@Birbo
Quote:

"Think different"

That's a big point, you are right. People want to have alternatives.


@Gerograph
Well, the "Bottom-Top"-scenario I describe here is probably the only viable way, since you won't get any big companies porting their high-end-software to Amiga OS at the moment.

Endeavours like porting Photoshop to a new platform go into the hundreds of thousands of Euros..

Last edited by steril606 on 06-Jan-2010 at 01:41 PM.

@steril606

"Endeavours like porting Photoshop to a new platform go into the hundreds of thousands of Euros.. "

What about GIMP on X11?

_________________
Sometimes we give people a lot of credit just because they’re writing nice sentences even if it isn’t adding up to much.

@Birbo
I was answering to Gerograph with his "Top to Bottom"-approach.

And for what I know, and what I have witnessed at the places I have been working at, Pros don't consider using Gimp.
I haven't seen one person earning his salary by using Gimp at the media agencies I have been working at.

It was all Photoshop.

So, you won't sell stuff to them if you don't have the standards (Photoshop, Flash, Cubase, Wavelab, etc). And the standards won't be ported, until you have a critical mass of customers using a platform, since it's no use for Adobe or Steinberg to pay hundreds of thousands of euros to port and maintain software for only a couple of peeps.

People ("casuals"), who use their computers for mainly browsing, writing invoices, doing spreadsheets, listening to music and watching video are a much more easy target, if you adress them in the right way, and that's first off by producing an experience they feel comfortable with.

These days, statistically, that means Laptop instead of Desktop for instance, or a streamlined graphical OS instead of having to set up stuff in hidden textfiles somewhere on the harddisk.

The Amiga was once so good in exactly these things back in the 80ies. It was leaps and bounds ahead of the pack in terms of userfriendliness and mass-appeal, indeed much more than Apple was back then,so I don't get, why the new Amiga shouldn't eventually go that route as well.

Or at least try.

Last edited by steril606 on 06-Jan-2010 at 02:00 PM.
Last edited by steril606 on 06-Jan-2010 at 01:59 PM.

@steril606

I generally agree with what you are saying in your post. I for one would like the community to build an interface like the Playstation's XMB, or similar.

What would be nice, to make it an accessible multi-media system, is an almost (5 second) boot system that would permit the user to launch into games or media very quickly without having to boot up the OS.

From the OS or the "XMB" the user can choose what profile to boot into next time. Either way you have access to your files. If you want to be productive you boot into the OS as per normal. If you want to get at your media, you boot into the "XMB".

I think it would be great for Hyperion to think of such an extended layer for the OS to make it more accessible to people who may have never used Amiga's before...

A cross between a MediaPC and our beloved Amiga, but giving us the choice what profile to boot up in when we want... So the Amiga could take its place in the lounge, as well as in the study or bedroom; real multi purpose...

With all the card slots I guess a PVR system is very possible too. The new high end ATI cards we can use would also have HDMI out...

Its all to play for, it depends what Hyperion and the community want to make of it...

Major key points and software that are necessary for this platform to get a larger market...

1] Timberwolf with Flash (Gnash) / Java support (stable and robust)
2] Open Office
3] Gimp
4] Usual suspects such as email / chat / mp3 / newsreader proggies etc
5] Decent 3D modeler/renderer (Aladdin etc)
6] New version of Octamed with surround sound support
7] Media Centre / XMB / Live quick boot layer for almost instant access to your media
=====
8] Emulation of Amiga Software using emulators we currently have (always helps and just in case people still want to use packages like Deluxe Paint)
=====
9] Also, importantly, ability for the OS to read/communicate with devices such as iPods/Smart Phones etc - people need these conveniences!!!

What Amiga offers needs to be recognisable by the average Joe, whilst old Amigans need to feel comfortable using the system once again, after having been away from it. Needs to be easy and attractive to get into - with all the necessary support.

Q!

"i am home"

Last edited by QuBe on 06-Jan-2010 at 02:55 PM.
Last edited by QuBe on 06-Jan-2010 at 02:38 PM.
Last edited by QuBe on 06-Jan-2010 at 02:37 PM.
Last edited by QuBe on 06-Jan-2010 at 02:36 PM.

