QUESTION:

What staff does Eyetech currently have, are people like Gary the engineer still working for Eyetech? Do you have office staff handling the public relations aspect of the business?

Would you consider letting someone from the community handle the public inquiries on your behalf if they were willing to sign an NDA with you and work for free?

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Regards
Darren 'Ryu' Glenn
----------------------------
www.IntuitionBase.com - Your Guide to Amiga OS4.x and the AmigaOne
www.Bambi-Amiga.co.uk - My A1200 webserver, running 24/7/365

question

Are you sure you should be doing this(willingly placing yourself in the line of fire)?

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Fixed A1G4XE 7455 RX933PC with fried CPU
Sapphire Radeon 9100 128mb
ESI Juli@ 24bit 192kHz Envy24HT
Sil 680 Ultra Ata 133 E-ide
SeaGate Barracuda 120gb 8mb cache

@ Hondo_DK

Quote:

Has something been planned for the release of OS4?, special cabinets, marketing, new boards, etc??

A good question. I seem to remember a Naya see-thru case with a cool boing ball on it advertised by Eyetech many, many moons ago at the start of this AmigaOne thing. That would be very cool. A standard case is important and Project Reality forms an excellent base for that.

Perhaps Project Reality for the wedge Amiga and something like the custom Naya for the big-box.

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Sam

Is there any plans on the roadmap for PowerPC 970 (aka G5) and A1 motherboards?

_________________

Will future A1's (XC) if it comes available be made Mac CPU card compatible so we can benifit of cheap CPU upgrades ?

Why doesn't eyetech contract a Mac CPU accelerator manufacturer, who probably has parts contracts in place already to build a select range of CPU upgrades ? This probably wouldn't require much redesign work on their behalf ?

I'd like to know why I can't get my A1XE fixed for free as a good will gesture from Eyetech ? At the time of ordering in Dec 2002 it was announced that DMA SE problems were fixed on the XE and the non functional sound was only a driver issue. We now also know that USB needs a HUB to work and frankly my PCI slots are full with work arounds for the faulty hardware.

Why isnt the fix information being released to the public so that users who can fix the hardware themselves do so ?

How are these after sales issues going to be addressed ?

Last edited by JurassicC on 22-Mar-2005 at 11:27 PM.

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A1200T 603e 330Mhz - Mediator TX OS4.1 F.E.
CDTV 8MB Fast, OS3.1, SCSI, MicroSD SCSI & CD32 FMV
X5000, X1000, A1XE with OS4.1F.E.

Alan, I have heard you have been personally hard to reach recently. I assume that is becuase you are busy, which is good. What kind of things are you up to?

_________________
Amiga A1200, 3.1 ROMs, Blizzard 1230 MKIV 64MB & FPU, 4GB DoM SSD, Workbench 3.1

@-Sam-

Quote:

A standard case is important and Project Reality forms an excellent base for that.

I saw you talking about the importance to "recreate brand identity" in a recent thread, and I think there's a good question lurking somewhere within this line of thought.
(Quick! Someone formulate it before Atheist kills it with a blurb! )

It certainly seems to work for the Mac, and I can't see that it could've done any damage for the C= Amiga in the past.

Though personally, I've really got the hots for that sexy A4000T case, I think it was the original Commodore one...now, getting that one back in production - yummy!

Off-topic fetish aside though, as I said, I think it's a topic worth bringing up.


@Atheist

Just kidding, you know that, right? We all like ya, really!

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A1G4XE, OS4-pre

Question:
Are you doing something about missing "spare" parts for µA1?
Like a back plate specially made for the µA1, 512MB and maybe a 1GB
SODIMM modules, a G4 CPU module.. These are the most important
stuff missing when you're trying to higher your AmigaOne specs.

I know there is supposed to be a G4 7447A 1.3GHz CPU module released
real soon.. But when will it be available? Price?


/Harry

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/Harry

[SOLD] µA1-C - 750GX 800MHz - 512MB - Antec Aria case

Avatar by HNL_DK!

Ok, so in no real order, and likely some repeating of what's most likely been asked, but in one place:

1. Alan, you've been fairly quiet in the community lately for some time now, while many try to ascertain the state of their warrantees for fixes of their XEs, as well as owners of the older SEs. Some feel particularly betrayed as XEs were marketed as 'consumer grade,' and the lack of public attention to this has left many users cold. Does Eyetech have any intention of honoring thier warrantees, and/or provide a solution for SE owners of any kind? Can you clarify this sutuation for once and for all?

2. A1s on Linux- It's been expected to see you pursue the Linux/PPC market, as Pegasos has with some success, but we've heard nothing on this, nor is there an out of box Linux distro available that's capable of running a 2.6 kernel on any of the A1 models. To say this is important to many is an understatement, so- are there any plans underway towards making 2.6 support a reality, either in concert with or by either Mai Logic or EyeTech?

3. Other markets versus pricing. Much has been repeated as a mantra about 'economies of scale,' which is certainly valid to some extent; I don't believe anyone thinks Eyetech should not make some money, but it's difficult to get more people to make the purchase at these price points. We've heard nothing about extending A1s into other markets which might result in a lower cost to end users. Can you give us any information on if other markets are still being pursued, or of other means to reduce cost to end users is planned?

