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Internet News   Internet News : An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
   posted by tomazkid on 3-Oct-2007 3:19:55 (9782 reads)
Over at Amiga.org, Wayne has published a letter from Bill McEwen to the Amiga community.





From Amiga.org:

Quote:
Over the last several months and in fact couple of years, Amiga has continued our software and business development and generally kept quiet. This path of quietness was chosen so that we communicated only when there was a development that culminated in a product that could be purchased.




In recent weeks, our being quiet has been interpreted as weakness or an open invitation to attempt harming our business relationships and opportunities with partners and customers.

Amiga is dedicated to providing a new operating system and digital environment for the Amiga community and the broader public, and to delivering products and services that are used by a variety of third party consumer electronics companies.

Amiga has never wavered from the path that was laid out and will deliver on that promise.

I am writing this letter to all in the Amiga community, past, present and future. We have learned a great many lessons over these years together. We made many mistakes, and not every partner we selected turned out to be the best or the most ethical. We can certainly point fingers and blame others, but it really does not matter. What matters is that contrary to a great deal of the nonsense that I am reading lately, Amiga at no time has ever abandoned our goals, the Amiga community and our dream. I recently read a post about how OS 4 should power a phone, and somehow this is supposed to be an epiphany that the Amiga OS could power more than a desktop. This has long been part of our core business plan, Amiga entered into and paid for an agreement to develop a pilot of an embedded version of OS 4 in 2005. Amiga lost a deal worth more than 250,000 units because the development was not properly handled. Amiga has been working and negotiating with third party OEM’s and ODM’s for far more units than the iPhone® has shipped and we still are unable to provide the product. The people who are being hurt are the legitimate third party developers who worked hard on OS 4.0, the customers that we are losing and the community.

No one wants to see OS 4.0 shipping more than Amiga does. Amiga tried for more than 3 years to work on and work with the necessary parties to reach that goal. Millions of dollars were offered, and refused, millions of dollars offered to make sure that the third party developers were paid, and yet without the third parties being consulted Amiga efforts are denied and frustrated. With these activities and continued efforts Amiga is the one that is portrayed as being in the wrong by those who are driven by self-interest and who do not care about the best interests of the broader Amiga community. We want to be particularly clear on the following point: Contrary to what has been said in public forums, Amiga has never expected to or tried to take intellectual property rights or money away from the legitimate, independent third party developers who worked (and continue to work) on OS 4.0, In fact, if our last offer had been accepted, these developers would have either been paid by now, or at least would be seeing a revenue stream, and millions of customers would have Amiga running on their systems – whether computers, mobile devices or phones.

In fact, Amiga’s consistent position has been that Amiga would assume all of the legitimate third party contracts and make sure that all legitimate outstanding amounts are paid.

What many of you do not seem to understand is that KMOS (now known as Amiga, Inc.), which acquired the tangible and intangible assets of the Amiga business in 2004, was and is a company with new financial wherewithal and new strengths. We have added people with proven records and they are keeping us focused as a company. We are able to focus our attention on developing products and technology that will drive revenue and our future as a company.

For those of you wanting to point fingers and blame Amiga for the fact that OS 4.0 is not shipping, you are pointing your fingers at the wrong people, and frankly I am not going to sit quietly any longer and let this unfounded criticism continue.

New hardware is indeed being developed, and we have selected the first 3rd party manufacturer that will build in high quantities, and yes, this new hardware is being delayed because OS 4.0 is needed to complete the package and to resolve certain technical issues. As I said before, no one wants OS 4.0 shipping more than Amiga.

The OS 4.0 situation could be resolved very quickly. We have tried. We were forced to take a legal course when the other side would not even mediate (which the contract calls for). This situation can still be resolved without the courts, but it cannot be a one sided solution.

With regard to recent comments about Tao and Intent, the reality is that Amiga does not support Intent and we have not since before Tao was forced into receivership. We have been working on our “AA2” solution for Amiga Anywhere. We wanted to keep quiet about it until the SDK and documentation were completed and made public when it was ready to ship. However, because of recent posts where incorrect statements have been made, we want to let you all know that Amiga Anywhere is not dependent on intent and that the new solution is in the pipeline .

My last point concerns a recent post about another company making offers for Amiga. This is categorically false. A bona fide offer was never received. Amiga received a letter that asked for our financials. In the phone conversation that followed, we explained to the contact at the other company our current valuation based on the last round of funding we had completed, and then gave them the current valuation on the round that is in the process of closing, and we were told that there was no way they could even get close to those numbers.

