Eyetech CEO Clarifies AmigaOne/OS4.0 Announcement

[teo]

Those with the party pack get it for free anyway i imagine, part of the deal...

[Ivan]

Howdy Seehund.

>We are prepared to pay for Amiga OS. Hell, it's my highest wish (when it comes to somputer related wishes anyway...). I am NOT prepared to have what's supposed to be a software company (Amiga Inc) tell me what hardware I can and can't use.
>Why do some people seem to assume that there will never be any other Amiga OS compatible PPC hardware than the AmigaOne G3-SE?

I fail to see the logic of your argument here. In fact, any company who has an Amiga compliant motherboard design can and would sell you one. It's just a matter of personal choice if you go for the flashed bios or not. I see nothing stopping you here from making a hardware choice. Other than the only systems that will first run OS4 will be the A1 and current Amiga's with PPC accelerator cards. With luck Pegasos will get that liscence and maybe one or two others will come out with designs as well. Let's not dump the eggs before thier hatched. And then (god knows why) you can walk out today and buy a 4KT+PPC and place OS4 onto the HD when it's released. Of course, if someone is selling a PPC motherboard design that wont run the OS then well, it's a moot point isn't it? Why would you attempt to run an OS on hardware it's not designed for.

Unless of course your trying to infer some sort of a hidden agenda. I for one don't see it.

Ivan.

[Seehund]

Hi Ivan,

Read the latest Executive Update again, then read my reply to your last post in the comments to the "Executive Update - Amiga Status Announcement" news item and you'll see why the sensible and natural course of actions you describe above cannot happen.
We're kicked back into the eighties, and hardware distributors won't be keen to follow us there.

[Ivan]

Hey

I think i see where all this hubbub coming from. Let me quote from the update:

"As a result, AmigaOS4 and all future versions will ship only on those hardware products to which Amiga Inc has specifically granted a license after reviewing the capabilities of both the solution provider and their product."

Which can be taken as, 'only updates to the OS will be shipped with new hardware.'. I don't believe this interpretation (and very left handed at that) for a minute. It would spell death for the OS and Amiga is not so foolish.

Still a few things in the back of my head say this isn't as bad as all that. This looks to me like a filtering mechanism to weed out the truely pitiful excuses for hardware that manage to float around the market.


Ivan.

[pteppic]

wayne

What I disagree with is the silly notion of not selling Amiga OS seperately

eyetech

In this case we will also make available an OS4 + ROM upgrade pack (similar to the OS3.5/3.9 +3.1ROMs upgrade packs sold by most Amiga

I dont get it Wayne, why do you still have this idea about not selling the Amiga OS seeperately?

wayne

Don't tell me that every time I want to upgrade, I have to buy a whole new motherboard, processor, or other piece of hardware.

You don't. Just pull the chip and replace it with the new version of the rom (as with moving from 2.1 to 3.0).  or maybe the 4.2/4.x will use the same rom as 4.0 (as with 3.1 to 3.5+9.  Another idea you are missinterpreting Wayne.

Pteppic

[RedWarrior]

Oh how I long for the day when we can all argue about something SUBSTANTIAL...

Yay, Amiga Inc won't be sunk by pirates...  But I'm sure looking forward to some smooth crack-demos on the front of my games again... Paradox & others are still out there...  I miss scrolltext.

And what's with this hype about a possible (still vapourware) Amiga with a G3? Why would we want a G3 when there are G4 processors on the market, and G5's on the drawing board? I think we're selling ourselves short... again.

Are we there yet???

[Seehund]

pteppic,

*trying really, really hard not to lose my temper and start swearing uncontrollably by bashing head against keyboard* Calm... Calm... Calm...

I dont get it Wayne, why do you still have this idea about not selling the Amiga OS seeperately?

I'll do it slowly this time, okay?
The. Pre-ordered. A1G3-SE. And. The. Blizzard/CS-PPC. Are. The. Only. Exceptions. From. The. OS4/hardware. Bundling. Requirements.
The pre-ordered A1G3-SE and the Blizzard/CS-PPC are the only exceptions from the OS4/hardware bundling requirements.

Won't somebody please read the Executive Update?

I don't care about the pre-ordered A1G3-SE. It's just another motherboard - and that's the way it bloody well should be. It's not an "Amiga". There are no "Amigas". I don't care about Eyetech. They're just another hardware reseller.  These things should be considered to be irrelevant to the platform as a whole. We want OS4 to run on as much PPC hardware as possible. Will you all please stop thinking "Amiga One G3-SE" all the time? Well, OK, if this OS/hardware bundling crap comes to reality it's very likely that's all the hardware and Eyetech the only distributor we'll have to choose from...
There is Amiga OS, which I care about. I want to buy that OS and install it on any damn compatible hardware I want to. No compulsory bundling. No compulsory licensing.

You don't. Just pull the chip and replace it with the new version of the rom

Gnnnnnnnn... Which new ROM? You have to buy a computer or motherboard to get that.