4. AOS4 final release- It now seems that EyeTech and Hyperion are wearing the sole 'OS4 banner,' so it doesn't seem we should expect any marketing or media exposure to take place due to Amiga Inc directly. Is there any plan for either Eyetech or Hyperion, or a joint effort, to do any sort of marketing once AOS4 final is released?

5. Relationships- There seems to be some confusion as to the relationships of the 'AmigaOne Partners' as outlined by Garry Hares recent interview and follow-up. In the event a new potential hardware licensee was interested in produced a desktop or non-classic board to run AOS, is this a possibility, or does EyeTech have a 'final veto,' implied or explicit, in this? Can you clarify the 'AmigaOne Partners' relationship a bit for us?

6. Developer discounts. As I'm sure you know, Pegasos boards were given away to many developers, and perhaps too freely depending on who you ask. However, a new OS is little without developers...but the current price of entry is a bit much for many. Are there any plans to offer developer discount on the current and/or future A1 lineup, either by Eyetech, Hyperion, or a combination effort?

7. Hardware- It seems the Teron PX board may be a fairly competent system, and many have speculated on the nature of the 'AmigaOne XC' mentioned some time ago. Are there current plans to produce such a system, or future systems you can share with us? Is there any hope to see a more modern system come out of AmigaOne branding of a FreeScale or other board perhaps? What can you share on the expected future roadmap?

8. RAM seems to be causing issues for many users, going back to both the SE and XE boards, in some cases, RAM purchased from Eyetech even being incompatible. While it may be unreasonable to expect an exchange for older purchases, it remains a problem with the uA1-Cs with their 256MB of RAM and single socket limitation, as many users want to run at least 512MB of RAM to dual boot AOS and Linux. Are there plans to either offer 512MB as a standard configuration so users don't 'throw out' the 256MB they are currently forced to purchase with the uA1-C, or any plans to produce compatible 'guaranteed' RAM at a more reasonable cost?

9. CPU upgrades- Many people seem to be interested in a CPU upgrade for the various A1 systems, and a handful of others in need of a replacement CPU to replace non-functioning units. The 'pre-announced' pricing on a G4 upgrade CPU of some $700USD or so is simply insane for many of us, when Freescale sells G4 CPUs for less than half of the price. Do you have plans to ensure that at least warranty replacement CPUs are available for A1s, and any comments on any possibly upcoming CPU upgrades?

10. I'm sure you're at least peripherally aware of the effect on some parts of the community your 'absense' has created. Can you tell us what it would take in order to work _with_ the community better, instead of the now fairly long silence, and what you've been doing in past months? Any good news to share?

11. A1 information. EyeTechs web site, by nature of being the AmigaOne official distributor, would seem to be the logical place to host the most complete information on the AmigaOne linuep, yet this has not been the case by any means. Are there any plans to remedy this, or should the community (or a dealer) go ahead and create such a site? If the latter, is there any way to ensure continued communication occurs to avoid spreading mis-information?

12. Flaky dealers. Several people, including Garry Hare himself, have commented on the problems involved in getting A1s in their hands, either because of flaky dealers, or supposedly prolonged shipping times from Eyetech to the dealer. This would seem to be good news, as it would indicate systems are selling well, and surpassing demand? Can you comment on this, and if any actions are planned to help in this respect?

13- # of systems sold to date, if production run numbers are increasing etc.

Hmm, that's it for now..let me think for a few minutes, may add more.

EDIT- ok, so I thought for a minute, 3 more added.

Last edited by wegster on 23-Mar-2005 at 02:37 AM.
Last edited by wegster on 23-Mar-2005 at 02:04 AM.
Last edited by wegster on 23-Mar-2005 at 02:04 AM.

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Are we not done with the same silly arguments and flames yet??!

@The_Editor

Quote:

*FokDat*

Dig.

Coder

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The Bucket Diary Blog
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An answer to the following determines my future of Amiga involvement.

The A1-XE boards have problems as often noted. It is now next to impossible to find them for sale yet there are many Amiga fans that only want a larger upgradable board such as was provided in the A1-XE. Will there be an upgraded, replacement - similar board such as the A1-XE that we can count on in the near future?

_________________
Make a difference in this life. Don't just take up space.

@-Sam-

Quote:

I seem to remember a Naya see-thru case with a cool boing ball on it advertised by Eyetech many, many moons ago at the start of this AmigaOne thing. That would be very cool. A standard case is important and Project Reality forms an excellent base for that.

I asked Garry the question about standard keyboards, mice and cases. The answer was something along the line of they had had some people interested in licencing the name for these, and he was going to take it up with AmigaOne partners.

It'll be interesting to find out Alan's take on this.

I'll let somebody else reword it into a question.

Chris

_________________
"Miracles we do at once, the impossible takes a little longer" - AJS on Hyperion
Avatar is Tabitha by Eric W Schwartz

With the Amiga's 20th Anniversary coming up very soon, will there be a marketing push to capitalise on the event?

