Alrighty, let's see where this goes...

What NG Amigalike OS (AROS/MorphOS/AmigaOS4.x/Other) do you use, and what are 5 of your favourite features (large or small) it offers over vanilla AmigaOS 3.1 (or 3.5, 3.9)?
Not the hardware improvements, obviously ~1GHz G4 is going to be faster than a 50MHz 68030, but the OS, applications, and your everyday 'user experience.'

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For me, I'm using MorphOS 3.2 (and 3.1 because I haven't got around to updating the mac-mini).

Here are some of my favourite things:

#1 - Ambient mime-types (default actions which can be set up for file-types for double-click, right-click and drag/drop). The complexity if offers through a (relatively) simple prefs interface is staggering.

#2 - Panels - so simple, so useful, so easy to put and lock in place (at least on the old ones, damn you Kronos!). The new updated panels offer an API for integrating applications into panels afaiu.
I know 3.9 (and 3.5?) had Amidock, but I'm a bit OCD about how I have my desktop laid out. I like multiple panels, neatly grouped, zipped by default (or as subdocks) except for a couple of panels with few frequently used utilities, drives/locations, and applications. I'm not a fan of icons permanently living on the desktop - if they stay there long enough, they end up in the relevant panel.

#3 - Double-click on desktop to open MyMorphOS (listing of drives & assigns). This tiny little well-thought out addition must have saved me hours aggregated over the last few years which would otherwise have been spent moving the mouse cursor to a drive icon.

#4 - Reggae - the new multimedia framework. It's a bit abstract to include as a part of 'daily usage' except in the audio playback straight from Amient without using any application. Like datatypes were supposed to do, applications which support Reggae will automagically work with new audio formats, including load/save panels offering the relevant options. Examples so far are Zormanita (an audio format conversion tool) which has just magically started working with flac files after installing some a new (experimental) reggae update - no recompile required.

#5 - OWB - I only put it this at the end of the list, since I see it as an included application, rather than a 'feature of the OS' - html5, youtube videos, per-tab configuration settings, per-url configuration settings, simple prefs offering a rich range of features, and presumably well-built around the webkit core such as to allow relatively simple updating to new webkit releases, which Fab regularly does.
OWB pretty much brings us 90% of what most 'average' people (those users who make up the numbers) want for everyday usage - a web browser that's fast, and just works (as well as being a geek's web-browser, giving quite a lot of control over the web-browsing experience).


Phew, it was meant to be a brief OP, but oh well..

Last edited by Boot_WB on 06-Jun-2013 at 01:31 AM.

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Troll - n., A disenfranchised former potential customer who remains interested enough to stay informed and express critical opinions.
opp., the vast majority who voted silently with their feet.

@Boot_WB

For OS4.1 I would say the top 5 things I like the most are:

#1 Seamless integration of Petunia/Runinuae. I remember when I first got my microA1 how amazed I was that OS4 allowed me to run 68k programs from the OS4 workbench and randomly mix PPC/68k programs via Petunia. RuninUAE added another level by adding the ability to run any 68k programs I choose through UAE.

#2 The vastly improved GUI preferences as compared to OS3. I have been able to make dramatically new and original workbench themes such as "wood" and being able to just double click an icon to change so many aspects of the GUI using a new theme is great fun!

#3 The virtually seamless integration of LAN/internet support. When i got a LAN to wifi unit and plugged it in, I was expecting to have to do something like download drivers or whatever to get it working. Instead, it was just a matter of creating a LAN port config and entering in my unique name and password for my wifi unit and everything worked from that point on automatically. It was so much easier than I expected.

#4 Enhanced screen modes and capabilities. I never had a graphics card for any of my classic Amigas, so simple things like being able to slide windows off the edge of the screen, and of course, the enhanced multiple screen sliding - not just up and down but left and right as well, was always one of my favorite features of Amiga OS. It is so much improved in OS4 - just a great feature.

#5 Consistency with Classic Amiga OS. This is not really an improvement so much as a feature I am glad to continue to have. Having been a classic Amiga user, that is, having used an Amiga as my primary computer from 1986 until 1999 before ever buying a PC, the fact that OS4 maintains the same directory structure, i.e. libs, c, s, devs, prefs etc, as well as ARexx, startup-sequence and user-startup files, and especially datatypes is hugely important to me. The datatype concept is one of the best things (in my opinion) that was ever developed for any OS, and is a truly great idea. I am so glad it remains and is regularly being added to with new datatypes for Amiga OS4. OS4 feels a lot like OS3, but on steroids because of the more powerful hardware. I LIKED classic Amigas, but I like Amiga OS4 better.

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@scabit

Quote:

scabit wrote: @Boot_WB For OS4.1 I would say the top 5 things I like the most are: #1 Seamless integration of Petunia/Runinuae. I remember when I first got my microA1 how amazed I was that OS4 allowed me to run 68k programs from the OS4 workbench and randomly mix PPC/68k programs via Petunia. RuninUAE added another level by adding the ability to run any 68k programs I choose through UAE.