Amiga is making great strides and technical progress on our products and services, and with the partners and companies that Amiga has amassed not only in the cell phone space, but in other consumer electronics disciplines as well. With the new people who have joined, our recent acquisition in India, Amiga is opening the doors to a long term strategy that the community can support, respect and be proud of.

One of my frustrations lies with the fact that this Amiga team sacrificed a great deal to deliver on our promises. I want to thank the loyal members of the Amiga community for sticking with us through thick and thin.

Bill McEwen
    

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ne_one 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 3:36:35
#1 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 13-Jun-2005
Posts: 905
From: Unknown

So the gloves are off and without any direct finger pointing, it's obvious that Hyperion is being identified as the ne'erdowells.

If significant overtures (read offers of "millions of dollars") have been made to remedy the situation then what are the outstanding issues?

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kas1e 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 3:40:10
#2 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 11-Jan-2004
Posts: 3549
From: Russia

Some more lies for some more money from some last amiga users :) "we want as you, we with us, we will help". How many time amigans will eat this kind of bullsh.t ? really, it looks very funny after 10 years of the same talks about nothink.


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BigBentheAussie 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 3:50:23
#3 ]
Super Member
Joined: 28-Oct-2003
Posts: 1690
From: Melbourne, Australia

We've been told many things over the years which have never materialised and are understandably skeptical.

With more communication of progress it would be easy to whip the Amiga Community into a frenzy of excitement. You really need an Amiga evangelist.

Proof of hardware development, especially from ACK, would allay many concerns.
Disclosure of future plans for the OS would dismiss the FUD circulating.

Sure you're going to get naysayers whatever you do, which is just a given in this community, but, proof of activity would really go a long way, in what the community considers desperate times.

edit: Corrected grammar.

Ok. Going back to my happy place now.

Last edited by BigBentheAussie on 03-Oct-2007 at 03:52 AM.


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Yogi27 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 3:54:52
#4 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 11-Dec-2002
Posts: 357
From: Chicago, Illinois

Hi Everyone!

Oh stop already Bill. If everthing is "progressing" then why did you fail to meet your obligations on the stadium. How about ACK not delivering anything, not even a prototype board. Maybe if I look out my window and see some pig fly by, then I would believe you care about OS 4 shipping.

When I first started reading this letter, I thought, what, they are going to sue the community.

What a joke. Amiga Inc. is like the rash you just can't get rid of.

Yogi

P.S. Bill, Would you please sell the Amiga to DiscreetFx and be on your way.

Last edited by Yogi27 on 03-Oct-2007 at 04:00 AM.
Last edited by Yogi27 on 03-Oct-2007 at 03:57 AM.

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Kicko 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 4:19:48
#5 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 19-Jun-2004
Posts: 5009
From: Sweden

Quote:
For those of you wanting to point fingers and blame Amiga for the fact that OS 4.0 is not shipping, you are pointing your fingers at the wrong people, and frankly I am not going to sit quietly any longer and let this unfounded criticism continue.


Dont know but this mail feels like blaiming all other but themselfs. They are the real amigians and we are the pointfingers.

Come on..... how much have they done to get license to HW makers and try to rise os4 up to the skies ?

Sorry for beeing so negative.... Some positive words. I hope they learn something ;) Wee need os4/HW first and not any mobilephones, motorcycles, mediastuff etc. That can come later.

Last edited by Kicko on 03-Oct-2007 at 04:21 AM.

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meet.mrnrg 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 4:28:12
#6 ]
Super Member
Joined: 5-Feb-2007
Posts: 1919
From: UK, AUS, US

Well Well Well...

If the figures and statements are true!
Then the damages bill could be extensive. Mark my words he says if you don't co-operate then the it could be your expense bill on the tax accountants desk.

With a statement like, "C\an you afford the repayments? or would you like to hand in the keys?".

Best speak with your guarantor's. The original policy says so.


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nzv58l 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 4:39:50
#7 ]
Super Member
Joined: 7-Oct-2003
Posts: 1640
From: Michigan

Sounds like the same old stuff. I'm not from Wisconsin, but show me!

It seems like too many times someone has said they have tried to contact AI and they deny it far too often. That either makes the number of parties that have tried to contact them liers or the one source. Don't know for sure, but with those odds guess who I am going to believe. Too bad really, when you consider I used to try and be optomistic, but now I can just be a naysayer.