Many people are sitting on the fence because a lot of things need to come together before they can consider an Amiga done and final. Obviously they are OS4 but I also consider a custom designed Amiga case is required to be considered finished. Will you be creating a custom designed Amiga case? A couple of different designs?

If so, a new Amiga is obviously retro to some extent and I and other's would love to see a one or several case designs reminiscent of the case designs of old. Many are easily identifiable by the public and classic. Are you entertaining the thought of cooperating with the Amiga Fantasy group on creating at least a wedge shaped case? Would you consider a competition to create and choose the best case design?

I really like the idea of the graphics and sounds chips being on the motherboard, sorta like the Amiga of old. I like it even better that it so small. Are there any plans to up the graphics capability of the A1 by utilising a more up to date radeon graphics chipset? I know its always a moving target but it might help you move them. You do have an Industrial version now that could use the current cheaper one afterall.

Are the specs of the A1 bound by hardware components that you have already purchased? In other words are you heavily invested in these components or can they be changed at any time, design costs permitting?

Is there any possibility of producing a plug in card for PCs that would utilise the graphics capabilites of the host operating system. Any possibility of dropping the graphics chips and ports, on the A1 to make the microA1 even smaller to accomplish this? In a way this makes an Amiga more accessible to people and is another hardware sale. I don't know if this is a good idea or not, but have you considered it because it looks possible from the outside? Your thoughts?

Are there any plans to create a Mac mini sized Amiga?

Genesi are 'apparently' doing well with Freescale and IBM sales. Do you have any relationship with these or any other high profile companies(like Sony), and if so, are there avenues in which you could gain their further support?

And I have to ask. What are your thoughts on a Cell processor Amiga? It doesn't need to be managed by the OS I guess. I think Amiga coders would take great joy in hitting that hardware directly like they did with the custom chips of old. I think this could produce some amazing stuff.

Maybe, some of you might consider some of these questions stupid or way out there. I would still like to hear his impressions anyway.

Ok. Going back to my happy place now.

_________________
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."

Ok @Chris_Y

Commodore used to rebrand monitors, joysticks, printers and mice etc....Do Eyetech have any plans to rebrand any peripherals as Amiga peripherals? I would prefer Amiga systems to be compared to Macs rather than PCs.

Which begs an interesting question....Will you be attempting to produce complete systems comparable in desirability and professional quality to Macs? Or are AmigaOne's only ever going to be motherboards in PC cases?

Will you eventually be releasing, in cooperation with Hyperion, a game pack?

Going with the Amiga retro theme, any chance, should you be releasing a game pack, to sell it with a joystick? A few retro designed USB joysticks already exist. Any takers?

Has anyone licensed the A1 tech yet, to produce an STB?

Ok. Going back to my happy place now.

_________________
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."

I remember you lamenting the naming of the motherboards and the confusion around them. Do you having naming rights and can you sort out this mess?

Errrr....(about to have tomatoes thrown at me)
Any chance of picking a different name than AmigaOne?
I mean, couldn't we just consider it a project name, like Longhorn, and pick something a bit better? (Community help?)
Recently MS went and renamed their XBox2 console to XBox360 because the number was too low...... So an AmigaOne....ahhhhh...well you get the drift.

One suggestion, could you possibly rename different mothboards, or complete systems like the Amigas of old? For instance, say an E(for Eyetech)500. An E500 would be reminscent of the form factor/case of an A500...and so on with other intended for factors.

Do you at least read the forums? How often?

Ok. Going back to my happy place now.

_________________
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."

QUESTION:

On Amiga.com it says the following

Quote:

AmigaOne Partners have the right to distribute AmigaOS 4.0 into the AmigaOne desktop computer market and into Cyberstorm PPC enabled devices. Distribution into any other market or device requires a licensing and distribution agreement with Amiga, Inc.

You've said yourself on numerous occasions that Eyetech's main expertise is Embeded and Industrial Markets, and this was where the real potential for AmigaOne sales lay. Do you have the rights to do this or are you limited to desktop only as the site suggests?

I am still very knarked about Eyetechs lack of support for the hardware, however I would like the following questions to be asked (in particular number 3).

1. Can we have more details on the XE fixes?

2. Can we get boards fixed in the UK yet (and under warranty)?

2. Does the XE mods fix anything else other than USB and IDE DMA, does all other PCI/DMA work ok, eg. should TV, USB Firewire PCI cards (drivers permitting)?

Thanks

Is this thing on?
If yes and this makes it thru, why did my question disappear??

Okay, again then.

Question:

What about licensing chips from Apple like the northbridge Agere
manufactures for Apple and which can be found e.g. on the Mini-Mac?

Apple shouldn't mind making a little extra money with selling IC's
as long the machines build with these can't be turned into a real MAC.
So far the desktop-market for PPC is Apple and *nothing*.
MAI is seemingly a company too small to do the job right,
Marvel obviously has no interest in the desktop-market,
Freescale aims for the embedded market only either
and what IBM does seems to be aimed at Apple.

We urgently need a different hardware-plattform,
have you tried to get your hands on SDRAM lateley?

Quote:

Is this thing on? If yes and this makes it thru, why did my question disappear??

I don't understand. You posted a question but it disappeared in that post?

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