A thought on the Future of Amiga

[Starrunner]

So in my travels with things, a thought occurred to me.

I noticed that there are different groups (factions) inside the Amiga community.  It appears that over time splits have developed and they are deep.

I've visited some of the other Amiga sites and they seem to be right or left wing for a lack of better terms.  At the current rate of affairs, I suspect a statement I saw on here will be more true than not in the Future:

There will be more Amiga portals than Amiga users.

So in my brain a idea formed itself.  What if the the Amiga.org community banded together and created our own path for an Amiga solution?  Amongst us, we seem to be the most level headed and stable lot of the Amiga 'factions' in existence.  We are not bogged down in the unfathomable mass of corporate double speak, lies and pure drivel that comes from the corporate end.  Most of us seem to be flexible enough to love the Classic Amiga and its solution, while still encompassing the thought of something similar that is not quite the Amiga, but provides a solution close enough in reality.  

I am not a programmer, or a businessman of any note.  I am not an ad exec or CEO.  I am a person who loves the Amiga, what it offered and want a solution to the dread of Windows Vista or being forced into something totally estoteric for my next OS/computer platform.

Perhaps I am making this sound easy.  I know it is not.  I know that it would be a monumentous undertaking.  I think it would be worth it however, to preserve something we all love and enjoy.  Something that was once great, and could easy be great again.

I am throwing this out as a suggestion.  I know little about how to implement this.  I would be willing to give it a try at the least.

Thought, comments and the like are welcome.

[Starrunner]

Perhaps it might mean another faction, but if it could combine some forces some how then maybe.

[Starrunner]

Marco wrote:
The problem is, level-headed as the average Aorg user is, there is still a lot of factionalism even here. The community is not split along community lines but the faction lines set up by the 'players' involved in the Amiga name. The infamous 'Red' and 'Blue' camps - the zealots who see some sort of war between the 'official' AmigaInc and their prodcut (or lack thereof). And the, frankly more realistic supporters of Genesi/MorphOS who can at least buy a vaguely modern computer and OS - and even have a proper net browser from what I hear.

These two camps often also include and overlapping group of even more biggoted user - the PPC zealots, these holy-warriors make it their divine duty to banish the evils of modernity and success from Amigaland by shouting down every attempt to seriously move the platform to x86 and no AMD64. They are pitted in eternal battle with the dread fiends of AROS (who I think need a colour-camp of their own, I'm always partial to yellow in these situations).

MorphOS was probably the best way forward when PPC on the desktop was still around and had a future, since the Apple transition though... Meh. (n.b. anyone who mentions Cell or Wii [or  IBM and their customisation hoo-hah] will force me to unleash the terrible hordes of my mutant flying monkeys! j/k) It is still the best developed of the 3 Amigoid clones, but I (and I'm sure a few others) don't want to shell out for obscure hardware to run it. Especially since the cessation of PegasosII production; Efika just doesn't set my heart a flutter. So to speak.

AROS at the moment also has very little future, it has the most potential of the 3 clones but until the devs get some serious organisation and shake things up they're never gonna win over the community at large. They may have no schedule, but I don't see 'em rocking. They need a Linus Torvalds type character, a benevolent dictator who rallies the troops and gets them to produce.

OS4 and Amiga are dead in the water frankly. They have shown the world exactly how NOT to run a company, The OS Hyperion delivered doesn't really seem to do anything that MorphOS doesn't, less in fact as you can't seriously browse the net yet. The boing sticker doesn't really mean much to a lot of people anymore, No one who ever made Amiga great has anything to do with the current incarnation of Amiga. I'd rather buy a computer from Irving Gould. At least he knew to hire someone competent to make the money, then fire them and do a runner.

The classic scene is I think the only one that people can still rally around. It is unassailably Amiga. It has the most activity going on at this time, and unites both those seeking a retro 'fix' and those who realise that you don't really need a 12GHz septupal core Intel Core15-Ultra-Mega-Overheat to do a bit of word processing, artwork or use a spreadsheet. Projects like the MiniMig, Clone-A, the AROS Kickstart replacement, Motorollin's 3.9 ROM hack, lots of interesting projects that don't concern themselves with the tech race. Which is nice.

