Should we really crack IBrowse 2.4???

[amigadave]

Boot_WB wrote:
@Nearly-right

I've still got a warm fuzzy feeling about having the upgradae from 2.3 > 2.4 :-D

Ibrowse3 will be a bonus, but based on the time gap between 2.3 > 2.4, I'm not holding my breath.

Not being a "Ibrowse Fan", coming from a history of buying and using AWeb in the distant past and recently via AmiKit emulation, I have not kept up with the features that Ibrowse 2.4 has and AWeb3.5 does not.

It is my understanding that AWeb is currently being worked on as an Open Source project which I think is a good thing.

If Ibrowse2.4 were commercially available I would probably buy it just to support further development, but AWeb3.5 works fine for most of my browsing needs on an Amiga or emulated Amiga so far as I usually leave security sensitive Internet browsing for my Mac.

[amigadave]

@apex,

Off topic, but do you have a new website url for the Phoenix2 project?  The only one I have is no longer any good.

[amigadave]

persia wrote:
I agree, let's get Moana working and put to work those old PPC Macs...

I detest pirating of software and those that do it, but I have to admit that given the current state of Amiga Inc. and Hyperion, I am all for turning all the pirates loose on getting Moana to work on every PPC Mac ever produced.

It would be the greatest thing to happen to the Amiga community since the invention of the Video Toaster!

It might even bring back a few of the Amiga developers and coders that have left us long ago.

[amigadave]

EyeAm wrote:

from Matt_H:

It's a weird dynamic we have in the Amiga market. We have a long history of vaporware announcments, culminating, I think, with Amiga, Inc.'s Executetive Updates in the 2000-2001 period. Eventually even they said that they wouldn't announce anything until it was ready to ship. They've been essentially silent ever since (apart from additional vapor announcements), and I think that others, consciously or not, don't want to be perceived as another Amiga, Inc. (or similar non-delivering entity).

The pendulum's gone too far in the opposite direction, though. We've gone from vapor to nothing and I think that's hurting the "market" just as badly. With no news, it looks like there's no activity and users are ready to throw in the towel, whether that be leaving the platform (as seems to have happened with a lot of Pegasos/MOS users), or declaring a product dead and asking for keyfiles. If I may suggest, no perceptible news leads to no perceptible user interest leads to no developer interest, maybe?

But there is interest, as the occasional, yet lively, IBrowse (and MorphOS2, etc.) threads show.

I think everyone is (or should be) aware that Amiga development isn't sustainable as a primary business and that coding is done on one's own time and therefore takes longer. No problem. I was too harsh with my comments on IBrowse development being slow. Amiga users are patient. They wait. But if it looks like there's nothing to be waiting for, then that's the problem.

Not asking for release dates. Maybe just a semi-annual check-in. What's been worked on, what's still to be done, a screengrab or two (WinUAE is great with these sorts of updates). That's all. And I'm not just talking about IBrowse. Visible activity on any product would help sustain the market (maybe even expand it if some hardware turns up), benefiting users and developers alike.

EDIT: Bottom line: Take pride in your products and let people know they exist!

Exactly! Best post I've seen on this in awhile.  :hat:

I agree totally (well not totally, MorphOS users ARE part of the Amiga community, not people who have left it), very well said Matt. A simple mention that work is continuing would be nice every 3 to 4 months, a detailed list of what is being worked on and what has been completed would be even better.  The lack of effort to set up sales of 2.4 keyfiles after tons of requests and offers to help by AmigaKit and others is just not to be understood by the rest of the Amiga community.