windows = workbench

[mpiva]

   Well, it's probably best put this way:

Windows = AmigaOS

MS-DOS = AmigaDOS (Command Prompt = CLI/Shell)

explorer = Workbench

Remember, Workbench is JUST a file manager.  It is possible to run ANY amiga program without ever loading Workbench. I used to always boot into DiskMaster instead. In fact, your basic GUI (intuition) is available even if you boot without startup (or boot from a blank disk).

Also, for AmigaOS 3.5/3.9 you do need to have Kickstart 3.1 and it is acceptable to consider them to upgrade the entire OS (not just the Workbench as others have suggested), because even though there are no OS3.5/3.9 Kickstart CHIPS, the kickstart IS patched in memory.

Finally, you don't need a harddrive to boot into workbench but you WILL need a harddrive if you plan on using AmigaOS3.5/3.9 (they won't fit on a single disk).

[mpiva]

bloodline wrote:

leirbag28 wrote:

You can:

Use AOL Instant Messenger (AmigAIM)
Yahoo Instant messenger (JabberWocky)
iPOD pod casting (AmiPodder)
IRC     (AmIRC, BlackIRC, Wookichat)
Internet Explorer   (A-Web, iBrowse, Voyager)
Outlook express or JUNO    (YAM, SimpleMail)
PowerPoint      (SCALA MM300, MediaPoint, AmigaVision)
Microsoft Word   (Final Writer, AmigaWriter, Wordworth)
Excel    (Final Data)
WinAMP      (AMPlifier, Amiga AMP)
WinZIP    (WizARC, X-ARC)
Adobe PhotoShop    (Perfect Paint, ImageFX, FX Paint)

You can't compare Photoshop with ANY Amiga image package!
You can't compare Execl with Final Data, nor can you compare Internet Explorer with ANY Amiga browser!

  For the record, you REALLY can't compare Excel if FinalData as the first is a spreadsheet app and the second is a database app.  Perhaps you meant FinalCalc, on this I would agree.  I was never too impressed with FinalCalc but seem to be forgetting TurboCalc.  I think you could compare Excel to TurboCalc.  I'm sure there's a lot of stuff that Excel can do that TurboCalc can't but I'd be hardpressed to find any (and I do some fairly complex Physics).  And if you take into account ARexx, I'm sure you could ANYTHING Excel could do (although, admittedly it would require a lot more work)

  The same goes for Word and FinalWriter.  In my opinion, FinalWriter97 was WAY better than Word97.  It's too bad both FinalWriter and TurboCalc have ceased development.  If development on both those Apps had continued to this day I'm sure MS Office compatability would be a nonissue for the Amiga.  (I'd do ANYTHING to get the source to those two apps... mind you, from what I understand, TurboCalc was 100% assembler so that wouldn't help too much)

[mpiva]

3246251196 wrote:
this is interesting:

with me being at college we do a lot of work using MS applications.

is there a way to convert a MSWord document i created at college to lets say a version of FinalWriter so i can work on it on the amiga. or is this mere poppycock!?

  Only inderectly.  From MSWord, save the file as an RTF.  FinalWriter can read and write RTF files and it should preserve most of your formatting.