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Internet News : Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen |
| posted by tomazkid on 5-Oct-2007 13:39:56 (13344 reads) |
Amigaweb.net has finally received the answers to the Q&A with Bill McEwen.
Source: Amigaweb.net.
1) Do you think Adam from ACK Software Controls, as a single person, is capable enough to create reliable OS4 compatible hardware?
We are very confident in his abilities, and we are very pleased with the progress that has been made so far. Adam is creating the reference products that will be manufactured by another company and they will be the ones that make the hardware.
2) Do you have any contact with ACube or Troika regarding new hardware?
We do not.
3) Is there any hope of OS4 capable hardware released in 2007?
That is the plan, and hope.
4) Is there any hope for and OS4 licence for Elbox?
Unfortunately, because of legal proceedings, I cannot comment on matters related to OS 4.
5) Why don't you license/start selling Acube's Mac port of OS4 (project Moana)?
Same answer as the answer for number 4.
6) Why is not OS4 for Sam worked out yet? Regardless of the trial I guess both Hyperion and Amiga Inc. wants Amiga OS4 to be sold for that platform, or? So why wait?
Same answer as the answer for number 4.
7) What kind of hardware will OS5 be designed for?
OS5 scales to its host hardware, so anything from mobile phones through stbs, consoles up to servers. Initially covering software hosts Windows-D, Windows Mobile, Linux-D, Linux-E and Symbian for x86 and ARM, and possibly any high profile hardware host.
8) Why couldn't you licence Individual Computers Amiga 500 clone Projetc A? ( It seems like a product that could generate a lot of revenue. Just look at the success of the C64 DTV)
I am not familiar with this company or project. I would need to speak with someone there; my e-mail is bill@amiga.com
Software:
9) Are there any plans for further development of Amiga OS4 if you're able to obtain the source codes?
Amiga intends to continue development of Amiga OS4 once legal matters have been resolved.
10) Is Amiga OS4 for mobile, set top boxes or other devices planned?
Please see the answer to question 4.
11) Is Amiga OS4 for x86 planned or of interest?
Please see the answer to question 4.
12) Amiga OS4 is working pretty well in it's current state, and the main problem at the moment is a severe lack of serious developers to create modern software. For instance web browsers, email clients, ftp clients, office software, video editing, sound editing, games, and so on. Do Amiga Inc. have any plans to support development groups or hire people to get these things fixed/done?
Please see the answers to questions 4 and 9.
13) If Amiga Inc. is unable to secure OS4 from Hyperion, will the new Amiga OS5 be totally different from OS4, and will it be able to run OS3.x and OS4.x applications?
OS 5 details will be more public in the 4th quarter this year. Then you will have your answers to this question.
14) What efforts will Amiga put in place to ENSURE that any transition of ownership will not hinder development and testing of OS4?
Not quite sure that I understand the question.
15) If you do secure OS4 sources, will you include parts of OS4 in OS5?
We want to continue working with the OS 4 team and share with them where we are in progress with 5, and then we can better determine the answer to this question.
16) You've claimed earlier that OS5 will be better than Mac OS X. Can you tell us in what way?
Details for OS 5 will be made public in the 4th quarter of 2007, and then you will have a much clearer understanding and I will let you decide if what I know to be true is accurate.
17) Could you give us some information, tell us about some of the features, and what the current status of OS5 is?
OS 5 is ahead of schedule, and we will be making public announcements concerning the product in the 4th quarter of this year.
18) Where is the OS5 development team located, and how many people are working on the project?
The current team members are in California, Washington, Michigan, England, New Zealand, Germany and Canada. More members are being added and the team will double before the end of this year as we are moving into other areas of development.
19) Will OS5 be a completly independent OS, or will it be hosted on some other platform?
Details will be given out to the public later this year.
20) When will there be a SDK for Amiga OS5?
Those details will be forthcoming.
21) How many people work at Amiga Development India, and is this company used at all for development of Amiga OS or Amiga related software development?
