I have grew up knowing the Amiga's operating system as 'WORKBENCH'. What happened after WB3.1 release? The workbench name was dropped in favour of the boring 'OS' name.

If I mention 'WORKBENCH' to real life friends who don't care about Amiga anymore, but used to own an A500 back in the days, they will start reminiscenting about how cool it was... Mention 'OS4' and I get blank looks.

Please bring Workbench back!

Last edited by Everblue on 13-Dec-2008 at 09:27 AM.

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@Everblue

Real life friends? Would that imply also then that you have non-real life friends too?

Rude!

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@Rudei

Sorry English is not my first language. What I mean is friends at work, relatives, etc. Not people in Amiga forums, chat, etc. I did not want to offend anyone.

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@Everblue

The way I see it:

Kickstart + Workbench = AmigaOS

@Everblue

http://www.amigaforever.com/kb/15-108

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Email: thomas-rapp@web.de
Home: thomas-rapp.homepage.t-online.de

@thomas

Thanks for the link Thomas, very well explained.

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Workbench was what it was called when it came on 1-5 disks. Operating systems have become more serious things, much larger and more expensive. Imagine Workbench costing £80. Also, Workbench starts with the same letter as Windows...

@Everblue

Only kidding my friend, you're English is better than mine (and I'm English)
Now I feel guilty for thinking I've offended you! Apologies.

Rude!

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@Rudei

Ah ok :) No problems. I saw your signature and thought you were calling me rude! Haha.

What does it say on the top left corner when you install Amiga OS4.1 for the first time? Amiga Workbench or OS4?

Thanks!


PS I am from Malta.

Last edited by Everblue on 13-Dec-2008 at 09:50 AM.

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@Everblue

Ahh that's my sig - "Rude!" is "Rudei" with an upsidedown "i" - I post this on every response, I see how it can be confusing!

It says "Amiga OS4" I believe, but I think Workbench is mentioned when you click About (my OS4 machine isn't plugged in right now) from the menu...

Anyone running OS4 reading this to confirm?

Rude! (me)

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@Everblue

The part of the hd that contains AOS4 on my system, I have named Workbench.
I am a traditionlist.

Malta eh?
Went there twice for holidays as a youngster.
Got family over there as well.

Had a great time, it is a great place.
Will go back again at some point.

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If your nose runs and your feet smell, you're upside down.

@Everblue

Quote:

I have grew up knowing the Amiga's operating system as 'WORKBENCH'. What happened after WB3.1 release? The workbench name was dropped in favour of the boring 'OS' name.

AmigaOS was coined by Amiga Technologies but I dont know if they made it ever officially. It was just sort of adopted by Amiga users.

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Amiga Developer
Amiga 500, Efika, Mac Mini and PowerBook

@Everblue

it's easy Workbench is part of AmigaOS,
in the same way X-Windows (X11) is part of Linux.

AmigaOS = Kickstart + AmigaDOS + Workbench
Redhat = Kernel + GNU utils + X11 + lots of stuff.

Amiga Computers loads the Kickstart (OS Kernel and hw drivers)
then AmigaDOS is started from disk
Then AmigaDOS execute the startup-sequence script
then AmigaDOS loads network drivers and monitor drivers,
then AmigaDOS execute the user-startup script
then AmigaDOS finally loads Workbench.

PC whit Linux.
The bootloader found in MBR loads the Linux kernel.
Then Linux kernel reads the boot disk and starts the Linux Console.
Then Linux console (sh) starts executing the init script.
Then Linux console (sh) loads kernel modules (drivers)
then Linux console (sh) starts network services.
Then Linux console (sh) loads X-Windows (X11)


Amiga Game boot sequence option 1:
Kickstart is loaded.
AmigaDOS is never started, game loads from bootblocks.

Amiga Game boot sequence option 2:
Kickstart is loaded
AmigaDOS is started.
Game is started from startup-sequence.
Workbench is never loaded.

