A-EON Technology and ACube Systems strengthen strategic alliance

[matthey]

I hope that this means a cheaper low-end Amigas. Wich would mean higher volumes, as it is possible produce low-end PPC mobos really cheap, less than 50%&$#?@!%&$#?@!%&$#?@!8364; per unit.

How many PPC Amiga users want a low-end PPC Amiga? Even a low end PPC Amiga needs customers to lower costs. Most PPC Amiga users want reasonably priced high-end PPC Amigas but there aren't enough customers judging by the prices. IMO, the only hardware capable of selling over 10,000 units (still low end volume production) is 68k hardware with at least 68020+AGA chipset compatibility and with a low price. High end 68k hardware is still low end in terms of cost and in comparison to modern hardware. The FPGA Arcade is the base standard now (68020+AGA+RTG) and if the spec or cost can't be beat then it is better to work with Mike to produce the FPGA Arcade in larger quantities (lowering the cost) than to compete against him.

[matthey]

I don't mean to complain but suffering the truth now is better than suffering more later.

1) Most users don't want low end PPC hardware lacking Amiga custom chip compatibility.
2) Most users don't want to pay for high end low production custom PPC hardware.
3) Most users don't want more 68000+ECS hardware as we have plenty.

We want at least 68020+AGA+RTG, 128MB of memory and modern hardware I/O. Anything less is bringing out an inferior product to what is already available and I don't see the point. Many Amiga users and developers would like to see AmigaOS 3.x back in development and becoming more API compatible to other Amiga flavors like AmigaOS 4.x. Without cheap low end Amiga hardware, there will be fewer and fewer Amiga users and developers wanting high end hardware similar to what they are familiar with. That's game over for the Amiga.

[matthey]

Matthey, you are aware that most Amiga users are running some version of UAE and are perfectly happy with that?

I don't know about most but many are happy with UAE. I have UAE+AmiKit installed here on my used PC (<$100 U.S. but more powerful than any AmigaOS 4 hardware) and it is nice for some things but I still prefer my real Amiga which is not held hostage by a foreign OS (even with SMB networking setup between the Amiga and PC). I believe there would be a draw to hardware that is cheap and convenient (many people with a fast PC still use slower smart phones, tablets and netbooks) and enhancements to the Amiga custom chips and CPU would become difficult for UAE to emulate (MMU emulation already can't be used with UAE JIT for example).

I don't know if the specification has been changed now, due to the cooperation, but one year ago, the Minimig Plus was planned to equal an Amiga with 68030 CPU at 30 MHz. Furthermore it was intended to have space enough for an AGA core.

The DragonBall CPU was mentioned but it is only a faster 68000. There are several problems with that...

1) Much AGA software assumes at least a 68020 CPU (AGA was never released with a 68000 CPU)
2) Much non-AGA software assumes at least a 68020 CPU
3) AmigaOS 3.1 was the last to support the 68000
4) Finding 68000 only versions of programs is a pain
5) The 68000 is old and much less efficient for complex programs and/or programs >64kB (huge size at the time of processors advancing from 8 to 16 bit)

I don't expect compatibility can be good with the DragonBall past the late '80s and ECS. The TG68 CPU in a large but older Cyclone III (like Majsta targets with his new accelerators) with CPU+chipset beats it and this is not expensive. It may even be cheaper to produce the board without the DragonBall although it could be used for I/O and menu operation (the DragonBalls may already be purchased).