We currently have 63 employees in India and there are no members of the Amiga India team working on OS 5. They are working on other Amiga related products and initiatives. They also have their own products that were purchased by Amiga at the time of the acquisition and these are being sold in certain Asian markets.
22) What is the status of Amiga Anywhere and the situation with Tao?
Amiga Anywhere was in process of moving to our own solution, and this new solution is part of the new OS. The Tao situation simply moved up our timeline, as we expect to have the new Amiga Anywhere available in the next 30 days for public use and development.
Business:
23) What do you think will be gained by spending $10 million on the Kent Events Center?
This would have been an investment in technology. There are numerous new technologies that Amiga has developed or recently acquired, and the Event Center would have allowed us to deploy and test these technologies in a real world environment. Unfortunately, we were not able to reach a definitive agreement regarding the Kent Events Center.
24) Wouldn't it be better to spend the kent center money on end-user product development, or to resolve the issue with Hyperion, for instance by buying the whole company?
The Kent Events Center would have been an excellent investment for Amiga. However, we have moved on.
25) Discreet FX offered a while ago to buy Amiga Inc, is Amiga Inc for sale if the right price is offered?
We never received an offer to purchase Amiga. We received a questionnaire. Amiga is not for sale.
26) Can you tell us anything about your investors (Is their focus on OS4/OS5 or something else)?
Our investors are focused on our making money. From a technology standpoint they are focused on our core IP and building on our operating system work.
27) How do you respond to the questions regarding your integrity that have been raised in the local press such as the Seattle Times and the Kent Reporter?
My integrity is intact. Everything that we have said that we were going to accomplish we are indeed accomplishing. Almost every member of the Amiga team that was here from 2000 on is still with us. The rest of the team is here, and we are working together. I have also learned that the press can say anything they want to say, and print quotes with your name attached to them whether you said them or not.
28) In the era of the Mac mini, iPhone, $100 laptop, and Efika, what innovative products can Amiga Inc. bring to the information technology market?
Our plans and product strategy take all of the above question items and others into account. Until I am able to show it to you, I will just have to say that there is plenty of places for Amiga to succeed.
29) How will you get your products into mainstream computer stores?
Our products will be part of other larger company solutions. Amiga is the glue.
30) What is Pentti Kouri's business strategy with Amiga, Inc.? Was he the driving force behind the naming rights deal with the city of Kent?
Please see the answer to question 26. Other than that, I can’t speak for Dr. Kouri.
31) Do you have any contact with the current Commodore company?
NDA’s do not allow me to answer that question.
Lawsuit:
32) If Amiga/ITEC wins the lawsuit, how will you get access to parts of the sourcecode owned by the Friedens and external developers which are not included in the OS4-contract?
Amiga respects the valid intellectual property rights of developers. Otherwise, please see the answer to question 4.
33) Do you think the trial could be solved this year, or is this something that could drag out for years?
Please see the answer to question 4.
34) Is everything on hold until the trial is over?
Those projects that are Amiga OS 4 related are slowed down, but not on hold. We have moved the funds that were budgeted for OS 4 to OS 5 and two new products to accelerate their development.
35) Could you please elaborate how the expected returns from OS4 for a tiny niche market justify spending tens of thousands of dollars on a lawsuit?
Please see the answer to question 4.
36) How could you announce hardware availability in "Summer 2007" without having access to OS4-sources and with the knowledge that you start a complaint/lawsuit against Hyperion?
Please see the answer to question 4.
Other:
37) Is fleecy moss still actively involved with amiga inc?
Yes he is.
38) When can we expect any new announcements?
I would prefer not answering this question. It is not about announcements, it is about delivering products.
39) Will we see a return to Amiga being able to sponsor and attend Amiga shows in the UK & EU ?
We certainly hope so.
40) How do feel about making Amiga OS 1.0 to 3.1 Open Source?
Not going to happen.
Final notes – When we started our work as a team in 2000 we had many great plans and several OEM’s, deals and goals to lead Amiga and the community to a bright new future.