I think we have all suffered far too much. Pancakes anyone?

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Plaz 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 4:45:27
#8 ]
Super Member
Joined: 2-Oct-2003
Posts: 1573
From: Atlanta

"Hello Amiga community, we have no idea what we're doing but it's not our fault!"

Please make it stop...... sigh.

Quote:
and we have selected the first 3rd party manufacturer that will build in high quantities


Ack's design farmed out? But no good with out OS4 of course.

Quote:
My last point concerns a recent post about another company making offers for Amiga. This is categorically false. A bona fide offer was never received. Amiga received a letter that asked for our financials


It would all be more believable if the facts were strait. DFX was interested in a buy-out and inquired about valuation. DFX never claimed to have made an offer. They said that they wished the asking price was based in reality so they might make an offer.

Jeez, well maybe Minimig has them "quaking in their boots" so they felt they had to come out with something quick.



Plaz

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koan 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 4:52:13
#9 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 5-Dec-2003
Posts: 126
From: Kyoto, Japan

Bill, you sound desperate.

I would be too. Fighting a court case, no products, little income.

Quote:
In fact, Amiga’s consistent position has been that Amiga would assume all of the legitimate third party contracts and make sure that all legitimate outstanding amounts are paid.


Can I say "T-shirts and Vouchers" ?

I believe the vouchers are outstanding and that Hyperion are refusing to cash them. Doesn't that mean AI should repay them ?

Quote:
Amiga lost a deal worth more than 250,000 units because the development was not properly handled.


Bill, you make your bed and you sleep in it. If the dev people screwed up, you chose them. You agreed the contract. Take the responsibility. If not personally, then on behalf of AI.

Quote:
Amiga is making great strides and technical progress on our products and services, and with the partners and companies that Amiga has amassed not only in the cell phone space (...) Amiga is opening the doors to a long term strategy that the community can support, respect and be proud of.


Cell phones ? Would this have anything to do with the vision and values of the people who bought the original Amigas (classic) ? I don't think so. Sure, I think AmigaOS would be good for a phone but that is not why the community is here IMHO.

Even if you buy into all this, you are not asking for "2 more weeks", it's 1 more year (to resolve the court case). No one is going to give you a whole year unless you have a stunning vision and concrete progress. You are not offering either.

Last edited by koan on 03-Oct-2007 at 04:54 AM.

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kas1e 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 5:11:27
#10 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 11-Jan-2004
Posts: 3549
From: Russia

maybe Bill feel that Hyperion can win, and start this old dances called "we are community. please support my femaly by some donayions and buying t-shirts and cups with boing-balls" ;) I think if Bill in some kind of panic, it's good. Maybe Hyperion will won .. who knows of course..


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NomadOfNorad 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 5:19:09
#11 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 2-Jun-2003
Posts: 746
From: Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Earth, Sol system, Milky Way galaxy

Amiga Inc is a puffer fish. They keep inflating themselves up to make themselves look much bigger than they really are, like they did with that stadium in Kent. This new letter is just one more example of it.


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Mr-Z 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 5:43:20
#12 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 24-May-2005
Posts: 188
From: De Keistad, Netherlands

-whatever-


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sundown 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 5:55:43
#13 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 30-Aug-2003
Posts: 5120
From: Right here...

Bunch of party poopers!

Well it appears that AInc is aware of our bitching at least.


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Valiant 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 6:20:37
#14 ]
Super Member
Joined: 21-Oct-2003
Posts: 1109
From: West of Eden, VT USA

Slogan for next t-shirt

'I went to a bitch fest and all I got was this lousy letter'


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Kotler 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 6:20:43
#15 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 27-May-2005
Posts: 255
From: Sweden

Seems to me like McEwen thinks: "If I say that Hyperion is at fault for the current situation enough times, it will become true". It's still Amiga who is holding up
OS 4.0... D'oh...

There are talks of millions of dollars for development of OS4? What? In the court docs they are willing to pay $25,000 for the complete OS. Actions speak louder
than words.

Last edited by Kotler on 03-Oct-2007 at 06:21 AM.

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Flystone 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 6:33:19
#16 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 4-Oct-2004
Posts: 174
From: Italy, Northwest

Now we want to see of the facts!!! Thanks


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Treke 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 7:36:35
#17 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 17-Mar-2003
Posts: 137
From: EU

I'm not ususally taking part on the forums. Sorry to be a bit harsh then.

