ARM or x86 with FPGA emulator

[Kremlar]

but beyond that I've ran servers for 3-4 years and in that time my x86 boxes have died catastrophically, one caught fire and destroyed two XServe in the same cage.

As others have pointed out, that really sounds quite bizarre.  What brand/model servers were these?  And you somehow equate a system supposedly catching fire to the type of processor it has?

[Kremlar]

Perhaps there was something very defective about your server.  The fact that it caught on fire and you can't even remember the brand strikes me as odd - I sure as heck would remember the brand of something that caught fire on my property.

Either way you can't damn all servers that use the same processor architecture because you're not buying decent equipment.  I've sold hundreds of servers and never had one catch fire.  We mostly do low/medium-end ($5K - $10K) Intel white label, and we have NEVER had a server catch fire and the systems are incredibly reliable.  Intel provides top notch warranty service as well.

Now, if I spend $35K-$40K on a Power7 I do expect it be a better built server - but that has nothing to do with the processor architecture.

[Kremlar]

If you're going to move anywhere you move to an architecture where there is an existing inexpensive desktop product that exists - like x86.

[Kremlar]

lemote.com/en/products

Available today?  At what cost?  Available tomorrow?  There's no security there.

For higher performance stuff, a company like A-EON could take one of the open designs such as the OpenSPARC T1 and build boards off that for reasonable prices

Reasonable to who??  It would not be "reasonable" at low volume.

Yeah and that will be the day I move to another NG product that doesn't do that. You don't realize the scope of issues that is going to cause. Look at BeOS/Be Inc. if you want to know what lies in store for anyone wanting to play with the big boys.

Certainly no worse than AmigaOS is right now.  The x86 solution is quite clear - port to x86, pick a solid board to support early in its life cycle with a long projected life cycle, write drivers and build your new "AmigaXXX" out of it.  Integrate emulation for 68k apps in a sandbox.  No one cares about PowerPC apps.  Buy 1000 boards at $60/each and you have a stock of new "AmigaXXX"s to sell.

There's no advantage to custom hardware, so why use anything but the best?  If you look at price/performance/availability/stability on the desktop NOTHING beats x86 quite clearly.

Certainly no less "Amiga" than what is being sold today.

[Kremlar]

The Lemote computers are readily available from resellers, they sell them on Amazon and other online retailers.

I've never heard of them.  There's ONE vendor on Amazon named "Revolutionary Books" with a 33% rating (3 reviews in the past 12 months) selling a Lemote netbook for $1500, and also for $2500?  This is the architecture you think they should port to??  I seriously doubt you'd ever get one if you ordered from that Amazon vendor.

BeOS failed to right it's ship even after porting to x86 because their sales were atrocious and Apple did not save them.  AmigaOS sales are atrocious now, so what's the difference?  Hyperion somehow seems to survive by selling a handful of licenses (if that) per month, which Be could not do.  

I'm not saying AmigaOS will survive long term by porting to x86, but it certainly won't survive on the path it's on now, and certainly would not survive if ported to ANOTHER obscure platform like you are suggesting.

I'm not a fan of the NG systems in general - I don't see the point, unless something unique can be brought to the table.  But, if you're going to do SOMETHING, don't spend incredible resources to just move sideways like you are suggesting.

Amiga was different because it was better.  There's nothing better about current NG systems, hardware or software - they are worse.  Porting to an obscure platform does not change that.  Porting to x86 could at least put them in the ballpark hardware wise, and resources could then be devoted to software instead.

Look what the move to x86 did for the Mac?  Saved the platform.  Of course the Amiga market doesn't have Apple-like resources, but with WinUAE a sandbox already exists to run classic apps on x86 - and that's half the battle.

AROS isn't successful because:
 - It's not "blessed" with the Amiga name
 - It tries to support generic x86 hardware and does not have "official" hardware behind it.
 - There are not enough resources devoted to it.

Personally, I think the biggest Amiga market is the classic market.  A Natami-like product would sell FAR more than a NG product.  It's far more interesting.

[Kremlar]

If you yourself aren't interested in NG Amiga hardware then you're doing nothing more than trolling this topic. Don't put out ideas that will potentially ruin what's left of the community if you have no intention of taking responsibility for your ideas, which your lack of interest clearly indicates.

LOL, responsibility for my ideas?  If I wanted responsibility for my ideas I'd put my money where my mouth is and fund a project.

I'm not interested in current NG products, but of course if NG becomes more accessible and practical then I may be interested.

Furthermore, you don't understand that putting a proprietary OS that lacks most features new users are familiar with on the same ballgame as Windows, OS X and GNU/Linux will result in them being trampled.

They are being trampled now.  The only difference would be the cost of entry would be far lower and future development costs would be less - after, of course, the cost to port to x86.

Be tried to be another x86 operating system.  I'm not suggesting that - don't bring your OS to x86.  I'm saying pick an inexpensive x86 board and bring it to your OS - more like what Apple did than what Be did.

Going after an idea with a gamble such as the entire OS and company at stake is an unacceptable risk

OK, so why are you suggesting a port to an obscure, obsolete platform?

[Kremlar]

Then you just supported my point that you're here to troll and nothing more.

No, I'm here to discuss a topic on a public message board.

Yeah, because everyone should be like Apple. Bunch of garbage they produce since Leopard. No, just no. That will fail just as hard.

So... Apple produces garbage, and Lemote systems are fantastic?  Just trying to set a baseline here.

MIPS and SPARC aren't obsolete.

They are both obsolete and irrelevant on the desktop.

[Kremlar]

People buy what they can afford which suits their needs, I'm sure your device suits your needs and fits in your budget, my device does the same. There is no need to be pejorative about anyone's choice.

Right.  Different tools for different jobs.  My phone runs Android, but I'd recommend an iPhone to most non-technical people.