@QuBe

So a USP could be:

Simple to use


Meaning: Not tousands of functions you don't need, but simply the ones you want.

_________________
Sometimes we give people a lot of credit just because they’re writing nice sentences even if it isn’t adding up to much.

@QuBe

About OpenOffice:

When Timberwolf works, you will be able to use GoogleDocs.

In the future even more applications will be running online.

_________________
Sometimes we give people a lot of credit just because they’re writing nice sentences even if it isn’t adding up to much.

The one thing we should never do is use an argument that developers should only go in one direction to fulfill a unique value proposition for the Amiga. Not only is putting all your eggs in once basket a bad idea, you are unlikely to succeed in corralling developers in your desired direction. Amiga developers whether commercial or open source are either scratching an itch or filling a niche, or doing what the find fun and creative. I have my own ideas about what kind of software I would like to write which could very well be outside your field of interest, but may interest others. But that doesn't mean everyone should do what I am trying to do, in fact, I'd rather there wasn't a duplication of effort......or too much competition.

_________________
Leo Nigro, CTO Commodore USA, LLC
Opinions expressed are my own and not those of C= USA.
Commodore/AMIGA "Beautiful, High-Performance, Home Computers for Creativity and Entertainment."

@Birbo

Got you Birbo... no need really for Open Office then, but nice to have I guess...

Q!

"i am home"

I very much believe that we have entered into an era of "Good Enough Computing" where all systems can basically do the same thing, from your netbook to your desktop, and it is really just a matter of the speed your willing to put up with. If it takes a couple more minutes of processing for a large task, or if my app launches a second or two slower I am not going to care much. If my web page takes 2 seconds longer to render I am not going to care much. The fact of the matter is that with the new X1000 we are now within the ballpark of acceptable performance. You might argue your SAM is too, but I don't want to argue that.

_________________
Leo Nigro, CTO Commodore USA, LLC
Opinions expressed are my own and not those of C= USA.
Commodore/AMIGA "Beautiful, High-Performance, Home Computers for Creativity and Entertainment."

@BigBentheAussie

Depends... acceptable computing today is (for the majority walking this planet...)

...access to the internet through a decent robust browser!!!

The SAM could just be an efficient terminal.

With a decent browser, flash and java support, your desktop OS almost becomes irrelevant... unless you need access to specific productivity software - programming, audio, gfx, video etc...

The problem was always, and more acutely felt in the last 8 years I think... the complete lack of a decent browser to do stuff with...

Q!

"i am home"

@QuBe

I believe all these developments will come eventually. But the thing that must be created above all others is a sustainable Amiga software market. The only way to do this, is to enlarge the user-base. You might argue that you can't get an acceptable user-base until you have the apps... sort of a chicken and the egg situation. The fact of the matter is that people who purchase an Amiga will have to take a leap of faith that new software will be created for it. A browser is all that is required for minimal functionality on the platform, and everything else is icing.

In fact, I see the lack of maturity of the platform (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), as a draw-card as any novel development could be exciting. This really is the best time to be alive, and the best time to be an Amigan. The Amiga platform really is in the wild west in terms of software development at the moment, where even a bedroom coder could make a huge difference to software usage patterns for the platform, if they really committed themselves to it. Really, no package is too big to be tackled or ported. I mean there's a guy writing a unique Amiga word processor for crying out loud, and all manner of unique Amiga specific applications. This is really part of the Amiga's charm. It's different, and that is a good thing.

_________________
Leo Nigro, CTO Commodore USA, LLC
Opinions expressed are my own and not those of C= USA.
Commodore/AMIGA "Beautiful, High-Performance, Home Computers for Creativity and Entertainment."

Might have been said before but fast booting VirusFree with no weird occasional "wait for five minutes" without any reason especially in novice users machines anyway.

Fast os with also no weird long times to open a drawer with a lot of different stuff.

Then the most important programs combined with unique new stuff which really helps and don't eat up your time. And offcourse a few good games to eat up the saved time..