Unfortunately, things did not work out as planned. Products have been delayed and resources were devoted to areas that did not produce what we needed, or what the community had asked for.
We are working very hard on delivering and building the products that you have asked for, and that you need.
I have been reminded time and again about the “Amiga curse.” I certainly can say that there has been more than one time where I considered this to be real.
Today, we are an Amiga that is here to prove that not only is the curse not true, but that we are here to create and deliver products. That we are here to ship products, and while the Hyperion situation is a distraction it is certainly not everything that Amiga is. We are a tenacious group, and when others would have given up we stayed with it, and we are going to deliver.
Bill McEwen
Amiga, Inc.
bill@amiga.com
Tel: ****************
Fax: **************** |
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| Poster | Thread |  fairlanefastback
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 17:35:11
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Team Member
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Joined: 22-Jun-2005
Posts: 4886
From: MA, USA | | |
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| Quote:
| Oh, the Header points to him having a new computer now. First it was "Billsbox", then "BillsCompaq", |
Compaq! Bla! LOL! :)
_________________
Pegasos2 G3 running AOS 4.1 and MorphOS 2.0
Amikit user, tinkering with Icaros VM (AROS)
EFIKA owner
Amiga 1200
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| | fairlanefastback
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 17:38:16
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Team Member
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Joined: 22-Jun-2005
Posts: 4886
From: MA, USA | | |
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| I know it is bash-Bill's-head-in day but people do make mistakes and forget things. Now observe as I am immediately labeled an apologist for not grabbing a pitchfork and joining the mob again. |
Yes people forget, but adding it to past experience it does seem to further indicate then at the least, a lack of competence to lead the company to goals the Amiga Community wants. Either way, said a way you don't like or not its still not a good sign. 
_________________
Pegasos2 G3 running AOS 4.1 and MorphOS 2.0
Amikit user, tinkering with Icaros VM (AROS)
EFIKA owner
Amiga 1200
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| | Mrodfr
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 17:43:37
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Super Member
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Joined: 28-Jan-2007
Posts: 1396
From: French | | |
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| hello,
It's hard for bill to found allways a needed reason to not answer to a question !!!!. IMHO iT's not necessary to send questions to bill with answers like that next time.
bill, you can't talk like that to the amiga community!!!. there is friendship here, all help each other and like using and old AOS but so powerfull and easy to use.
he you want to have futur good contact here, you must said: true facts and real feelings, like a real amiga fan, and stop talking like big boss of a company or commercial manager wood tongue.
_________________
BTW, what you have done for the amiga today ????
-A1200+Mediator+VooDoo3+060/50+96mo+SCSI-KIT
-SAM440EP-667mhz-on MapowerKC3000+AOS4.1
Amiga Docs Disks Preservation Project
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| | Akiko
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 17:45:23
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Cult Member
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Joined: 26-Mar-2004
Posts: 781
From: UK | | |
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| @wajdy
This is Bill we're talking about, it means absolutely nothing...
The whole Jens Schönfeld thing is just another perfect example how completely out of touch this company is with this community and reality. 
_________________
4000T/BFG9060
CD32/Elsat ProModule, TF360
CD32/ Edu's CD32 <> A1200 Adapter, Vampire V2
CD32/ FMV Module
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| | CodeSmith
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 18:00:16
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Elite Member
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Joined: 8-Mar-2003
Posts: 3045
From: USA | | |
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| @Tomazkid
Yeah, a few of the answers do have that feel to them. Incidentally, when was the interview done? He's answering "we'll say more on the 4th quarter of 2007" a lot, which started last week. I hope AInc's not going to wait until Dec 31 to answer these things... speaking of which, what Amiga Inc is he referring to? the Washington one or the Delaware one? According to the court docs, they're both active.
I do think that question 15 was pretty dumb though... my answer to that would have been "well, duh!" Last edited by CodeSmith on 05-Oct-2007 at 06:01 PM.