The time for backing the empty promisess of AI has already passed. Several times.
Only the form of the BM's annoucements is still changing - not too much though: There are still big words backed by hot air
E.g, his words from several years back sound, like he could move the whole galaxy himself alone. He wouldn't need any partner, which he blames now for the failure ?!

Deliver.
Otherwise you are just a cheap poser.

Regards
Ed

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pertinaxone 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 7:45:02
#18 ]
Member
Joined: 8-May-2005
Posts: 38
From: Unknown

Quote:
There are talks of millions of dollars for development of OS4? What? In the court docs they are willing to pay $25,000 for the complete OS. Actions speak louder


So, if Hyperion were to cave in (hyperthetically) and say ask for a compromise payout of say $3.5m - would they get it??



Jason

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jingof 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 8:23:07
#19 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 8-May-2007
Posts: 499
From: Jingo Fet is from "A Galaxy Far, Far Away"

Bill,

I'm one of the thousands of old Amiga users waiting in the wings hoping to one day return to a viable Amiga platform. And, I'd just love to see Ainc. succeed, and the naysayers eat their words.

I, for one, couldn't care less about the bad attitudes and disbelief that runs so rampant in the Amiga community right now. I enjoy computers, not soap operas and don't give a darn how the disenfranchised "feel". All this bullsh*t and negativity is blown way out of proportion by some posters who seem to have nothing better to do than retread their grievances ad-nauseum for hours upon hours. Same BS, different thread. And yet they criticise you for not making productive use of your time for the betterment of the Amiga community!!!

If you brought new hardware to market tomorrow, I'd buy atleast 2 machines just to support the re-emergence of platform. And I wouldn't give a second's thought to the negative words swirling on the forums. Then, I would spread the word to 10 others I know that gave up on amiga 15 years ago. And so would the naysayer contingent, I'd wager.

Bottom line, once the Amiga has a future again, no one will care about the past, especially newcomers buying the system without all this historical baggage.

They'll think me naive (again) for hoping and believing Ainc. can pull it off against the odds... whatever, I don't care. I know that a dramatically improved financial picture fundamentally changes the equation. And that the dot com bust era was a very difficult time to survive, and may have forced actions or business decisions that you wouldn't normally make. And that a huge legal dispute years in the making can twist and distort your technology roadmap, making it difficult for onlookers to discern. And today is a much better business climate and circumstance for the Amiga to succeed. I get that, and I get that it could really be different this time, if legal matters can resolve quickly. And I, for one, am pulling hard for Ainc. to succeed !!

Jingof


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CodeSmith 
Re: An open letter to the Amiga community from Amiga Inc.
Posted on 3-Oct-2007 9:10:01
#20 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 8-Mar-2003
Posts: 3045
From: USA

I'm quite surprised no-one's asked the obvious question here: what's *really* going on? Looking at the court docs, it's clear that most, if not all of Amiga Inc's statements have been caused by internal pressures between them and their partners (as opposed to most press releases, which deal with things that impact customers directly, such as new products, recalls, etc). So, what's going on behind the scenes right now? I'd be willing to bet that this "can't we all just get along" message is directly influenced by the court case. I'm going to be paying close attention to the forums for the next couple of weeks, I suspect that interesting news are just around the corner.

[speculation]
Since Amiga Inc is trying very hard to paint Hyperion as the bad guys here, I suspect that the judge twisted some arms and talked the lawyers into an out of court settlement that doesn't include completely taking Hyperion out of the picture. Here's why I believe this. First, why issue a statement blaming Hyperion? if Amiga Inc were confident of a victory, they'd just let the legal system take its course - issue a statement after it's all over. On the other hand, if their lawers thought they were about to lose the OS4 trademarks, mentioning their "long term strategy" would be pointless ("here's what you ungrateful sods could have had"), so that doesn't sound right either. Add to this the fact that the original contracts sucked, both sides are now just piling on documentation that adds very little extra info, the judge probably has other cases to deal with, and he's already suggested a settlement, and I can see his honor calling both legal teams to his chambers and reading them the riot act. In this context, the open letter makes a lot of sense - the lawsuit is about to end, and neither side has total victory. The ball is back in our court, and we are the ones who decide who wins (by voting with our wallets). Bill McEwen just fired the first salvo in the battle for public opinion.
[/speculation]

Last edited by CodeSmith on 03-Oct-2007 at 09:13 AM.

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