Hmmmm...in light of this then perhaps my thought was just wishful thinking.  Very wishful thinking by the look of it.

I had not realised the divide was that deep.  I had done research on both AROS and MorphOS.  Both seemed nice but you are right about points with both OSes.  

I can not see trying to hunt down all the pieces and parts to run a PPC setup with MorphOS.  If I am going to go that far, I minds as well get a Sun box and run Solaris.

As for AROS, you are right that it has the most promise, but it needs much.  I have a copy for eval actually waiting for me to have the time.

I knew years ago that Amiga Inc and OS4.0 was a joke when I got a reply from Bill McEwan that was long and contained many words.  When I subjected it to analysis though, it actually said nothing.

I would love to see a true port to x86 for some kind of AmigaOS.  It would save me from having to go to Linux for my home machine.  It might even save me from going to a Mac for my video production stuff.

Oh well, wishful thinking.

[Starrunner]

ral-clan wrote:

The classic scene is I think the only one that people can still rally around. It is unassailably Amiga. It has the most activity going on at this time, and unites both those seeking a retro 'fix' and those who realise that you don't really need a 12GHz septupal core Intel Core15-Ultra-Mega-Overheat to do a bit of word processing, artwork or use a spreadsheet. Projects like the MiniMig, Clone-A, the AROS Kickstart replacement, Motorollin's 3.9 ROM hack, lots of interesting projects that don't concern themselves with the tech race. Which is nice.

Here, Here!  Well said.  Sums up my sentiments about using the old hardware perfectly.

I loved every Amiga I've owned, even the A4000 that I have trouble with at the current moment.  But something new needs to come along.  Something that puts the Amiga, or at least the OS back on the map.  Let's face it, if you've heard about the fun things that Vista is doing and capable of, you'd be scrambling for an alternative.  I would love to be able to use an Amiga for everything, but had to sell my soul to get my video stuff running...on a Winhos based system.  Now I may have to sell it again, to Mac.

Like I said, perchance to dream.  It would be nice to do something.

[Starrunner]

TheMagicM wrote:
The Amiga community doesnt need any more forums.  There is AWN for Amiga Classic/OS4, MorphZone for MOS and AO for both.  The rest are just a waste of time.

-Alex

PS. I'm going to create a EFIKA forum.  EverythingEFIKA.  EE.net.   All others will be assimilated.  :crazy:

The thought was not for a new Amiga forum.  The thought actually was more for us to get together and make something.  Just a thought, more alin to wishful thinking.

[Starrunner]

philipj wrote:
When I first got back into the Amiga it was for good reasons, I was looking for an alternative to Windows Vista (over 512mb ram while stationary in the OS.. wtf!!).

I then saw what could be done with the old hardware to seriously "vamp" it up, but got a bit obsessed with having to have the "super" Amiga. I then found that the best way forward was to go with the AmigaOne/OS4 approach if I wanted an up-to-date op, which wasn't going to happen anytime fast.

After eventually finding out the only real way to get that op. was to either wait for new licensing or go back in time and become a beta tester, I asked myself that is the Amiga name really important?

The answer.. NO! Messing with emulators, MorphOS, AROS etc. it's all in good fun. :-)

Why restrict yourself? Why commit yourself to one camp?

Take it as it comes I say - If and when OS4 gets properly released, then let the games begin! Until then, like others have said, there's plenty of other flavours to try out and taste before becoming obsessed with a name or specific hardware/software.

Just look at Ubuntu and Firefox, they've been coming along nicely and goes to show that open-source truly RULES! :-D

Our options are open, maybe even the different camps will inspire each other to progress further/faster, if they're in direct competition I mean.

Just my thoughts anyways. Sorry if I'm stating the obvious or just saying what's already been said. :lol:

Edit: Spelling.

Phillipj:  From what I have seen and heard there is never going to be an OS4.  The license for that has been passed around more than a woman of questionable moral values.  It is never going to come because there are too many forces working against it.  

I for one am at a loss as to what to do.