I appreciate that Amigans are staying true to their ideals - but the ideal I specifically have in mind - is the 'creative computer'.
The one that empowers the individual to create. Even your old 8-bit Atari 800 or Commodore 64 was on the right track. I remember my Atari 800 came up and said "READY" but READY to do what? Why for you to program it, of course.
I spent hours writing games - creating content, rather than simply, using content others created.
By the time the Atari 520ST, the Amiga 500,were released we had affordable, powerful machines, that could empower you to create even more - if you remember before the word processor, writing your own book was meticulous and difficult - but suddenly we had help with layout, help with spelling, help with grammar - but at the same time, what happened to the built-in programmability of the machines?
We lost something - still many 3rd parties came to the rescue with excellent programming tools, so we didn't realize, at the time, what we were losing. We bought the add-ons, and we kept programming.
But lets fast forward to today, we have two opposing dynamics, on one end, we have machines that are merely 'content consumption' the embodiment of which is the iPad - don't even need a full keyboard, just click, consume, watch, stare, get dumber, etc. In this camp, they make no pretense at being a computer at all - it's more like a smart TV.
Although I own an iPad and admit I do use it for some artwork, it is 95% a content consumption device.
But we have another trend folks, another very exciting trend - the return of the creative computer.
Because we are slowly but surely, coming to understand programming as a 'commodity' task - it's not exclusive to people with advanced programming degrees - no. Now employers will take anyone with talent - they'll train that high school graduate to do programming tasks, or even just outsource those tasks to India.
What it means, is we are beginning to understand that programming - is not special. And that, my friends, is cool. We all begin again, as creative people.
And what embodies that spirit? Well ironically, Apple, in my mind. They aren't just leading the charge for content consumption, but also content creation, with machines like the iMac.
But you may prefer Linux, or AROS, or MorphOS. But the iMac, like the computers of yesteryear, comes bog standard with programming tools - XCode is included. Rad tools like Dashcode, included.
Apple expects that any user can create, and distribute, and even sell, an app for the iPhone. Just buy a mac.
It's exciting times to be alive, and I love it. And I know Steve Jobs is a little tyrant, and I hate that part of it. But for me, I can't ignore the promise of the 'creative computer' and who embodies it better?
Windows PC? - What programming tool comes standard on Windows? Nothing of note. Can you do things on Windows, of course, but it hasn't really built a community that encourages creativity. Mac - yes. Linux - yes, but with the codicil that it's still for geeks, and not widespread enough. Amiga-like - yes absolutely, but also with an asterisk, the RAD tools haven't kept pace, the technology is behind.