Having all this everywhere with You like a cellphone can be might be a good goal. A laptop is nearly the same as desktop to me as it can't be carried all the time anywhere. It's a space saver and easy to move but runs quickly out of battery and there is another goal. The main machine could be home doing the hard work and You only had a display.

AmigaAnywhere

Last edited by PR on 06-Jan-2010 at 03:32 PM.
Last edited by PR on 06-Jan-2010 at 03:31 PM.

@QuBe

Well, looking into the future to where we will be in terms of computing in 2020. I see the OS as becoming absolutely irrelevant. Our user experience will be entirely downloadable to any computer. You could practically imitate any OS from within a browser today, however it is noticeably slower and absent of 3d effects. With the exponential increase in both bandwidth and processing ability coupled with standardised 3d these distinctions will disappear. When web OS desktop experiences becomes good enough, the desktop operating system's GUI will cease to be a differentiator of OSes and hardware becomes nothing more than a commodity. Which it already is btw.

You might argue that visual and speech recognition or even AI will be features of future OSes, and you'd be right. But these will still be encapsulated within a user experience that is to each user's preference and accessible from any computing device. This is of course omitting that portable and specific purpose devices will still have their own distinct user experience out of necessity.

_________________
Leo Nigro, CTO Commodore USA, LLC
Opinions expressed are my own and not those of C= USA.
Commodore/AMIGA "Beautiful, High-Performance, Home Computers for Creativity and Entertainment."

@PR

Next USP:

Simply Fast

_________________
Sometimes we give people a lot of credit just because they’re writing nice sentences even if it isn’t adding up to much.

Of course we need a good browser.. over the long run that has been a big roadblock.

But I think we also need to bring back creativity..
Maybe I'm biased, but I have never found a simple "DPaint" like program in Windows. There are very powerful programs, and some are free, but I can create faster and more effortlessly in DPaint than anything else.

This is also true for MIDI work. There's a lot of very powerful windows programs, but none of them feel as "creative" as the old-school Amiga software, and on the newer end, none of them can interconnect like CAMD based programs can. There is room for improvement for sure, like digital audio I/O. But I believe we have a standing advantage in the "feel" of creativity.

I'm real excited about the OS and the new hardware. Now if someone announces that Electronic Arts will be publishing productivity applications, I'll really be feeling the "Deja-Vu" of the original Amiga release!

:)
It's all good.

LyleHaze

_________________
question=(2b||!(2b))

A leader in the retro computing market that is the niche ....... Bring back software that were great and emulation of every old computer...

I would love to be able to stream pictures,movies,music to my PS3,just as PS3mediaserver does for MacOS,Linux,and Windows.

_________________

@Birbo

Quote:

In the future even more applications will be running online.

Not for those of us stuck with very slow broadband or even dial up it won't.

@QuBe

I think you are a bit wrong with your major key points. These software is only a basic. But you won't gain a USP with it. You can do the same stuff with a comon linux distribution and that for zero. With linux you have support for a wide range of hardware. Even if you look at windows you can't do better, they sell the os for around 10 - 30$ to a vendor.

So i think the "Apple like" way would be good. Create a comon useable os which is in one point a lot better then all other compatitors. Or you seek a niche market. But which one?

Games? No you won't get a publisher to publish a game for the amiga, most of them are heavy directX dependent.

Multimedia: Not until you are a big company and have many more users.



So I think the best way is to slowly modernise the whole os and the hardware and may be time after time some users will try it.

@Hisoka999

Quote:

So I think the best way is to slowly modernise the whole os and the hardware and may be time after time some users will try it.

Yes, modernise the os is the big step, simple, rational and for all sort of user. Connection with all type of machine (phone, ipod, console, readers, etc...).
Support for webkit, java, qt. Microsoft's IE showed us that the users want the choice. Internet applications are growing.
Support and compatibility with browser standards isn't an option.
Apple got it passing from MacOs 9 to MacOs X, free compilation tools, compatibility with unix libraries and applications.
Let the users do applications.