Interesting - I have UAE installed, and programs/adfs can just be opened in UAE by right-clicking and selecting from the context menu, but it would be nice to have it work in the same way as Petunia (or Trance), ie you just double-click the program without having to think about whether to run in UAE or in Workbench. I suppose it could be handled by a blacklist/whitelist sytem quite easily.

Quote:

#3 The virtually seamless integration of LAN/internet support. When i got a LAN to wifi unit and plugged it in, I was expecting to have to do something like download drivers or whatever to get it working. Instead, it was just a matter of creating a LAN port config and entering in my unique name and password for my wifi unit and everything worked from that point on automatically. It was so much easier than I expected.

That almost made my list. Less is definitely more when it comes to networking prefs. Offer the most commonly needed options for 95% of people, with an advanced tab for more esoteric needs (static routes, hosts, groups).
I remember loading Genesis for the first time and being presented with this overwhelming number of tabs, options, checkboxes, string gadgets - everything almost on about a dozen tabs all on one level.

_________________
Troll - n., A disenfranchised former potential customer who remains interested enough to stay informed and express critical opinions.
opp., the vast majority who voted silently with their feet.

@Boot_WB

1. Many hacks/patches/drivers i used on os3.x that are built in now.

2. Amiupdate

3-5. Boot from install CD, Builtin Internet, sound/gfx drivers for more modern cards etc. Sorry im little bit in hurry :)

My favourite OS4 features (don't know MOS or AROS well enough to comment really):

1) GNU/Linux source compatibility. It's SO much easier to port stuff now.
2) Interfaces - for instance IExec->DebugPrintF() just makes things more readable in the source. You know where the routines are, and it's more versatile.
3) Library initialisation - you don't need to. libauto does everything for you. Wonderful. You just start your code and IIntuition and IntuitionBase and all that are there ready for you.
4) AmigaInput. Use AmigaInput (or just compile an SDL app, as that includes it!) and you have access to digital joysticks, analogue joysticks and more.
5) Internet and USB integration. So easy to use these days.

A lot of people don't realise the real improvements that OS4 has over OS3 are under the hood - they're not fancy graphics and stuff, but changes to the guts of the OS which will enable the OS to keep up with the hardware, allowing newer and funkier hardware like the X1000, including SMP.

@Boot_WB

OS 3.9/ CGX

Screens, multi Monitor / Screens support

Real time UI ( Instant Menus etc )

Free Workbench environment for Icon size and location (Not fixed grid like other os's)

Logical file system

INSTANT OFF

No logging

AutoConfig

Good USB support ( Poseidon ). ( Non of this eject rubbish, just rip it out )

AREX

RAM disk, memory monitor , loading activity displayed

These are just a few of the things I like about AOS....

Wol.

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@Boot_WB

Quote:

over vanilla AmigaOS 3.1 (or 3.5, 3.9)

Are you crazy? :D

I will try... (With screenshots!)

1. No patch-fest. Almost everything just waits for you to be nicely configured.



2. MUI. It's magic!



3. Ambient. Advanced Mimetypes and lister mode.





4. MUICON. Basic things like path and command completion. Buttons, menus, sessions...



5. Screeenbar modules.

I use OS 4.1, and for me the things it offers over my almost-too-expanded A1200 are:

#1 Stability
Even on an A1XE, the OS just doesn't fall over, whereas OS3.9 was patched to bits, including things like Mediator drivers, speedup patches, various other system things. I hardly use that A1200 since I got my A1 because I can hardly get through a day on it without some sort of crash. Of course I could pull it apart, clean it all up and rebuild it, install a fresh system, not use any patches or questionable hardware, but then it doesn't do what I need...

#2 Speed
No comparison to the classic. Even things like intensive ARexx scripts and compiling in Blitz Basic are an order of magnitude faster, and they're 68k. Disk access as well

#3 Built-in updates
AmiUpdate has had a hiccup or two, but it's still a great addition to the OS

#4 AmiDock
Vastly improved over 3.9, which never felt quite right and sometimes got stuck on a screen which caused problems for changing screenmodes etc.

#5 Built-in Networking
It Just Works (tm), yet also has detailed prefs which allow more advanced configuration for people with funky network setups.

I'm gonna be cheeky and add:

#6 Context-sensitive menus on Workbench
Allowing copy and paste of files, quick access to handy functions that you kind of take for granted on other platforms.


I think basically all those functions are common across all "NG" platforms, but they're such an improvement for me that I find it difficult to go back to my A1200 these days...

On a side note, it's not an improvement per se but I do like the way Workbench has been kept broadly compatible with 3.9 in terms of ARexx support, as I have a few scripts, hotkeys etc. which I was able to transfer directly across and which allowed me to add functionality which I used to tailor some functionality to my needs.

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@Boot_WB

AmigaOS 4.1.6+(post-update 6 archives...)