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| | adrianebrown
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 18:05:11
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Regular Member
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Joined: 28-Nov-2004
Posts: 155
From: Aberdeen, Scotland | | |
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| I'm extremely disappointed in Amiga Inc.'s total disregard to the Amiga Community for not delivering on numerous promises including dancing around with questions like above.
I also feel that based what the forums have been discussing that Amiga Inc. handled the the whole situation poorly between Hyperion and Eyetech it also disgraceful considering they say they have been developing OS 5 for nearly 3 years and still nothing to show for it!
Hyperion has done a wonderful job with OS 4 and they should be thanked for what they have done not crucified by Amiga Inc.
I also felt that the open letter from Amiga Inc was ?spitting the dummy? at the amiga community, if only they had communicated and delivered on promises.
Amiga Inc should drop the lawsuit and settle there difference like gentlemen not bullies. 
_________________
Ade
--
A1200 PPC, Powered by AmigaOS 3.1.4
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| | SpaceDruid
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 18:07:59
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Super Member
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Joined: 12-Jan-2007
Posts: 1748
From: Inside the mind of a cow on a planet that's flying through space at 242.334765 miles per second. | | |
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| I have also learned that the press can say anything they want to say, and print quotes with your name attached to them whether you said them or not.
Oh for fubars sake, I could have told you that!
(Anyone who remembers the demise of my last avatar might understand me) 
Oh ands so this isnt a waste of a post....
Its pretty ruddy obvious he can't answer anything about OS4 with the ongoing legal soup so all you (nice respectable people) with typing skills that are trying to make something of it can eat my (waste products)! Last edited by SpaceDruid on 05-Oct-2007 at 06:21 PM.
_________________
"Anyone with a modicum of reasonableness may realize that it is like comparing the ride in the world to descend the stairs to catch the milk in the house."
Google Translate
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| | Tuxedo
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 18:25:33
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Elite Member
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Joined: 28-Nov-2003
Posts: 2348
From: Perugia, ITALY | | |
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| He's at fruit...
IMHO...
_________________
Simone"Tuxedo"Monsignori, Perugia, ITALY.
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| | Tuxedo
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 18:27:02
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Elite Member
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Joined: 28-Nov-2003
Posts: 2348
From: Perugia, ITALY | | |
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| Quote:
Quote:
| 31) Do you have any contact with the current Commodore company?NDA's do not allow me to answer that question. |
This could be a NEWS ! |
I HOPE so!
_________________
Simone"Tuxedo"Monsignori, Perugia, ITALY.
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| | TrevorDick
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 19:10:28
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Elite Member
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Joined: 30-Dec-2004
Posts: 2678
From: Wellington | | |
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| Call me  I don't know whether to be or  ?
_________________
No, I don't need no reason, I'm just breezin'
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| | TheDaddy
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 19:26:14
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Elite Member
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Joined: 30-Sep-2005
Posts: 4499
From: Quattro Stelle | | |
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| I think that Amiga will never, ever go back to what it used to be, I am sorry to say that. I am seriously thinking to get an Intel Quad processor with a juicy Gigabyte motherboard, 4GB of 1066MHz DDR2, a 8800 GTS 320MB nVidia graphics card and run Vista Ultimate and XP on 1TB hard drive (2x500MB), I will at least be able to enjoy what the market has to offer games and application wise.
Then if OS4 comes out with SAM or other I might consider it. At the moment we are in the same stagnating situation of 10 years ago.
Who is there to blame?
_________________
www.loriano.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
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| | Fransexy
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 20:01:57
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Elite Member
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Joined: 8-Jun-2004
Posts: 2334
From: Elche (Alicante), spain | | |
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| Quote:
Can you compare OS 5 running on a software host to a mainstream product?
Is anybody else selling an operating system to run on another operating systems? I am not talking about emulation OS's.
OS 5 just does not sound like an operating system to me.
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Aros has been developed as hosted on other OS´s and Aros can run also native and is an operating system.Runing on a host is an easy and fast way to develop an operating system than make it native since the begining (You can debug it more easy if it´s hosted for example).Then when you have an operating systema that can run native but also hosted, why not sell the two versions (standalone and hosted)?
