Amiga flavors.

[CroCrew]

Wow, thanks for the great information. Keep on betatesting.

xeron wrote:
@CroCrew
OS4 itself is being worked on full time by a small team of developers, and part time by a larger group of developers. The OS4 team wouldn't continue if they didn't have plans to get OS4 out there on available hardware in the near future.

There are two publically announced projects to bring out PPC hardware for OS4 (ACK and Troika), which a lot of people are very skeptical of (understandibly), and the OS4 team have hinted at other deals in the pipeline.

Basically, a lot of people think OS4 is now totally dead, a lot of other people don't agree.

Welcome to the Amiga world ;-)

Personally, I'm a beta tester and I can see for myself that OS4 development hasn't stalled (there are still new updates nearly every day for betatesters). I also have a bit more faith than most that Adam (the guy behind some new OS4 hardware) will actually get some hardware out, but i'll leave that up to you to judge.

BTW: MorphOS is kind-of in the total opposite situation; hardware is out there and available, but the next major update to it (1.5) has been "due for release any time soon" for quite a while now, and a fair few MOS users have totally given up hope for it to ever appear. But there have been a lot of small updates released, as well as unofficial updates from end-users.

[CroCrew]

Is the system in the link below any good? How long will it last before you think an upgrade will be needed?

pierre wrote:
yes a pre release is not the same as commercial release, it kind of like a beta? right?  
So I will say it again, OS4 has not been official release.  I would like to but os4 but I can't.

morphOS and hardware can be purchased here:
https://www.pegasosppc.com/special_odw.php?partner=morphos
currently they are working on there second commercial release morphOS 1.5.

[pierre]

o.k.  I was wrong... tried to correct myself.  I don't think it's my fault they could not produce enough units...(or have a solid plan IMO)  I will keep my ears open and if and when there are new a1 and and OFFICIAL os4 release I will consider it, but I think I'm going for the peg anyway, I like the idea of running macOS and lunix as well.  What I'm even more interested in is  x686 amigas, PPC are already old. I don't want to be negative about os4, I just wanted to set the record strait for people just now getting back into this, it very confusing and I think you made it sound like the morphOS ppl had adandoned ship when infact they have released both OS and hardware (peg1 and 2) and are working on the second version of the os.  In contrast the os4 team has not had an official release and currently don't have hardware.  I'm not going to make a judgment about that (for you) it's just where things stand.  I don't have all the info and when I am wrong I will gladly admit it.  More importantly I am extreamly interested in learning more about most things amiga!  

[Gojirax]

It was mentioned in an IRC interview log with one of the AOS4 developers that they have a fully commercial and ready release of OS4, but no hardware at the time.

They have a list of things they're still working on, which would have wound up in a boing bag or service pack down the road, but all these fixes will instead wind up in the final release since they have the time.

I believe it's as ready as any other OS though. They've got a rather unique predicament.

[CroCrew]

Guys, lets not bicker please. You both like similar products and that’s cool. No need to bicker. Thank you both for your help so far.

Thanks again and please if there is more information out there post it here for us to read.

[Tomas]

AmigaOS4: Are there any older systems that can load up this OS? Who knows of the cheapest places to buy a new or used system with AmigaOS4 installed?

A classic a1200 with a ppc accelrator can run OS4. The only problem is that only a few selected beta testers have access to OS4 for the classic. Situation is not much better when it comes to new systems running OS4 either as the few AmigaONEs produced has been out of stock for ages now, so the only way is to buy second hand.
There have been announcements of new OS4 hardware being worked on, but still none released.

[CroCrew]

"I'm even more interested in is x686 amigas"

What news have you on this?

Thanks.

pierre wrote:
o.k.  I was wrong... tried to correct myself.  I don't think it's my fault they could not produce enough units...(or have a solid plan IMO)  I will keep my ears open and if and when there are new a1 and and OFFICIAL os4 release I will consider it, but I think I'm going for the peg anyway, I like the idea of running macOS and lunix as well.  What I'm even more interested in is  x686 amigas, PPC are already old. I don't want to be negative about os4, I just wanted to set the record strait for people just now getting back into this, it very confusing and I think you made it sound like the morphOS ppl had adandoned ship when infact they have released both OS and hardware (peg1 and 2) and are working on the second version of the os.  In contrast the os4 team has not had an official release and currently don't have hardware.  I'm not going to make a judgment about that (for you) it's just where things stand.  I don't have all the info and when I am wrong I will gladly admit it.  More importantly I am extreamly interested in learning more about most things amiga!  

[Tomas]

"I'm even more interested in is x686 amigas"

I guess you mean x86/i686.. But the only option there is Aros and that runs already today with limited compitability and software. OS4 will only be for ppc in the closest future.

