ARM vs. PPC (why continue the PPC path?)

[zylesea]

THGM

While ppc is not the saviour of us all it has the benefit that MorphOS/AOS4 runs on it already. That is the *only* benefit of ppc over other architectures that holds some significance.
Hence the real question is not "ppc or ARM?", but "ppc or not ppc?". And in case of not ppc - why on earth should you choose ARM over x86 which is _for GP computers (aka PC)_ factors more widespread and very powerful and will not vanish in the foreseeable future.
ARM holds _zero_ significance fo Amiga today. There are virtually no powerful general purpose computers based on ARM available, but a gazillion of x86 pcs.

[zylesea]

Exactly my point!

Some people say that a dual core X1000 (or indeed a Power Mac with dual G4's) will make it possible to develop SMP for Amiga, but if you aim to do that, to develop "modern" features, like real SMP, real Memory Protection, 64-bit with increased addressable memory limit (which would also make "Virtual Memory"/swap-disk meaningful), it will *require* a break-up from the past, it will require a fresh start with a clean slate. And if you are to do that, why on earth continue the PPC path?

And as you said, no need to emulate the PPC. Most of the essential stuff is still "alive" and can be ported/recompiled. It would be a bit like AROS on x86 in that sense, you won't be able to run old 68k Amiga applications as seamless as you do in MorphOS today (would require UAE), but many of the MorphOS native applications could still be made available in a new version. Heck, with MorphOS 3.x, many things will even come bundled with the OS itself, including CD/DVD burning SW, FTP, etc.

I think you may agree to http://via.i-networx.de/q86.htm then. But my conclusion remains that yet for a switch x86 makes more sense than ARM.