Woooo... This I'll be fun...
ET: After our news story, we had a pretty strong posting on our website. Our member said that Amiga OS "will apply some form of hardware-license mechanism, a dongle to his hardware."
Bill McEwen: That's untrue.
Correct. Using some kind of dongle is NOT enforced by the AmigaOS4. AmigaOS4 only requires the hardware verification binaries installed onto a ROM, preferably a flashROM, and won't even be noticable by the user at all. Refering to that as a dongle is incorrect. The dongle thing was only something Hyperion suggested as a solution to hardware which has no flashROM.
ET: And that if you want AmigaOS, "you're not allowed to buy it. You have to buy a new Teron board."
Bill McEwen: That's untrue.
Correct. AmigaOS will be available seperately for Phase5 PPC board owners. Also, that should be an AmigaOne, not Teron. A Teron board will not even run AmigaOS in the first place.
ET: and that "Amiga Inc. has nothing to do with AmigaOS"
Bill McEwen: That's untrue.
Correct. There would be no AmigaOS4 at all if it wasn't for Amiga Inc. It's as simple as that.
IE: AOS4 will be rom attached to the A1
Incorrect interpretation. Enough said.
IE:the A1 is the only board licensed for AOS4
So far, yes.
IE:AOS4 will not be retail
To some extent, yes it will.
IE:you must either own an 'old' PPC Accel or buy the new A1 to run AOS4.... PPC Accel aside you cant just go pickup a ArticiaS based board and use AOS4 on it.
Well, yes you can. All you have to do is turn to your closest Amiga hardware dealer and ask him to get a licensed version of that product for you.
Now chew on that for a while... :-P