[pierre]

I think it is a good system!  I don't own one myself but am saving to get one.  The one I saw and palyed with was VERY cool and quick. I don't think you will NEED and upgrade anytime soon.  IMO until somebody comes out with a x686 type system this will be the thing to have. Ifcourse if new a1 boards are produced anytime soon you may perfer that, but that would be your call.

[pierre]

no news per say thomas is right.
Aros is the only system availabe right now.  There is also amigathon but that is no longer sold.
My point is that both peg and a1/os4 are built around ppc tech, I feel that that is old tech and we need to get amigas running and intel/AMD chips just like apple did...I don't think this is going to happen anytime soon, BTW but it the future...

[CroCrew]

Ahh, good points!

pierre wrote:
no news per say thomas is right.
Aros is the only system availabe right now.  There is also amigathon but that is no longer sold.
My point is that both peg and a1/os4 are built around ppc tech, I feel that that is old tech and we need to get amigas running and intel/AMD chips just like apple did...I don't think this is going to happen anytime soon, BTW but it the future...

[AJCopland]

@pierre
Why all the negativity about the Power architecture? It's available to developers (Mac, Pegasos etc), it's made by a couple of different manufacturers (Freescale, IBM) and whilst the currently available versions aren't quite as capable as the very latest Intel Core 2 Duo / Xeon series there are updates in the pipeline.

Besides which it's still a good clean and solid architecture to develop for which is why it's gone into all 3 of the next generation consoles.

It'd be nice if they'd just do something with OS4.0 that'd let us install it on old Mac's etc, but i'm happy to wait for the proposed boards from Ack Controls.

@CroCrew
Welcome back, i guess from reading the above you can see that things appear quite fractured at the moment. I'm personally considering the Pegasos2 system/board with MorphOS however whilst i save up i'm also hoping that Ack Controls will release the PowerVixxen upgrade for the A1200s.

In the end guess i end up up saving more and buying both though

[pierre]

@AJCopeland
no negativity here, it just not the future is all.  
I don't think "custom" motherboards are a good idea if we want to survive, they are WAY too expensive to manufacture.  Even apple is realizing this.  It makes sense to have your OS run on what ever hardware is common. (PPC is not common. or modern)  I think we should LEARN from the past, custom hardware was a burden not a benefit.  You should be able to go buy what ever hardware you want/like and then install whatever OS you want/like, thats freedome to choose.  Continuing to develop for the PPC only distances the amiga from modern computing in a way that will make it very difficult for larger group of people to seriously use the technology.  Infact all this os4/morphOS stuff would have been a big deal 5/6/7 years ago, in 2006 it's well.. I don't know what to say...a bit late?
I just want to add that I don't feel fractures at all.. I can't get an a1 (nothing to worry about there) if I had more $$$ i could get a peg (very cool) in the mean time I have some realy cool "classic" hardware that I have fun playing with.  I am however concerned for any serious FUTURE amiga projects, as I don't think they are heading in a direction that makes sense.

[BoingBoing]

AJCopland wrote:
...however whilst i save up i'm also hoping that Ack Controls will release the PowerVixxen upgrade for the A1200s.

What is a PowerVixxen upgrade for the A1200s? :-?

[xeron]

Adam of ACK controls has stated that he is working on at least two new boards with the aim of running OS4.

The first of which is the PowerVixxen LT. This is an accelerator for towerised Amiga 1200 computers. It attaches to the trapdoor slot, and provides a PPC processor, mobility radeon graphics, and maybe some other goodies like USB and ethernet. This board has a lower end PPC CPU soldered on and will allow OS4 to run, while giving programs access to the original chipset for maximum compatibility.

The second board is the PowerVixxen TL, which is a standalone motherboard like the A1. It is said that it will have a CPU socket into which you can put an AmigaOne compatible CPU card (which Adam is also producing). This board is supposed to have a lot of expandability, and not so many features built into the board. I don't know too much of the specifics for this board, but apparently it has a faster memory bus and things which will make it run rings around existing AmigaOne boards.

Whether they actually are going to arrive or not is a subject of extremely heated debate... personally I don't know, but I'm optimistic. Possibly more optimistic than I should be, but then I reeeeally like OS4 and i'm hoping SOME sort of solution to the hardware problem happens.

[recidivist]

 I saw the mention of the Vixen for $299 which would be probably the best to be expected for a 1200 upgrade. I would prefer a socket so as to allow a faster chip later.

 Again if someone would /could release Amiga OS  for the IMac G3/4/5  we Amigans would gladly pay $99 for that.

  Propietary hardware locks in your customers but also limits your market.