:26:14 PM
Quote from: mongo;659388
Prices for an RS/6000 started at around $10,000 and went up to well over $100,000. A used Intellistation Power 185 will cost you $6000+. Not really a good choice for porting an OS to.

Thats sounds ideal for an OS4 high spec platfrom.  The X1000 will prob be in those price regions. :)
Title: Re: Amiga on the IBM hardware?
Post by: cicero790 on September 15, 2011, 05:20:48 PM
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