How does AmigaDE on PocketPC work?

[Pilgrim]

Hi.

I'm new to the world of Amiga having discovered it through a press releases relatively recently.

I've noticed that you'll be able to deploy Amiga apps on the PocketPC (PPC) once you've directly installed the AmigaDE software (or, alternatively use one of the smart media cards that comes with the Amiga Entertainment Pack).

I'm curious, what sort of advantages are there to designing apps for the PPC on the AmigaDE platform?  What are the disadvantages? How does AmigaDE platform compare to running apps in native code?

[Lando]

You can't run Amiga apps on AmigaDE (meaning apps made for the Amiga computer or for Amiga OS).  You can only run apps made specifically for AmigaDE/Tao Intent (of which there are very few).

With AmigaDE, you're coding in a supposedly CPU agnostic way so the app will run on any device running AmigaDE.

Advantages? I can't think of any...  Theoretically you've got a wider market to sell to, as there are far more PocketPC owners than Amiga owners out there, but in reality sales have been very bad, there are no more than a a couple of dozen (shareware-quality) games available, and there hasn't been any new development on AmigaDE for many months.  It's pretty much dead.

On the bright side, the AmigaDE SDK can now be picked up for next to nothing from many dealers.  (Yes, we know must companies give away their SDK for free, but this is Amiga Inc we're talking about).  In reality, If you want to write PocketPC games, there are far better ways of doing it than AmigaDE.

[takemehomegrandma]

@ Pilgrim

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

That was a good one!  :-)

[GadgetMaster]

takemehomegrandma wrote:
@ Pilgrim

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

That was a good one!  :-)

@TMHGM

I think the post was a genuine query from a person new to the scene.

From the outdated information available on certain websites it is easy for people to make that mistake.

IMO , Your mocking of newbies seems a bit arrogant.

Luckily at least Lando gave a decent explanation

[Pilgrim]

Thank you, Lando.

Is the AmigaDE/Tao the only Amiga related platform capable of running in a micro-environment, like a cell phone?

[yssing]

I think there are some others.
well MS have some variants of CE that runs of some cell phones.
IIRC QNX can do it to.. and I ma sure there are some micro linux thingys that can do it to.

[seer]

Whatever one thinks of AmigaDE, you have to wonder why M$ is willing to support it ? If it's so bad, why distribute it under M$ label,  and if it's so great (and in theorie a threath to M$ as it will run on other platforms sooner or later) why embrace it ?

[Ohno]

@Pilgrim

PocketPC (PPC)

I hope you didn't mix up the term PPC (as in processor). PPC is the processor the next generation of AmigaOS is going to run on (same processor as the Mac uses).

Then there is a seperate movement that focuses on mobile devices, which is done through the DE (Digital Environment), also known as Amiga-Anywhere. One of the target devices is pocket PC, but also Symbian and theoretically anything else as well.

I'm curious, what sort of advantages are there to designing apps for the PPC on the AmigaDE platform? What are the disadvantages? How does AmigaDE platform compare to running apps in native code

Advantages are the bigger target market, but also the chances for bedroom programmers to get into developing games again (on the desktop it will be hard for a developer to get his/her games released). Also a lot of other apps can be usefull on the road. AmigaDE performs very well compared to running apps in native code, since you can program the apps toward a virtual processor. On load-time the apps are converted to native (not interpreted runtime as in java). This means loading the app takes a little longer, but the end result will be very fast.


@Lando

Advantages? I can't think of any... Theoretically you've got a wider market to sell to, as there are far more PocketPC owners than Amiga owners out there, but in reality sales have been very bad, there are no more than a a couple of dozen (shareware-quality) games available, and there hasn't been any new development on AmigaDE for many months. It's pretty much dead.

While I agree with you with the fact that there are not that many titles out there, I have to note that you are mistaken about the 'no new developments'-part. DE is not dead or even dying and a lot of things are happening.

Regards,

Onno

[seer]

While I agree with you with the fact that there are not that many titles out there, I have to note that you are mistaken about the 'no new developments'-part. DE is not dead or even dying and a lot of things are happening.

Can you tell a bit more ? (I know you're under NDA, but some snippets ??)

[takemehomegrandma]

Pilgrim wrote:

Is the AmigaDE/Tao the only Amiga related platform capable of running in a micro-environment, like a cell phone?

AFAIK, the only Amiga related platform that has been proven running in a micro-envireonment is AROS (on a Palm PDA).

[asian1]

>AmigaDE advantage

Hello
AmigaDE will be available on top of AmigaOS 4.2. At present it is available on MS Windows and Linux X86. The main advantage: portability. The same program can run on multiple OS and hardware platforms without any modification / re-compilation, at optimal speed.

TAOS, the pre-cursor of Intent, is capable of running on multiple types of CPU at the same time with automatic load balancing. In 1995, I use TAOS with ordinary Dell Pentium 75 MHz and YARC Quad PowerPC 601 / 80 MHz inside a single case.

The potential of Intent is great. It can be used as standard agent for Grid / Utility Computing on various remote computers. Intent is supported by 50+ major companies. See OCPA.

OCPA

>Why MS support AmigaDE?
Ask Bill Gates... I hope he does not know about Amiga Curse that had reached the letter "M"!
Amiga - Commodore - Escom - Gateway - Invisible Hand - Kouri Capital - M??
 

[Ohno]

@seer

Can you tell a bit more ? (I know you're under NDA, but some snippets ??)

Hmm.. well, looking at your sig I'm not sure it wise  :-D

Everything you say will be misquoted and used against you.

Ohh well... Patrick Roberts just added a very usefull and powerfull audio-library to the Amiga-Anywhere environment, ami2d is continuesly improving, I'm working on a vector graphics lib and on three more projects. (Jami, Go For Goal and a new graphics adventure). And a lot more stuff is happening at Amiga Inc. And it isn't all just Amiga-Anywhere related either as some people claim. They really do work very hard in a lot of different areas and I like the things I see happening.

Regards,

Onno

[mepmepmep]

@Ohno

AmigaDE performs very well compared to running apps in native code, since you can program the apps toward a virtual processor. On load-time the apps are converted to native (not interpreted runtime as in java). This means loading the app takes a little longer, but the end result will be very fast.

Sounds exactly like how Microsofts own CLR (Common Language Runtime) works. CLR, for those who don't know, is the heart, the executing engine, of Microsofts .NET Framework.
Wonder if this is the missing link between Amiga and Microsoft!?

[seer]

Hmm.. well, looking at your sig I'm not sure it wise   :-D

It's the way in this community these days..

And it isn't all just Amiga-Anywhere related either as some people claim. They really do work very hard in a lot of different areas and I like the things I see happening

ThanX, do hope to see them succeed.. and I hope they are going to start telling the current userbase (a bit) more about the other stuff (the different areas), but I guess they won't for some time..

[Ohno]

ThanX, do hope to see them succeed.. and I hope they are going to start telling the current userbase (a bit) more about the other stuff (the different areas), but I guess they won't for some time..

I agree with you. I think more information should go out as well, but the people that make the decisions at Amiga Inc. have decided otherwise. At least the SDA-group gets a bit more information and we actually see a lot of work being done. I really think they're gonna pull it off. Despite all the crap the 'community' has thrown at them they are still highly motivated and on top of that have a true and ambitious vision for the future. Not too talkative to the outside though  :-D