The OS will be lean...most modern os's are worked on by hundreds of programmers...one good thing about having such a small team, is they just don't have enough time to write services that could later be called bloat.
But, as someone mentioned before, it doesn't matter how efficient the OS is, if you are working with photo-editing software, some of the effects and things, applied to hi-res, hi-color images with multiple layers, are going to take a lot of memory, then when you want to keep all your images in memory at the same time...it will start to add up.
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in response to the rest of the thread:
Expensive RAM now? this is making the build your own mac look like a better option:
Here is a machine I am considering building
Mac 'gigabit ethernet' 2xAGP logic board - 150
Giga Designs G4 800 mhz ZIF - 300
ATX case with Mac 22 pin p/s - 110
Standard PC100 memory 512mb - 90
That's $650 to get that far....that Mac p/s is an unfortunate inefficiency, and if I can get directions to convert a standard atx p/s, all the better....but its ability to take standard memory, now appears to help it in comparison to the amigaONE.
Of course, it doesn't run OS 4, unless the unverified rumor of a cyberstorm emulator turns out to tbe true, and it only may run morphOS...in a worst case scenario, its as much an amiga as any UAE box...(kind of like the AmigaONE today)
but, I just like reviewing all the options....its hard to get any Amiga, pegasos, or otherwise as cheap as a do-it-yourself Mac...and these parts are NEW, and while the gigabit ethernet board is circa 2001 with its 2xAGP and PC100 memory...as it happens you won't find the AmigaONE to be any faster with its 2xAGP and server memory.
I'm not adding the cost of a mac graphics card into the equation since many pc graphics cards can be reflashed to be mac compatible...so its just a matter of buying a cheap pc card and reflashing it, I'm not worried about support on a frankenmac...
aiyeeee...I am really close to buying *something* now...in a way its so exciting not having a clue what I'll buy in the end...one day it will just be 'time' and something will get ordered :-D :-D