If you want to have a more clear view of what I'm thinking, or rather was thinking before rage and fatigue got the better of me, check out ANN or the Exec Update discussion here on amiga.org. I can be bothered to write it all again just as much as a non-Amiga hardware distributor can be bothered to become an Amiga licensee. :-P

[edit: I'm tired and I forgot how to spell and form coherent sentences.]

[Chathurawind]

>>I want to buy that OS and install it on any damn compatible hardware I want to. No compulsory bundling. No compulsory licensing.
 
yeah i can understand that, but giveing such freedom will also give pirates an easyer time.
 
just like now 10 mates buy 3.1 roms & one buys AOS3.9 as well as the roms.
the other nine pirate the Os from the mate who bought it.
 
with the setup for Os4 you will not get the roms with out the OS.
so ten roms=ten Oses as well so no need to pirate

as there will be no one out there with aos4roms & not amigaos4.

& about upgradeing to newer version. i have read on the Aonelist .
 
you will get new Romchips with the New Os to put in your Aone.
but you will not be able to just buy the new romchips & whats the point in just buying the new romchips if you dont intend to run the new Os version.

[peroxidechicken]

Commodore had no choice in bundling an os with the Amiga and Amiga users had no choice but to use that os simply because there were no alternatives at the time.  These days, however, there are plenty of alternatives.  So where do Eyetech/Amiga Inc get off making people pay for something they don't necessarily want (ie. os4)?
That's one issue.  Another is - why is a dongled rom necessary if the os is packaged with the m'board?  

The spirit of Amiga does not live in a company, it lives in software that is a pleasure to use.  

H2O2

[System]

Good decision!
Something like that in the Wintel world would cause only anger, because M$ does not license hardware in the way Amiga Inc. does, but i think in this case it is best way to prevent piracy, as Alan says and to have a REAL Amiga-"machine".

[Argo]

Really, oh, the horror.  An Amiga User buys an AmigaOne G3-SE and get AOS 4.0, will the maddness never end...

[Argo]

Why do some people seem to assume that there will never be any other Amiga OS compatible PPC hardware than the AmigaOne G3-SE?

I don't, but at the moment it seems to be the only game in town. Oh, and some accelerator on classic Amigas. When more options are approved, then we'll have more choices. I'd like to know the OS is going to work on something before I buy it.

[Argo]

Oh, God no, not the MorphOS/bPlan conspiracy theory.

[SlimJim]

@Seehund:

" As a result, AmigaOS4 and all future versions will
 ship only on those hardware products to which Amiga
 Inc has specifically granted a license after reviewing
 the capabilities of both the solution provider and
 their product. "
 
I don't think this has to be a whole motherboard
(and nor does Alan or Ben). To "ship only ON..." can
be interpreted as "shipping only in a way so that AOS4
only run on the hardware we licence." No, you won't be
able to use that custom -off the shelf linus board (if
they exist). But this licence don't stop newer version
of the OS to ship, with our without an updated dongle,
as long as it works on the licenced board. You
certainly don't have to buy a new MB every time.
.
SlimJim

[Argo]

It doesn't even imply that the OS with ship with the approved product.  I'm taking "will only ship on" to mean that there will be an Amiga OS variation available for purchase for every approved product (line). AmigaOne G3-SE is approved, thus you can purchase AmigaOS with ROM to install on it. Peagasos in not approved, thus you can't purchase AmigaOS with ROM to install on it. When/IF Peagasos gets approved you can then buy Amiga OS for it.
I think what was stated by Amiga, Inc. and Eyetech is what will happen now with the release of Amiga OS 4.0.  I assume that (if I can remember their OS timeline) 4.1 and 4.2(3) will be BoingBags. AOS 4.5 with be a purchase release. If my interpetation is anywhere near accurate, then you just buy AOS 4.5 possibly with ROM like alot of us did with AOS 2.04. I assume it not quite correct as Eyetech would be selling the AmigaOne G3-SE with the AOS 4.0 ROM which might as well be sold with the OS CD.
It's good to see people THINKING ahead. Remember AOS and any hardware (accept appoved accelerators) are not even out yet. The A1 developer boards won't even ship til the end of the month. So, Has anyone sent off a polite email to Eyetech, Amiga, or Hyperion about how upgrade will be handled? Given that nothing is out yet they may not have given it much thought or finalized how it will happen yet. Not a bad thing, a kind question might get an answer and or get them thinking. Any volunteers?

[Argo]

okay, i should have read not skimmed. But bassically what I thought. Still a well phased question to the right person might help make things abit more clearer.

Ever catch any of the educational programs on Voice of America (short wave)?  The do educational programs in science, math, english, etc. broadcast to third world and non engish speaking counties. they us a verion of english call simple english IE. no big words, I don't think they us more than 2 or 3 syllable words and talk in a slow meter. I think announcements to the "Amiga Community" should be done this way. It might actually help.