Eyetech CEO Clarifies AmigaOne/OS4.0 Announcement

[SlimJim]

> Don't tell me that every time I want to upgrade,
> I have to buy a whole new motherboard, processor,
>  or other piece of hardware.
 
Although I'm not sure if you have to update the
hardware dongle with every new update of the OS,
I'ts certain that you don't have to buy a new mother-
board with each OSupdate.

 I really don't see how anyone  could interpret the
licence like that. Well, if it CAN be misundertood, I
guess AInc DID made a bad job at being clear...
Ben H.at least, was very amused with the sheer thought of
having to buy a new board for every update, when this
misinterpretation was suggested in a thread on ANN:-)
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

@Seehund:

" As a result, AmigaOS4 and all future versions will
 ship only on those hardware products to which Amiga
 Inc has specifically granted a license after reviewing
 the capabilities of both the solution provider and
 their product. "
 
I don't think this has to be a whole motherboard
(and nor does Alan or Ben). To "ship only ON..." can
be interpreted as "shipping only in a way so that AOS4
only run on the hardware we licence." No, you won't be
able to use that custom -off the shelf linus board (if
they exist). But this licence don't stop newer version
of the OS to ship, with our without an updated dongle,
as long as it works on the licenced board. You
certainly don't have to buy a new MB every time.
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

Those of you not already there should really start reading the (public) archives on the AmigaONE mailing list at Yahoo! Groups. Alan clarifies and clarifies and clarifies time after time over there ;-)
 There really isn't much more to wonder about.
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

@Wayne

> I'm not imagining things, nor am I "reading
> too much into it". It says, in no uncertain
> terms that AmigaOS4 and all future versions will
> ONLY SHIP WITH HARDWARE.
 
I certainly would never think you were imagining
things, but rather you are perhaps "reading too
little into it" Actually it says (quote):
 
"AmigaOS4 and all future versions will ship only
on those hardware products to which Amiga Inc has
specifically granted a license".
 
I wouldn't think this means AOS will only come with
hardware. It will ship only 'ON' those hardware-products
they have licensed (..and capable of running them -> enter
the dongle code). Be that hardware previously sold
or not - it will run ship so that it can run ON them.
 I agree that if one (and indeed several) can misinterpret
this, it IS unclearly worded.
 
But this is how Ben and Alan see it, it sounds logical,
and as there is nothing in the licensing wording to
prevent you from shipping AOS updates without bundling
it with a new motherboard each time. The other
way around is another matter of course - if you buy
hardware (capable of running...well you know it by now!)
 - then you HAVE to buy AOS together with it. But that was
not the question here.

(by the way, even we if we *should* follow your interpretation
strictly, nowhere is it said that 'hardware' means
a complete MB. Isn't that socketed ROM also
hardware;-)?.
.
SlimJim

[SlimJim]

Or in the words of Alan Redhouse (another post on the
AmigaONE ML):
 
"You can buy OS4 without an AmigaOne board but it will only work on hardware
that has a dongled ROM or an original 3.1 kickstart chip (in the case of
CyberstormPPC accelerators)"
 
Ties this subject up quite nicely, I'd say.
.
SlimJim