Amiga Game boot sequence option 3
Kickstart is loaded
AmigaDOS is loaded.
Workbench is loaded.
you click on the game to start it.

Last edited by NutsAboutAmiga on 13-Dec-2008 at 11:53 AM.
Last edited by NutsAboutAmiga on 13-Dec-2008 at 11:49 AM.

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Facebook::LiveForIt Software for AmigaOS

@Everblue

That's because calling it Workbench is inaccurate. Although Workbench is what is usually presented to the user and what we usually run our apps from, Workbench is part of the OS, but it isn't the OS. Infact the OS technically could run without it. Boot into a shell and make use of it will show what I mean. Workbench needs the OS to be Workbench.

Of course, the OS by itself is meaningless. But, what I would call it, is AmigaOS4. And I usually use Workbench 4 on that same OS.

I do know what you mean. Other people also call it AmigaDOS. Which is also inaccurate. It is only part of the OS, one that handles file management. And considered to be an abomination to what was supposed to be the actual AmigaDOS.

OTOH, the Mac has the Finder, a strange name for a desktop that sounds more like a search engine. And Windows has it's desktop, which without, wouldn't be recognisable as Windows!

@Hypex

Quote:

That's because calling it Workbench is inaccurate. Although Workbench is what is usually presented to the user and what we usually run our apps from.

It's both accurate and inaccurate.

Back in the Commodore days the OS didn't really have a specific name so it was referred to as Worbench, the discs said workbench, the manuals said workbench, you could go out and buy a product called Workbench.

The original question was perfectly valid. The answer is rather sad, sometime back in the 90's Apple renamed their OS to MacOS, someone thought it trendy enough to copy it and it's been called AmigaOS ever since.

I personally thought Workbench to be a much better name.

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Whyzzat?

@salass00

Quote:

The way I see it: Kickstart + Workbench = AmigaOS

Me too.

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AmigaOS 4.1 FEu2 on Sam440ep-flex 800MHz 1GB RAM
C128, A500+, A1200, A1200/40, AmigaForever 2008+09+16, 5 x86/x64 boxes
Still waiting (or dreaming) for the Amiga revolution...
m4rko.com/AMIGA

I liked the name Workbench and think it is a great name for an operating system, I wonder if it all right to use as a OS name or do Amiga own the rights to it? Just a thought if hyperion lost the ight to use Amiga, they could go to the workbench name.

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AmigaNG, YouTube, LeaveReality Studio

@minator

According to the comp.sys.amiga, the name "Amiga OS" is unofficialy used at least since 1991/1992.

I found one thread from March 1991 mentioning "Amiga OS".
comp.sys.amiga.advocacy

You can find more than 100 posts containing phrase "Amiga OS" in later years (1992 etc.).

Last edited by pavlor on 13-Dec-2008 at 03:34 PM.

@Everblue

Quote:

Everblue wrote: @Rudei What does it say on the top left corner when you install Amiga OS4.1 for the first time? Amiga Workbench or OS4?

Looking through the screen shot section at the all the OS4.x (Workbench4.x ) screenshots, it does indeed still say Workbench on the top left corner where it has always been.

Yeah, I have to agree with everybody. I think the AmigaOS is Kickstart + Workbench.

I the old days the rom stayed in the machine and you could more or less buy "just" the version of Workbench on disk with out chaning major OS components in ROM.


I think when people are conversing though the term "Workbench" is still very much in use today.

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A3000D (16mhz, 2MB Chip, 4MB Fast, SCSI (300+MB), SuperGen Genlock, Kick 3.1)
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Back in my day, we didn't have water. We only had Oxygen & Hydrogen, & we'd just shove 'em together

@thomas

Quote:

http://www.amigaforever.com/kb/15-108

That's a great link.

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Peter Swallow.
A1XEG3-800 [IBM 750FX PowerPC], running OS4.1FE, using ac97 onboard sound.

"There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't."