#1 Public Screen Management as a Built-in

#2 Retained Core Elements of 3.x with reworked Function call handling... Interfaces make things a LOT more self-documenting in the development dept.

#3 Workbench ARexx scripting support is represented

#4 GrimReaper updating the options for when a program is crashed

#5 Expanded FileSystem support and other "under the hood" upgrades...

+6 TimberWolf being a mostly complete direct port of Firefox ( I get to merge my original Linux my current smartphone and my current TimberWolf profiles as a single conformant setup)

+7 Python in addition to ARexx as well as a whole lot of networking support "out of the box"

And a whole lot more... once I can make a list I am happy with :)

@Boot_WB

I use OS4.1U6.

Easy. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5: No Windows registry.

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@thinkchip

Quote:

Easy. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5: No Windows registry.

Oh, that is so funny!

What do you think ENVARC: is?

It is a bloated collection of unused data which grows uncontrolled and even gets copied to RAM during every system boot.

It is basically the same, beside the fact Windows is using a single file, while AmigaOS compatible systemes use multiple files, so one at least has the chance to maintain the data by deleting files from tools only were used once, without using some registry manager.

Geit

Last edited by geit on 07-Jun-2013 at 07:30 AM.

@geit

ENVARC: is entirely different to the registry.

ENVARC: is just a location for storing preferences when they're saved, so that they're all in one place. This is a good thing. If you lose a file in ENVARC:, you lose a programs settings. Not a great problem.

The Registry contains settings for just about everything, all in one easy-to-corrupt file. If you corrupt your registry, your entire system goes down. A great problem.

ENVARC: contains just preferences.
The Registry contains data critical to the running of the OS. For instance, the license key, the boot drive location, the menu entries for Explorer, what the filename for explorer is.. the list goes on.

Remove ENVARC: and boot your Amiga - it boots fine (albeit looking a bit different).
Do the same with a Windows machine's registry and watch it keel over within seconds of trying to boot.

Seriously, the two are entirely different beasts. Thank goodness.

@Korni

nice screenshots. Certainly MorphOS is the most advanced OS right now (as a package)

@Boot_WB

perhaps I am offtopic because in this thread it is feature orientated but I think the TOP 5 OS features are software, software, software, software and ... surpringly software . MS-DOS f.e. certainly did not win because of its advanced features or Windows vs. OS/2. Software is a office package, Browser, games and so on. MorphOS (propably, I do not want and cannot compare OWB and Timberwolf) has the most advanced browser but in all other areas the problems are the same on all platforms.

@OlafS25

True, but if the thread were about the shortcomings of each OS there'd be a ####load more posts.

I'm interested to see what people see as the real benefits of their system - what are the bits that have really improved in the post 3.x (common baseline) era.

You never know, there may even be some cross-pollination of ideas.

You could always start a thread about people's software choices/shortcomings, although I'd expect a lot of 'Office' type reploies

_________________
Troll - n., A disenfranchised former potential customer who remains interested enough to stay informed and express critical opinions.
opp., the vast majority who voted silently with their feet.

@Korni

Quote:

Korni wrote: @Boot_WB Quote: over vanilla AmigaOS 3.1 (or 3.5, 3.9) Are you crazy? :D

"I'm not crazy. My mother had me tested."

Quote:

4. MUICON. Basic things like path and command completion. Buttons, menus, sessions...

Nice one - in all this time I don't think I've ever opened MUICon's prefs!
/me goes exploring

_________________
Troll - n., A disenfranchised former potential customer who remains interested enough to stay informed and express critical opinions.
opp., the vast majority who voted silently with their feet.

@Boot_WB

true

just a comment from me

back to topic

I like simplicity and speed of all "amiganoid" OSs that all have in common

@Boot_WB

My favorite MorphOS features:

1., MUICon (tabs, amazing completion, etc) and Remote Shell (same terminal engine as MUICon, but in xterm mode, I do lot's of Linux admin and development stuff, so this is a *MUST* for me, and MorphOS really excels here.)
2., OWB
3., Ambient
4., Tons of amazingly useful utilities packaged (Mounter, FileImage, Snoopium, VPDF, ShowGirls, Sketch, etc, etc...)
5., Upgradeability. Absolutely zero reinstalls since 2.0!

+1., Available for utterly cheap hardware (got some of my boxes for free), with *GOOD* system integration (like Mac partition and filesystem support, etc)
+2., Speed. My Efika is perfectly happy with it. (I just wish the board had a bit more RAM...)

There could be more...

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@OlafS25

Quote:

in all other areas the problems are the same on all platforms

I would replace all with some, then i can agree ;). For example i don't imagine managing my photos with other program than ShowGirls (even tried to find something similar for other systems, but i couldn't find anything remotely close to SG).

Office - It will come someday, just like we did not have a modern browser for years - now we take it granted.

Games - Well, even if for obvious reasons there are 999x more good games on Windows, Linux, OS X or consoles - There are some new and old, opensource or not, even many if you count emulators. I can have fun here surely.