@billt
Lack of documentation/knowledge is a thing of the past. These systems already fully works with linux, so it should be no problem porting OS4.x to them either.

Ofcourse ! Some cheap powerfull Mac running OS4.... I'd get one tomorrow !

But why do you ask ? Any plans paying for a port ?

Martin

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Theres a time to live and a time to die
When its time to meet the maker
Theres a time to live but isnt it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying

@Darth_X

Yes, Yes and Yes...


Wol..

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@Tomas

Quote:

Lack of documentation/knowledge is a thing of the past. These systems already fully works with linux, so it should be no problem porting OS4.x to them either.

Linux is not a datasheet. Hyperion didn't consider it appropriate documentation the several years ago that I talked to them about this, it doesn't come from the chip designers, it comes from some 3rd party that got things working "good enough" for him/her. It also comes with licensing terms they may not have wanted. Not sure. How do you reverse engineer Linux drivers and avoid GPL if you want to avoid that? What did MorphOS do for Mac support? Did they reverse from observations of OSX running, or from Linux sources?

But yes, it can most likely be used, even if there is effort involved. Or even to reverse engineer again from the Mac itself, avoiding Linux completely. That's been done "good enough" for some, it can be done "good enough" for us as well. And considering what's involved with making a new laptop from scratch, with chip datasheets available, and having to write drivers for those chips anyway, I myself think that reverse engineering our own drivers direct from Macs likely has a higher chance of success than a new approved PowerPC laptop machine. It's a question of effort and are they willing to do that amongst all the other things the OS4 team has on their plates. If someone can sort out a business plan to make it worth the effort to them, talk to Hyperion and get that going.

(If anyone is working in a new approved PowerPC laptop machine, please don't let me discourage that. I think we'd all love to see something more modern than a G4 too. It just seems less likely than reversing the iBooks/PowerBooks)

P.S. I have an iBook G4 14" that I'd love to use for OS4. Needs a new LCD or something, either the backlight bulb is dead or the inverter for it. Easy enough to fix if I had the motivation...

Last edited by billt on 25-Jul-2011 at 05:02 PM.

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All glory to the Hypnotoad!

make it and i'll buy it.

As said I'd buy it day one, even if resources could be better spent to support new/available hardware, or an ARM port, the new i.mx53 designs from Genesis come to mind, speaking of laptops/netbooks.

I wouldn't mind having OS4 beside my MorphOS partition on my mini (lovely little and powerful machine). Very good price/performance ratio.

@Darth_X

Yes, defenetely, any PPC Mac would be best.
More sold OS copies could benefit its development, more cheap hardware
will mean more people would be able to test it.

Plus the ability to run AmigaOS 4, MorphOS and MacOS X on a single machine is just great

_________________
Future Acube and MOS supporter, fi di good, nothing fi di unprofessionals. Learn it harder way!

@vox

Quote:

More sold OS copies could benefit its development, more cheap hardwarewill mean more people would be able to test it.

And another side of the coin, though, would be how Hyperion's partners and contracts might be affected. This isn't the same situation as it was for MorphOS.

#6

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This posting, in its entirety, represents solely the perspective of the author.
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@Darth_X

Yes. I happen to have a MacMini so OS4 on that would be nice. However, any laptop would be a lot nicer I will have an X1000 so OS4 on MacMini isn't that interesting.

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- Don't get fooled by my avatar, I'm not like that (anymore, mostly... maybe only sometimes)
> Amiga Classic and OS4 developer for OnyxSoft.

@Darth_X

i'm ''in'' for a g4 ibook and of course for the mac mini if this could happened

_________________
A3040 AmigaOS3.9
A1200 060/BPPC AmigaOS3.9/4.0
Sam440ep AmigaOS4.1.2
Pegasos2/G3 AmigaOS4.1.2/Morphos2.7/Debian6.0/OpenSuse11.1
MacMini/G4 1.5 MorphOS 2.7/OSX 10.5.8

Long Live Amiga

Count me in for a Powerbook, Powermac or MacMini version....

I guess it could be done eassier than we can imagine....

_________________
Peg1, Peg2, Efika,
Amiga 500, Amiga 1230,
Amiga 4000PPC,
Sam 440EP, AmigaOne XE,
MacMini PPC, PowerMac G4, G5

hmm, I wouldn't like to harm anyhow OS4 developers & their partners, but sure such "Mac-version" would be great - from pure user perspective... well, but from such perspective, repeating the subject xxx times probably :/ - who the hell needs 2 or 3 Amiga-like systems, while any of them will never be like all those developers would work on 1.
[ok, I don't intend to start some other obvious & useless thread here - just made it in affect, sorry ]

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Harthon gerithach raid gelin a chwest adel thraw lín :)

D6 TEAM

@Darth_X

YES: Getting a fast OS4 machine for almost nothing would bring back thousands of users. Moana port was quite advanced and could be finished with a little work: with 4.1 Radeon driver it worked on all G4 Mac Minis, it lacked Mac partition support, good usb support, audio and ethernet.

Supporting iBook/powerbook is the only way we could get an OS4 laptop this decade.

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The only spanish amiga news web page/club: CUAZ

*wakes up*

Yes...

*goes back in to retirement*

@Crumb

True, but doesn't mean Hyperion are interested. The X1000 has to be a success for this whole OS4.x adventure to continue and this would be competition in their eyes. In reality I already have an iBook and not enough saved up for an X1000 so it's the difference between buying and using OS4.x and sticking with OS3.9 and OSX. SHAME!!!

Last edited by BigD on 26-Jul-2011 at 02:32 PM.

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@BigD

Quote:

True, but doesn't mean Hyperion are interested.

They should be interested in having more users&developers

Quote:

The X1000 has to be a success for this hold OS4.x adventure to continue

I don't think so. IMHO it's better to have 2500 OS4 users running it on cheap Mac hardware than having 250 running it on x1000. But the options are not mutually exclusive so if x1000 is so great it will still have sales.

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@Crumb

Quote:

YES: Getting a fast OS4 machine for almost nothing would bring back thousands of users.

Just like the PPC Mac versions of MorphOS brought back "thousands" of users? But generally I agree. Hardware such as the SAM 440/460 did not really lower the entry bar for new users. Particularly not when looking at the weak price/perfomance ratio. PPC Mac versions of OS4 would certainly accomplish that.

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@polka.

Quote:

Just like the PPC Mac versions of MorphOS brought back "thousands" of users?

Even though MorphOS is more advanced than OS4.x in some areas namely 3d acceleration and old PPC game compatibility, I'm afraid the fact it doesn't have 'Amiga' in the brand name IS a big deal to old Amigans and those waiting to take the NextGen leap. Sorry but true. AmigaOS on Mac PPC machines would lead to more of a boost to the community than happened with MorphOS.

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios

@billt
I wonder why they were working on a minimac port a few years ago then? Odd they would do that and even nearly complete it if lack of documentation was a big issue.
I wonder why MOS has been ported to several G4 systems already as well...
I would even buy it if it was ported to Sam.

Last edited by Tomas on 26-Jul-2011 at 03:39 PM.