_________________
No PowerPC, No Fun
Make Amiga Great Again
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| | agnuz6569
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 20:34:39
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Member
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Joined: 1-May-2007
Posts: 87
From: in the Toaster | | |
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"Attention, Attention people of Amiga World Net! Amiga Inc. will release new Amigas tomorrow! Not todays tomorrow but tomorrows tomorrow! I swear by god...."
Last edited by agnuz6569 on 05-Oct-2007 at 08:35 PM.
_________________
Charly says always tell your mummy before you go off use some other os!
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| | stew
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 20:43:09
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Regular Member
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Joined: 26-Sep-2003
Posts: 453
From: Unknown | | |
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| Is the "Please see the answer to question 4." a new Amiga trademark, like "When it's done."? |
We will know in "two more weeks". |
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| | stew
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 20:45:51
| | [ #55 ] |
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Regular Member
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Joined: 26-Sep-2003
Posts: 453
From: Unknown | | |
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| Quote:
| Now observe as I am immediately labeled an apologist for not grabbing a pitchfork and joining the mob again |
The mob has been wrong before and may be quite wrong again. Still looking for a Hyperion Q&A. |
| | Status: Offline |
| | stew
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 20:54:55
| | [ #56 ] |
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Regular Member
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Joined: 26-Sep-2003
Posts: 453
From: Unknown | | |
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| Quote:
| Hyperion has done a wonderful job with OS 4 and they should be thanked for what they have done not crucified by Amiga Inc |
Great job came in so late Eyetech didn't have a chance.
Quote:
| Amiga Inc should drop the lawsuit and settle there difference like gentlemen not bullies |
Hyperion should live up to the agreements they drew up and signed. Pay the developers and give sources to AInc.
comment above are only to show there are two sides to the story so ya'll keep your flame throwers locked away. I will put on my asbestos underware just in case though.  |
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| | glamalama
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 21:14:35
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New Member
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Joined: 9-Dec-2006
Posts: 4
From: Canada, Eh! | | |
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| Wow. With all the excitement coming from "Question4 Inc." me thinks that I need to get into the computer business. If I start learning to program sometime in Q4 2007 I am pretty certain I can beat them to market with an OS. If I start learning to solder ICs sometime in Q1 2008 I am pretty certain I can beat them to market with a hardware solution. Anyone know a reliable vacuum tube supplier? I'm really going to go totally retro!
If I sign an NDA (Non Delivery Agreement) with "Question 4 Inc." I think I should be OK. Most people here don't honestly expect anything for Q4 Inc. anyways. Were just here for the silicon soap opera. |
| | Status: Offline |
| | Plaz
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 22:08:23
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Super Member
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Joined: 2-Oct-2003
Posts: 1573
From: Atlanta | | |
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| Quote:
| we stayed with it, and we are going to deliver. |
Well, we're always full of eternal hope around here. I don't feel any warmer and fuzzier just yet after reading the answers though.
A hug from SpaceDruid would definitely be fuzzier.
Plaz |
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| | Colin_Camper
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 22:18:32
| | [ #59 ] |
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Super Member
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Joined: 6-Jul-2003
Posts: 1188
From: Unknown | | |
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| Quote:
| Adam is creating the reference products that will be manufactured by another company and they will be the ones that make the hardware. |
Translation into English;
Adam is frantically scouring the net for an embedded ppc design that can be passed off as a desktop motherboard and is NOT called EFIKA or SAM.  |
| | Status: Offline |
| | jahc
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Re: Amigaweb.net Q&A With Bill Mcewen
Posted on 5-Oct-2007 23:35:01
| | [ #60 ] |
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Elite Member
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Joined: 30-May-2003
Posts: 2959
From: Auckland, New Zealand | | |
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| Quote:
New Zealand? Jahc, we haven't seen an update to wookiechat for a while; is there something you're not telling us?
(just stirring things up a little) |
Buddy, dont drag me into this!  |
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